Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom Interview with Christine Hassler and Lindsey Pollack on Repeat Business

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Interview with Christine Hassler and Lindsey Pollack on Repeat Business It takes far less effort, time, and money to keep an existing client than secure a new one. Yet getting customers to buy over and over again still presents a challenge for many professionals. To address this, I spoke with two colleagues who have excellent track records when it comes togrowing their businessesthrough existing customers. Alex: You both have built an impressive following of loyal customers over the last several years. What’s your secret? Christine: I’ve made providing quality content and inspiring information my priority rather than making money or building a platform. Being relatable to and vulnerable with my audience has created deeper connections to my customers. They feel like they know me, so they want to be loyal. Also, by starting with a specific niche I was able to establish a solid base of customers on whom I could depend once I decided to expand. Alex: Talking B2B, once you’ve gotten a customer to buy a product or service, how do you get them to buy from you again? Lindsey: First and most important is letting clients know I appreciate their business. I like to send thank you notes and (appropriate) gifts. I make phone calls the day after an event or project has ended to show my gratitude. I invite clients to any live or virtual events I can, including webinars, events, or seminars that I think they might find valuable. I also communicate regularly with existing clients through a monthly e-newsletter and interaction on LinkedIn and Twitter. When it comes to social media, I find that engaging with the content my clients are posting is more important than posting my own content. Finally, I’m always happy to chat with a client about a problem their organization is having or recommend another consultant if they have an issue unrelated to my work. It’s about being of service and genuinely helping them as much as possible. For more from Lindsey and Christine, head over to the full interview at Intuits Fast Track blog.

Top Strategies to Grow Recognition - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Top Strategies to Grow Recognition - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Being in business is a continual challenge to keep learning and growing while generating revenue. Even with doing most everything right, plateaus are reached and it becomes a renewed challenge to move forward. What are the secrets of the once smaller companies that grew big and became a recognized entity? Keep these tips in mind as you read my personal story below: 1. Develop company policy and document it in its entirety 2. Train staff members as they come on board 3. Frequently check that everyone is on the same page delivering the same message and behaving consistently 4. Make customer service your #1 priority 5. Pay attention to details 6. Act swiftly to correct missteps 7. Thank your customers repeatedly 8. Notify clients of promotions and/or new services 9. Remain in touch 10. Ask for feedback The realization hit this weekend of the importance of first developing your personal brand as you build business. Setting the scene, I was at a bridal wedding shower. It was going well until the bride began to open her gifts … all very heavy gifts. The bride-to-be lives on the other side of the country. This was Saturday afternoon and we were leaving early Sunday morning. Quickly I calculated the cost of shipping in my head, only to realize it would cost more than the value of the gifts. Panic set in as to what to do. Luckily a friend advised I take all the gifts back to the two respective stores where the bride-to-be was registered.  It was further suggested I explain the dilemma and that should they accept the returns without receipts, we would guarantee the same items be purchased on the east coast.  It was a lot to ask of the stores. To my complete amazement, not only was each store agreeable, they both went a few steps further than the request itself, and further than I would ever dare to ask.  They both offered to not only take the gifts back, but to ship them for free.  On top of that they were giving local patrons in-store coupons and voluntarily extended us the same courtesy.  So in addition to saving a tremendous amount of money in shipping costs, the bride will receive her gifts with no effort on her part, plus she will also receive extra spending cash! The two stores involved were Macys and Bed, Bath and Beyond.  They surpassed all expectations on the customer service side. Their attention to my dilemma motivated me to help spread the word of their incredible attention to their customers.  This is the power of outstanding customer service. It serves to build your brand so well that others feel compelled to voluntarily provide referrals and testimonials. Everything you portray and how you prioritize your “everything” is reflected in your business practices. It is these practices that will negatively or positively affect your outcome. Once you have everything in place, consider these ideas: 11. Develop company policy and document it in its entirety 12. Train staff members as they come on board 13. Frequently check that everyone is on the same page delivering the same message and behaving consistently 14. Make customer service your #1 priority 15. Pay attention to details 16. Act swiftly to correct missteps 17. Thank your customers repeatedly 18. Notify clients of promotions and/or new services 19. Remain in touch 20. Ask for feedback All of the above is designed to promote good word of mouth and make it a constant. This is what develops brand recognition and a returning and referring clientele. Treat your clients well to find huge reward and the Smooth Sale! Author: Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale, LLC, (800) 704-1499, was honored by Open View Labs with inclusion in their international list of “Top 25 Sales Influencers for 2012.” Elinor authored the International Best-Selling book, “Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results”, published by Sourcebooks and the best selling career book, “HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews”, published by Career Press.

People Like Us Do Things Like This

People Like Us Do Things Like This These words are the essence of a culture. I was inspired by a short video by Seth Godin. He pointed out the uniqueness of political advertising because a politician must win the majority of voters to be elected. All this cortisol creating advertising that drives us crazy is based on a 1961 discovery that the best way to win an election is to get your opponent’s supporters to not vote. Set up an atmosphere of doubt/shame so people won’t vote for their own candidate. These cortisol laden emotional environments often spill over to the business environment as Simon Sinek so capably illustrates in his book, “Leaders Eat Last.” Leaders need followers. Leaders need followers who are confident, passionate and committed. It is not something you can get by your appointment to a job, it is something you earn. Think of it as running for corporate political office where you want your followers to be a tribe. And, you must do this without a high marketing budget. So, what might be a creative approach? Seth Godin outlines a three-step strategy that he attributes to Marshall Ganz of Harvard: The Story of Self Testify why are you here The Story of Us Why my story is our story The Story of Now Why today vs. the future When I think back, I have worked with and supported many great leaders who had their version of this strategy. Literally, years later, their tribe has reunions to relive the good times when they went to the wall with that executive/leader to achieve something bigger than themselves. You can hear the words of Simon Sinek here as well when he says you want to attract people who believe what you believe. These are the messages you need to communicate. Take 4 minutes to see if you get the Jolt I did. If you cant articulate your culture, if you cant describe what it is really like, what work means and why the heck you show up every day, then you might want to rethink what you are doing. The idea of People like us do things like this, is that you can call your group a team, family, colleagues, or coworkers, but if there arent a clear set of beliefs that define how and why you do what you do, then youre probably not as effective as you could be.

25 Smart Questions to Make You Stand Out During the Interview

25 Smart Questions to Make You Stand Out During the Interview Interviews can be stressful, but if you’ve done your research, prepared your answers, the next thing is to create a list of questions you will ask during the interview. Remember, the interview really should be a mutual exchange of information, not an interrogation. When you ask questions is demonstrates your interest in the company and the position. It also shows you have given careful thought to what the job will entail and whether the company will be a good match. Sending these impressions to the employer can work in your favor. Remember, most employers aren’t hiring “butts in seats.” They want the people they hire to perform, and hopefully better than expected. There are four different categories of questions listed depending on where you are in the interview process and what information you want to gather during your discussion. Basic Questions These questions are good to ask during the pre-screening phone interview or in the early stages of the interviewing process. Gathering the answers early will allow you to ask better follow-up questions later on. They will also provide you with a clearer idea of the skills you will want to emphasize. What do you see ahead for your company in the next five years? What do you consider to be your company’s most important assets? How do you rate your competition? Could you describe a typical day or week in this position? Or Could you describe the typical client or customer I would be dealing with? What are the most important elements of this job? Why is this position available? What did the last person in this position go onto do â€" and what were they like? How is job performance evaluated, and how often does it occur? What are the three main factors you will be using to determine the right person for this job? What was it about my qualifications that most appealed to you? Job-Related Questions These questions allow you to dig deeper into the job requirements and expectations and are best asked of your future manager. What goals do you expect the person who takes this job to achieve during their first 30, 60, and 90 days? Could you tell me about the way the job has been performed in the past? And, what improvements you’d like to see happen? How does “X” get done here? (Where “X” is a key element of the job) What types of skills do you NOT already have on-board that you’re looking to fill with a new hire? If I was starting in this position today, what would you advise me to learn first and do first? Cultural Fit Questions Finding the right cultural fit is important to you AND the employer. There are many elements to cultural fit: management style, processes and procedures, ethics/values, communication styles, levels of trust and empowerment are just a few. Listen carefully and without bias as you ask these questions. Whenever possible, ask relevant follow-up questions to gain further insight or clarification. What do you like best about working here? What type of work do you delegate to your staff? The company may have a formal recognition program; however, what type of recognition have you recently given to one of your staff? Has anyone on your staff been promoted over the last couple of years? If so, what was the reason why this person was promoted? What would be the three things that your peers would say you do extremely well? What opportunities do you make available for professional development and training? What do employees do in their spare time? Does the company welcome celebrating special occasions? What was the last occasion your department celebrated? Trial Close Sometimes it is a good idea to see if you’ve left the interviewer with questions or issues unaddressed. A “trial close” can be a way for you to see what the interviewer is feeling. Are there any reservations you have about my fit for the position that I could try to address? This job sounds like something I’d really like to do â€" is there a fit here? Now that we’ve talked about my qualifications and the job, do you have any concerns about my being successful in this position? Final Questions There are no exceptions. You MUST know the answers to these questions. It allows you to plan how and when you follow-up. What is the next step in this process? What is your time line for getting back to candidates about the next steps? Exuding confidence and interest in the job are two of the most important assets you can possess! Go get the next interview! RELATED:  10 Killer Interview Tactics You Ought to Know

Episode 007 The C.A.R.E. Podcast Experts Corner - Marc Miller CareerMetis.com

Episode 007 â€" The C.A.R.E. Podcast â€" Experts Corner - Marc Millerâ€" CareerMetis.com Marc Miller’s career journey included 22 years at IBM, several thriving tech startups, a painful stint as a high school teacher, a gig raising funds for the Jewish Community Association of Austin and a near fatal bicycle accident that changed his perspective forever.An active member of the Launch Pad Job Club, Marc found himself counseling friends and associates on their career journeys and finally realized he’d found his vocation. He would use his extensive training experience to help othersâ€"especially Baby Boomersâ€"find careers that they could grow into for the decades that lie ahead.evalMarc Miller is passionate about his work and the clients he serves. He’s taught in more than 35 countries and helped clients from many industriesYou can purchase Marc’s Books BelowRepurpose Your CareerPersonal Branding for Baby Boomers E-Book

Hate Making Small Talk Ask Questions

Hate Making Small Talk Ask Questions Many of us despise making small talk. It is the equalent of a drill in the dentists office. As a result, these same, introverted people like myself hate going to networking events where we are forced into small talk. But waitwhat if we approach the problem differently. What if you dont have to do all the chatting? What if you dont have to have clever one-liners or a hip new joke? What if making small talk was just about asking questions Last night I was watching TV with my kids and got caught up in Good Luck Charlie, a silly PG sitcom.   In last nights episode, 10 year old Gabe asks his mom how to talk to a girl he likes.   He was so concerned about what he was going to say, he couldnt put his words together when talking with the girl. In the moms infinite wisdom, she eventually suggested he try to learn about her, ask her questions and see if you have anything in common.   After this advice, he asked the girl good open ended questions.   Tell me about your family and followed that up with tell me more!.   This is the short summary, and to be honest, I didnt make it to the end of the show, so I am not sure how this ended up. Finding something in common with someone can instantly start a great conversation.   It isnt about spewing information about yourself or being witty.   Let the other person do the speaking.   This is about being a good listener. Obviously, this has networking and interviewing application.   Not just in job search, but in managing your future.   Building relationships along the way is the best employment insurance you can have! By the way,  dating and job searching have so many similarities.   Awhile ago, I wrote a post called:  15 Ways Finding a Job is Like Dating  which highlights the similarities!

Skills For Resume Customer Service

Skills For Resume Customer ServiceSkills for resume customer service are important to any company. They are not just about writing and resume decorating; they include the responsibilities that you carry out. If you are a good communicator, a member of the management team or an executive, you can have a career as a customer service representative.There are many skills that are required to be a customer service representative. A good skill is customer service management. You need to manage your customers, how you treat them and what you do when you are not satisfied with their service. Other skills for resume customer service are; resolving customer concerns, delegating tasks and listening to your customers. You need to learn to work with people in a positive manner.There are many reasons why you should choose a career in customer service. It is rewarding. You make a contribution to helping customers. You are working in a very rewarding industry. You will receive money, recognition and job satisfaction.Skills for resume customer service will provide you with a rewarding career. You will be able to solve problems and your company will get a lot of benefit from your skills. Customer satisfaction is very important to any business.Skills for resume customer service can be found on the internet. A lot of these skills are applicable to an executive role, but you may find some that apply to a sales role also. It is better to start out with skills for resume customer service and continue to work your way up. As long as you choose the right skills, your career will be successful.When it comes to skills for resume customer service, you can take advantage of online training. You can learn to use customer questionnaires, prospect questions andto send out letters, emails and catalogs. You can also learn how to resolve problems quickly and effectively. It is a good idea to make sure that you take advantage of online training opportunities that are available to you.As mentioned earlier, skills for resume customer service is what is needed to succeed in this field. A good company can provide these skills, you just need to learn how to use them. Many companies are offering training to learn these skills for resume customer service, this will make your job more challenging but also more rewarding.Skills for resume customer service are important in any company. A good resume and cover letter will help you advance in your career. It is important to write a good resume and cover letter. It will also help you reach your goals if you know how to use these tools.