Category: Customer Service

How to be Successful on Small Business Saturday

(In the Year of Covid 19)

This year has seen several unpredictable ups and downs for frame shop owners. One positive trend that has appeared to remain a constant is unstable world is consumers desire to support local. Many shoppers are seeking opportunities to shop small and support businesses in their communities. But how do you achieve successful results for Small Business Saturday while keeping your staff and customers safe?

I’ve put together a list of marketing ideas for framers to capitalize on the shop small movement. Here are some ideas to consider that go beyond in-store promotions.

Be Unique: Shoppers appreciate the uniqueness of small shops, so don’t feel like you have to compete with the big retailers. Be yourself while you show off what makes your business unique. Find creative ways to tell your story through videos on social media, merchandising in your store, and project photos to inspire custom framing.

Offer Referral Program. Invite customers to help your business grow by offering a referral program. Happy customers want to see your success and are willing to write on-line reviews and refer friends. Offer free upgrades, bonus discounts, or accumulate points for future perks. Google My Business allows you to share a link to write a review. Include the link in an email inviting customers to support your small business.

Partner with a Non-Profit. You can help your community and build good-will by highlighting a local charity for a Small Business Saturday promotion. You could collect donation items or share a percentage of each sale for food banks, animal rescue organizations, senior or children’s programs. Choose one that is meaningful and share your reasons in a short video to your social media platforms.

Live Broadcast. Build an audience of new buyers by broadcasting a Facebook Live video. Be.Live is an easy to use way to schedule and create your live broadcast. Keep your focus by creating a list of talking points highlighting custom framing ideas, gift ideas or other items from your shop. Customers can get a look at your shop from home, then schedule an appointment, purchase on-line or answer any other call to action you include.

Say Thanks. Small Business Saturday gives you an opportunity to say Thank You to the customers that have made your business successful. Send a note in the mail. Offer $20 off their next custom framing order. Call your top 20 customers to just say thank you. Offer small gifts to in-store shoppers. Show your genuine gratitude and grow customer loyalty.

Join the Movement. American Express started the Shop Small movement 10 years ago and provides support materials for small business owners. You can register your business on the Small Business Saturday map and request free marketing materials here: https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/shop-small/

Crisis Survival Guide

10 Things to Do Now to Make Your Business Stronger

It’s been said that there are two types of businesses – those that have had tough times & those that are going to have tough times. A worldwide pandemic and forced government shutdown should qualify as the most difficult business challenge most have ever faced. No doubt about it.

Despite overwhelming circumstances, there are still opportunities if we shift our thinking just a bit. We have the powerful ability to change our situation simply by shifting how we think about it. Instead of dwelling on how bad things could get, try asking What can I do now to prepare for a stronger recovery? These are 10 things to do to get through this and actually come out in better shape on the other side.

  1. Take Action

In a crisis, the single most important thing you can do is take action. Sometimes we can be a little like a deer in the headlights, not quite believing what is going on, frozen on the spot. The problem is that if we don’t leap into action, things will always get worse and they will get worse quickly. If you’ve had to temporarily shut your store due to the virus crisis, take a day, cry it out and then get back to business.

Some ideas include reorganizing the shop, redo store displays, to take time to fine tune your marketing message. The important thing to remember is don’t just stand there. There is work to do.

 

  1. Deal with facts not fiction.

In the middle of a tough time it is really easy to start freaking out based on the worst case scenario, as opposed to what actually is. It’s important to get all of the information about what is going on and to only deal with facts, regardless of what is going on in your head. Most of the things we worry about never actually happen, so don’t let your imagination get ahead of the reality of the situation.

For me, that means catching up on the news once a day for 5 minutes, then turn my attention back to my family, business planning & self-care.

 

  1. Take this time to cement your relationship with your existing customers.

In a weirdly ironic way, when times are tough, many businesses actually stop servicing their existing and loyal customer. A depressed mood descends on the business and this in turn affects customer service. That’s why businesses in this negative space lose far more customers than they should, which of course only makes matters worse. Now is the time to build bulletproof relationships with each and every customer you are fortunate enough to have. You need to be communicating with your customers, engaging them, finding out what is going on in their world and most importantly of all, becoming very clear on what your customers need from you.

For your customers, that may be reassuring them you’re taking steps to be there when they need you. Share something that will make them laugh. Teach them tips for arranging a gallery wall or how to install art at the right height. Give them a happy distraction from reality and inspire them with a little bit of hope so that when they need framing, they will remember you.

 

  1. Use this situation to rethink your business.

Tough times are crossroads in our business and they provide an opportunity to make hard decisions about what is working and what is not. This is the perfect time to stop and really reflect on your business and make the changes that deep down you know you need to make. Lean in, grab a notepad and pen and begin a S.W.O.T. analysis. List all the strengths your business possesses; your expertise, assets, reputation and more. Next acknowledge your weaknesses. This gets a little tougher. List the deficiencies in your business and things that you don’t do well. Follow that with a list of opportunities that may include possibilities of new revenue streams, e-commerce or a new category of customers. Finally, list the threats your business faces. It could be cash flow issues, supply chain, rising costs, etc.  This exercise provides you the insights needed to adjust your processes to increase the performance and efficiency of your business.

 

  1. Get ready to chase business.

During tough times, business development can also grind to a halt and we all know that this spells disaster. As hard as it may be, when times are tough, you have to ramp up your business development and push through the hard times. Winning a few new projects, or finding some new clients might just prove easier than you think and it will go a long way to making you feel better. To begin, ask yourself: Who do you serve? and what do they need?

Answer those questions and you’ll get closer to identifying new customer markets and the products and services they will need.

 

  1. Be careful whom you spend your time with.

Negative people need drama like it’s oxygen. It is more important than ever to avoid the harbingers of doom, those people who are negative all the time, they only ever focus on what they haven’t got as opposed to what they have and so on. Don’t let yourself get caught up in the negativity vortex. Keep away from people who are like this and find the positive, proactive and energetic business owners who are too busy getting on with it to get caught up with misery brigade. You can follow me on Instagram at @glasgow-meg for daily positive messages and video tips to encourage you though this crisis.

 

  1. Be prepared to try “NEW”.

When what you are doing isn’t working it makes sense to try something different. Now this sounds logical, yet I have watched so many businesses slowly go bust simply because they kept doing the same thing, right to the end. We have to be prepared to do new things, try ideas outside of our comfort zone and look to other for advice.

 

  1. Invest in your business.

This is the very best time to invest in your business. It is time to polish up your social media strategy, upgrade the website, come up with a new corporate image, invest in new technology and really anything else that will make your business look more impressive and run more impressively when business resumes.

 

  1. Invest in yourself.

Just as I believe that it is an important time to invest in your business it is more important time to invest in yourself. This means learning new skills through books, seminars, online training, mentoring, coaching, really whatever it takes.

 

  1. Learn from the experience.

This can be such a cliche but it is true. Most of us are really good at beating ourselves up for things that go wrong but there really isn’t much to be achieved from this. Far better to take a step back and learn from the experience. What can we do now to make things better? Focus on the positive lessons. Nothing is so bad that some good can’t come out of it.

4 Rules for Earning Customer’s Attention

Anyone that’s been in retail over the last few years knows things aren’t what they used to be. Just think, 5 years ago we weren’t using Facebook to communicate with customers. Most people weren’t buying their electronics on Amazon or finding their romantic match on dating websites. The game has changed. For retailers seeing their market share shifting towards online sellers, there’s no better time to change outdated strategies. In fact, it’s necessary if you want to survive and thrive in today’s ever-changing economy. Retailers aren’t going to attract new customers with old marketing methods. So, if you’re wondering how to grab the attention of new consumers consider these tips on how small retailers can make a big impact and get people into their store.

 

  1. Give people a reason to pay attention to you.

Gaining the interest of over-scheduled and distracted consumers is getting harder for businesses. What’s the secret to getting noticed, you ask. The key is to be where they’re more likely to notice you and offer them something they care about. New research by Pew says two-thirds (67%) of U.S. adults are reporting getting at least some of their news on social media. People’s attention is on-line and so should your business.  Ramp up your marketing efforts on social media. Talk about things your customers care about. Be interesting. Make yourself the expert by providing news about new design trends, art treatments and special events.

  1. Generate traffic to your store with a great event.

Getting people off the computer and into your shop takes some ingenuity and savvy marketing.  A simple sale isn’t going to be enough. You have to plan an event so irresistible customers wouldn’t want to miss it. That means giving them an experience they couldn’t get anywhere else. Consider expanding your event with partnerships with other businesses that have a following, like wineries, restaurants, breweries or specialty food stores. Feature an artist lecture or photographic slide show or maybe olive oil tasting. Invite a busker to play outside to capture the attention of passers-by, or hire a high school a Capella choir to sing holiday carols. The objective is to be creative in joining with partners that will help you promote the event and help broaden your marketing reach.

  1. Thank the customers that made you successful.

One idea that is sure to catch people’s attention is a customer appreciation event. Every consumer wants to feel appreciated, so why not create a special occasion to honor those that have made your business successful. Offer special in-store discounts to get people in the door. Present them with a special thank you gift, like free Museum Glass upgrade on their next framing project or $50 off their framing order. You may even choose to surprise a lucky guest with a special gift of a framed project. Was a customer celebrated in a local magazine? Surprise them with the framed article; just be sure to capture it on camera so you can share the excitement.

  1. Make the others watching want to do business with you too

A joyful side effect of promoting a customer appreciation event is the countless number of people that see the good work you’re doing. Well executed events can generate valuable awareness for your company brand. That’s important when you’re a small business needing to maximize the exposure for each marketing effort. Use every platform to promote your event, knowing that the goodwill you’re creating for your business will attract new consumers to your shop. Be sure to have a way to capture their contact information. Invite guests to join your Customer VIP list for special discounts, or enter a drawing for a cool prize. If they’re there, you’ve made them want to do business with you. Make sure you’ve given them an offer good enough to exchange their email for so that you can continue to develop a relationship.

For more in depth look at how you can build the buzz to attract new consumers to your store, sign up for my class “Building the Buzz” at the West Coast Art & Frame Expo in Las Vegas this January.