GROWING YOUR BUSINESS: Brick and mortar retail ain’t dead yet

/0 Comments/in /by

 

The new Apple Store at the Maine Mall.

by Dan Beaulieu
Business consultant

If you have ever been in an Apple Store, you will have seen the future of retail and it is here now. I was in the Apple Store at the Maine Mall a few Saturday nights ago and was amazed to see how busy it was. The place was packed corner to corner with people of all age groups and ethnicity. And this was the new Apple Store. When we walked into the mall and went to where the Apple Store used to be, we were surprised and at first disappointed to see that it was closed. But then we saw the sign on the window saying that they had moved to a bigger location around the corner to better service their growing customer base.

“Oh yeah, sure,” I thought, thinking that they were just saying that to act like their business was increasing when actually they had probably just got a better deal on the rent. Wrong, wrong, wrong. When we came upon the new store, we could see that they had been telling the truth. It was twice as large, and it was still full of people. And the best part, there seemed to be as many Apple employees as was needed to handle all of these people.

We had not been in the store for more than a minute when a young man walked up to us and asked if he could help. And help he did. He spent over a half hour with us telling us all about the products we were interested in. Man, this guy was good.

He not only knew everything about the products, he even asked all the right questions so that he could get a better idea as to what our needs were and thus what the best product and model would be for us. We felt that we were not getting a sales pitch but rather an education about the Apple equipment, what they did and which ones we should look at that would best fit our needs.

We looked at the iPads, the Apple Watches and the iPhone. There was even a young woman with a microphone in front of a wall-to-wall screen teaching people how to best take photos with their iPhones.

And get this, nearly everyone was walking out with their smart white Apple bags, each holding Apple products costing hundreds if not thousands of dollars! Did you know that Apple retail stores yield more dollars per square foot than any other store in the world, yes, including Tiffany’s?

My point here is all about service, product knowledge, educational and informative sales. A little later, after my wife had spent $300 on a printer (and I feel I got off cheap), we walked down to the big electronics anchor store down the hall to look at a small refrigerator for her quilting studio. The place was deserted. When we looked around for help, we saw clusters of blue-shirted clerks talking and joking with each other. Once in a while one of them would turn and look at us but then go back to talking to the group of clerks he was with. Finally, one person did break away from the group and amble over to us to ask if we needed anything? When my wife asked him a question about one of the fridges she was interested in, he told her that this wasn’t his department and we would have to wait for him to find the right person in charge. And “oh, it might be a few minutes” because he was probably on break.

We don’t know if the small refrigerator expert ever came off his break, because we never bothered to stick around and wait until it was convenient for him to return. So, that big store will be out of business and they’ll be screaming to the heavens that the internet broke the brick and mortar retail business.

And to that I would say, just take a walk down the hall to the most successful brick and mortar store in the history of the world and take a page out of that book, or maybe a bite out of that apple, and you’ll see the right way to grow your business.

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS: The small family-owned hardware store

/0 Comments/in /by
Growing your businessby Dan Beaulieu
Business consultant

We’re talking about a small, possibly family-owned hardware store. Actually, it’s not that small compared to a store in the ‘50s when it was founded, but it is small compared to the big stores that we have around today. So, how do you fare against these big guys? How do you even survive against these giants with huge inventories, thousands if not hundreds of thousands of parts, and huge physical footprints, not to mention their on-line shopping offerings. This seems almost overwhelming doesn’t it?

A real David and Goliath situation if there ever was one. So, what is the local hardware store to do? What if this is your hardware store? One started by your grandfather, run successfully by your father, and now it is up to you to carry on the family business in this new world order. What are you going to do against these odds?

Well, fear not, there are a number of things you can do to not only survive but to thrive as well. First of all, you can leverage all the advantages you have going for you by being small. Small is beautiful. Small means you are spry and flexible with the ability to do anything you want and be as creative as you want with none of the encumbrances of a giant chain box store corporation.

You have full authority to do whatever you want whenever you want. This means that you can throw a sale anytime you want. This means you can focus on special seasonal promotion whenever you want. This means you can have a family day, and open house, a one hour super sale a co-sponsored event with other business. This means you can have a special deal with your local contractors that will keep them not only coming back but sending their own customers to you as well. Heck, you can even have a steady flow of good hot coffee and donuts for those contractors and other customers going at all times. It’s up to you.

But the biggest tool in your bag (pun intended) is that you can be local and personal. You can make a point of knowing all of your customers personally, be able to call them by name, talk to them about that special project they are working on. The big box guys can’t do that.

You can offer special services, personalized services like instructional classes, Special events for local contractors. By the way, one neat little secret is that local contractors as a rule hate the big box stores. Try to get your local plumbing company to fix that “delta faucet” you bought on the cheap at the big store and watch him sneer. I once bought a Lawnboy lawnmower at a big box store and took it to a local repair shop when it broke down, only to have him condescendingly declare that he knew I had bought it at a big chain store because it wasn’t a genuine Lawnboy. Oh, it was made by Lawnboy all right, but it was a special cheaper model made solely to be sold exclusively to the big guys so they can meet their cost expectations. You as an owner of a local hardware store can sell the real genuine products and make sure that your customers know that.

Customers like shopping locally, they like going to places, like they say in the Cheer’s song, “Where everyone knows your name.” Your only job is to make it as easy and pleasant as possible for your customers. Offer them personalized service, special promotions, and friendly service and you will keep them coming back.

One last thing…all business is personal, all business is human to human, keep your business and human and personal as possible, and the customers will keep coming back…and you will keep growing your business.

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS: Oh, those lovely loyalty programs

/0 Comments/in /by
Growing your businessby Dan Beaulieu
Business consultant

There is a scene in Seinfeld where Elaine loses her little punch card from a sandwich shop. The card has only one more star to punch and she will get a free sub. And now she is angry and disappointed because she lost it. When Jerry asks her “Why” she is so upset since she had told him she didn’t even like the sandwiches there. She whines, “But it was free Jerry….free!” Doesn’t that reflect the way we all feel about loyalty programs? Often, like Elaine, we don’t even like the product or service, but we will keep going six, or 10 or even 12 times to get our little card punched because we will get something for nothing.

Now just think if we are in a loyalty program where we will get a product, we actually love…and get it for free. Let’s face it, everyone loves getting rewarded as long as it is something they like, and they don’t have to jump through hoops to get it.

Loyalty programs are good, if they are fair and honest and the customer is really getting something he likes well enough to play.

Here are some things to consider when developing a loyalty program:

  • Of course, make sure your product or service or food is great. What good is a loyalty program if your product is so lousy that no one wants it?
  • Make sure the program is fair and honest, and most of all, a good deal for not only you but the customer.
  • Avoid the loopholes. Nobody likes a loyalty program where they have to have a lawyer read the fine print. I once got a notice in the mail that because of my loyalty to a certain local pizza place I was entitled to a free pizza! All I had to do is bring in the flyer and, presto, I would have a free pizza. Since these guys had great pizza I was really pumped. But when I got there and ordered my free pizza the person taking my order showed me that the fine print, and I mean really fine print on the flyer, said that I could get a free pizza if I bought two other pizzas! Please no fine print deals, it tends make the customer angry. They would have been better off not so have sent the flyer in the first place.
  • Focus the program on pushing a product or service that you want to sell. It might be to get customers to try a new product, or to promote a service that is a good deal for both you and the customer.
  • And finally, any business can have a loyalty program. If you provide anything from cleaning services to oil changes, to dry cleaning, to pizzas and subs, you can create a loyalty program that will boost your business and keep those customers coming back.

And that’s how you grow your business.

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS: Give ‘em what they want

/0 Comments/in /by
Growing your businessby Dan Beaulieu
Business consultant

Learn to say yes!

The old adage goes that rule one is that the customer is always right; rule two, the customer is always right and rule three, when in doubt refer to rules one and two. Then why is it that so many companies these days do not follow these rules.

There is a chain of sandwich shops in Milwaukee where I used to live that have pickles, not only do they not have pickles, they don’t have pickles with extreme prejudice and look at you, the customer, like you are the weird one, because, well after all who ever heard of a Deli having pickles?

Then there is “In N Out Burgers.” They are loved, nay adored, by customers out west where they are mostly. They pride themselves on only having what they have and not bothering to have anything else. When we were in Tucson, Arizona, a while back, my wife innocently asked for mayonnaise to go with the tomato and lettuce on her hamburger (what, growing up in Auburn, we used to call a North Burger). The person taking our order proudly told us that In N Out burger does not have mayonnaise! Not only was she telling us she could not give us, the customers, what we wanted, she was proud of it; acting like we were the idiots for asking for such something so esoteric as mayonnaise on a burger. By the way this is the same chain that prides itself on having a “secret menu” …please!

The important lesson here is to give customers what they want, when they want it and how they want it, and you will create a loyal customer base, whether we’re talking about restaurants or any other kind of business, for that matter.

Every customer wants to feel special. Every customer wants to know that you care for her and for her business. The rule is simple, give customers what they want, and they will keep coming back.

Avoid saying “No,” as in: NO substitutions! NO sharing entrees! NO doggie bags! NO reservations! And NO one seated until the entire party is here! You know what? All of these could be easy yeses, and the customer would be happy. And your business would thrive

Try saying “yes” as much as possible. I was in a nice restaurant in Chicago a few years ago just finishing a very nice dinner with a group of business associates and when it came for dessert, I asked for a dish of chocolate ice cream. The woman waiting on us made a sad face and said she was sorry, but they had run out of chocolate ice cream that evening. She asked if there was anything else, I’d like instead and I said, “No, I’ll just have a coffee.” A little while later when she brought desserts and coffees to the rest of my party, she put a dish of chocolate ice cream in front of me with a big smile on her face. When I asked if they had found some, in the freezer somewhere, she said, no but there is a grocery store two doors down and we sent a busboy to get some for you. Now how about that for saying “Yes,” and by the way, for growing your business!

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS: Growing your local restaurant

/0 Comments/in /by
by Dan Beaulieu
Business consultant

There is nothing like a small local restaurant. A place with charm and history. A place that people remember going to with their parents when they were little. Or taking that first date for an ice cream soda while sitting at their soda fountain. We all have fond memories of a place like that. But unfortunately, that’s all we have “fond memories,” because these kinds of places are being run out of business by the big chain restaurants. The places that can afford to stay open seven days a week from mid-morning to very late at night. The places that buy their food in bulk, so they get the best prices. Those places that can afford multi-million dollar advertising campaigns showing their succulent lobsters and juicy steaks and bright red spaghetti and meatballs, all you can eat specials at prices that would drive the little guy out of the business.

But in our hearts, we love the little guy. She’s our neighbor, you went to high school and played football with him. And now it saddens you to see the business growing dark because they just cannot compete any longer.

Sad but true, but hey, there is hope, this does not have to be. There are ways to fight back if you own a small local restaurant. The big guys do have some disadvantages and it is up to the small family owned business to take advantage of those weakness.

Instead of meekly going into the good night of extinction there are things you can do right now to not only make your restaurant survive, but thrive as well.

Here then are ten ways to make your restaurant thrive in this era of the giant, impersonal food boxes of chain restaurants.

  • Be personal. The big guys can’t, you can. When customers come in treat them like old friends, even if some of them are new customers. Make them feel welcome. Everyone likes the feeling of belonging, make your customers feel like they belong
  • Spruce up the place. Chances are if your restaurant has been around for 30 years, your restaurant might look the part. It’s amazing what some paint, recovered booths and varnished tables and good lighting can do to improve the look of a restaurant.
  • Use your locality to your advantage. You have been here forever. This is your town. You went to school with many of your customers and potential customers. Use that familiarity to your advantage. Display photos showing what the town was years past and how it has changed. Support the local organizations from the school teams to the local churches and synagogues. Budget for this. A small donation to a local church’s silent auction will be remember and appreciated by their members.
  • Come up with some special dishes, entrees that are area favorites. I can guarantee that no box chain restaurant is going to serve boiled dinner, or beans and franks, or red hot dogs, or fresh seafood like a local restaurant.
  • Advertise: You don’t have to spend a lot of money on advertising, but you do have to do it. A small changing ad in the newspaper. Or better yet a local radio station. Or even better yet start your own newsletter complete with coupons. And speaking of coupons, how about a loyalty program to keep those customers coming in on their way to that special reward!

I’ve run out of space for this time. But no worries, I’ll pick this up next time when we’ll talk about the one secret that will guarantee the success of your local neighborhood place for years to come. Stay tuned and we’ll continue to show you how to grow your local restaurant business.

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS — Beating the big guys: As hard as it seems, it can be done

/0 Comments/in /by
Growing your businessby Dan Beaulieu
Business consultant

So far, we have talked about service businesses where the company goes to the customer’s home to provide their services from landscaping, to plumbing, to home repairs, to cleaning services. However, these are not the only types of small businesses there are. So, for the next few weeks we are going to switch it up a bit and talk about small on-site businesses such as restaurants, independent hardware stores, clothing stores, fashion salons. The kind of businesses where the customers come to your establishment to do business.

Over the past several decades to successfully own and operate one of these businesses has been more then challenging, to some it has been devastating to say the least. How can you can you compete against the big guys? How can you be open the same hours as Walmart? How can you keep the same inventory as Lowe’s and The Home Depot? How can you provide the same prices as Staples or how can you stay open as many hours as Ruby Tuesday’s and seven days a week to boot? The answer is pretty simple, you can’t. You cannot beat these companies at their own game.

That being said what is the alternative? What are you going to do to become so outstanding that you will not only survive in a marketplace dominated by the huge and intimidating nationals? Look, it’s not easy, but it can be done. It will take hard work, perseverance, dedication, super customer service, and most of all creativity, but it can be done.

For the next few weeks we are going to dedicate this column to small businesses, focusing on strategies and tactics that each of them can undertake to be successful. Next week we’ll talk about small restaurants, then retail stores, the week after that hardware stores. Please note dear reader if you have a specific business that is not covered in these columns but would like some advice on how you can not only survive but thrive in this marketplace, please drop me an email and the address below and I’ll be more than happy to accommodate your needs.

To set us up for this series let’s begin by focusing on some of the things that the big guys can’t do. Being big is not always so beautiful. And to exemplify that here are some of the things the big guys cannot do:

  • They cannot get personal.
  • They cannot treat their customers as individuals.
  • They don’t have to help every customer individually.
  • They can’t sell like a small retail business can. Example: buy a suit at Kohl’s versus buying a suit at your local tailor, who will give you the best service and the better fitting suit?
  • They cannot be flexible. All company policies come from headquarters thousands of miles away which handcuffs the local affiliate when he tries to be flexible with the local clientale.
  • They can’t take part in community activities, everything has to be approved at headquarters which is thousands of miles away. Ever try to get a donation for your church’s silent auction from one of the giants? Good luck with that.
  • And one more, they don’t have a heart. They are not flesh and blood, they are a bureaucratic institution.

Gee I’m almost starting to feel bad for these giants. Not! But you get the idea, although it feels like they might have all the advantages, it’s not necessarily true, is it? Think about it, being small can be beautiful.

Check in next time when we talk about growing your restaurant business.

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS: Ten commandments of on-site service company

/0 Comments/in /by
Growing your businessby Dan Beaulieu
Business consultant

I was walking by a prominent Waterville building the other day and could not help but notice this scene. Well, actually, I heard it first when the solitude of my daily walk was shattered by the blasting of the worst loud music I’d ever heard. This music was so loud that Ozzie Osbourne himself would have felt forced to shout, “Turn that bloody music down!”

When I looked around, I spied the source of the noise, a group of shirtless men working on the roof of this city building. As I stood there, I looked at them. I was stunned to see them running around that roof without any means of safety support, by the way. No harnesses, no support belts, nothing, they were just running around; an accident and lawsuit obviously just around the corner. And by the way they were smoking cigarettes while they worked and throwing the butts off the roof and onto the lawn.

As I tried to cross the street, I found myself looking at a mini traffic jam as the company’s (I assumed they were the company’s, since there were no signs on the them) trucks were parked willy-nilly on both sides of the busy street. “Wow,” I thought, “these guys are the epitome of everything a service company can do wrong.” This group of workers had covered just about every bad habit a company like this can possibly have, when suddenly the music stopped and one of them hollered to another one on the ground amidst a jungle of tools scattered all over the beautifully manicured front lawn of the building. “Hey (expletive deleted) get off your (expletive deleted) and bring up another (expletive deleted) (expletive deleted) bucket of (expletive deleted) tar!”

And there it was, a perfect trifecta of everything a service company can possibly do wrong! And on a public site on one of the cities’ busiest street no less. Amazing, simply amazing!

What a learning moment, what a time to ask you to find ten things or more wrong with this picture.

So, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to lay out my ten commandments of an on-site service business.

The ten commandments of an on-site service business:

  • Thou shall wear shirts (preferably neat shirts with the company logo on them) at all times.
  • Thou shall keep the site neat at all times…no tools and other equipment strewn all over the customer’s property.
  • Thou shall not swear, and curse, and use vulgar language, at any time ( I think this might actually be a real commandment).
  • Thou shall always consider safety first.
  • Thou shall always have clean service vehicle, bearing the company logo and carefully parked so as not to bother the neighbors of passing traffic in any way.
  • Thou shall not play music, any music, regardless of personal taste too loudly…if at all.
  • Thou shall not smoke on the job, and that means vaping as well.
  • Thou shall have some kind of sign proudly signifying what company is doing the work on this building. (Although in this particular case, I’m not sure an identifying sign would have been a good idea.)
  • Thou shall disturb the occupants of the building as little as possible. I’m sure the occupants of this building got a lot of work done this day.

And finally, the tenth and most holy of all these commandments:

  • Thou shall all do their best to represent this company in the most professional way possible at all times.

Follow these ten commandments diligently and your business will also be growing to the point of thriving.

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS: Answer your darn phone!

/0 Comments/in /by
Growing your businessby Dan Beaulieu
Business consultant

I know you’re busy, out there in the job. Working as hard as you can to please your customers, and grow your business. But there is still one thing you need to do to make sure that your business always looks professional. One thing, that if you do better than anyone else, will set you apart in a big, way, a very big way, and that is the way you handle phone calls, yes, the way you answer your phone.

There is nothing more aggravating to a customer — or potential customer — than not having anyone on the other end of the line when they are trying to reach you. Whether it’s a current customer who wants to talk to you about a job; or worse, has a complaint that he wants to talk to you about, she wants to talk to you now! Or maybe it’s a new potential customer who wants to ask you about your services and rates, now that’s a phone call you really want to answer if you are serious about growing your business. There is no doubt that answering the phone in a timely fashion is one of the most important things you can do for your business and for your customers.

If you think about it for a minute you will come to realize that in the case of a new potential customer, for example, the way you “do phone” will be the first impression that person has of you, your company and the way you do business. So, you’d better be good at it.

Personalize the situation, it has happened to all of us. Many of us have called a plumber because the toilet is overflowing, or an electrician because yours is the only house on the street whose power is off. You really want to talk to someone now! Or your porch roof looks like it is about to collapse under the weight of the 40 inches of wet snow that fell last night, you want someone to answer that phone, now. But instead you wait by the phone for hours feeling helpless as the situation seems to get worse by the minute! And the longer you wait the more resentful you get. If you’re the person not calling them back… don’t count on growing your business.

We all get it. The way you answer your phone, the way you deal with phone calls is critical to the way you keep your customers happy and grow your business.

So, keeping that in mind, here a few tips on how to deal with phone calls:

  • If your company is small, and you have no one at the office, or the house who can answer the phone, then carry a cell phone and answer it wherever you are. Take the time to answer it to at least find out what the caller wants and let her know when you can get to her place to fix the problem, if it is an emergency. If it’s not an emergency then tell him when you will call him back, preferably that evening.
  • Another idea is to have two phone numbers; one for normal business and one for emergencies and get your customers to use the emergency number only when there is an emergency. Oh, I can hear you groan that some people will always use the emergency number, and yes, you’re right. But for the rest of the customers. It will be an impressive option and show how much you care about customer service, and they will indeed honor your system.
  • Put all of your current customers’ numbers in your phone so that you will see who is calling when they are calling which will allow you to instantly triage the calls thus giving you some idea of who is calling and more easily make a decision about calling them back.
  • If you are lucky enough to have an office with a person manning the phones then always make sure that person is courteous and is well trained enough to know when the call is important enough to notify you to call the customer immediately, or when there is time so that you can call when you have some free time later in the day. This person should also have your calendar so that he or she can make appointments for you.
  • And finally, the voice mail. That necessary evil of all businesses. Make sure your message is clear, concise and, of course, courteous and maybe add a clever little statement that will make the caller smile a bit when leaving the message. And always, always let the caller know exactly how long it will take for you to call her back

In the end, it’s all about looking and feeling professional to your customers. The way you answer your phone and the way you return phone calls will go a long way when you are truly serious about growing your business.

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS: Making your small business outstanding!

/0 Comments/in /by
Growing your businessby Dan Beaulieu
Business consultant

When running your own business, no matter what size, it is important to find ways to make your business stand out. This is especially true when your business involves working at your customers’ homes.

When it comes to being special and outstanding it’s important to remember that the devil is in the details. It’s the small things that are going to make your company special to your customers, make them remember you, and use you again and, best of all, refer you to other potential customers.

Here are six simple things you can do to make your company outstanding:

  • Look professional: No matter what your business is, when you are going to people’s homes you have to look professional. Providing company shirts, for example. Make sure that your equipment is well-maintained and up to date. Make sure your vehicles are always clean and bearing your company’s name on the doors. It will make your look professional and, most important, serious about what you do.
  • Respect the customer’s property: If you are going into the house, make sure your shoes are clean, wear shoe covers, for example, this goes a long way to assuring your customers that you are a true professional. If you are working outside, don’t leave your tools all over the place and most importantly don’t be blasting music loud enough to be bothering not only your customer but the entire neighborhood as well.
  • Always be courteous and make sure the rest of your team is as well. You might think this is a given, but it’s not always the case. I have witnessed incidents where people were loud, or rude or, worst of all in one case, where a small business actually got into an argument with the customer! Always be impeccably polite. This puts the customer at ease and makes them comfortable enough with you to keep you coming back.
  • Listen. listening is one of the most important characteristics of any great customer relationship. Listen very carefully to what you customer wants you to do. Make sure you actually hear what the customer wants. And then repeat it back to the customer to make sure you are both on the same page. In some cases, it will not hurt to actually write it down in front of the customer. These are your instructions and you will be judged on how well you fully followed those instructions.
  • Clean up after yourself. No matter what your service, always leave the property as you found it, or even better than you found it. This will be very impressive to your customers and keep them coming back.
  • Provide the extras: Offer to do more than the service you were contracted to do. Notice things that you can do for your customer. If you are there to mow the grass and you see a shrub that needs trimming and shaping, do it without being asked, if you notice that the driveway needs sweeping, do that. It’s those little things that the customer will remember about you. Make sure you “get caught” performing those extra tasks. It pays off in the end, and also can lead to more business.

And one more…follow up. Within 24 hours of completing your job contact the customer to make sure that he is fully satisfied. This will not only make a very good impression on the customer, but it will also be a good opportunity to ask for more business, or, better yet, a referral. And that’s a great way to grow your business.

Dan Beaulieu has owned his own business consulting firm since 1995, during that time he has helped hundreds of companies all over the world with their sales growth challenges and issues. Originally from Maine he returned a few years ago and is ready and willing to help his fellow Mainers start and grow their business. He can be reached at 07-649-0879 or at danbbeaulieu@aol.com.

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS: What’s your trademark? What will people remember about your service?

/0 Comments/in /by
Growing your businessby Dan Beaulieu
Business consultant

What makes people remember you?

What are you known for? One of the great marketing and branding moves you can do to make yourself noticed and remembered is to have something that people remember you for. Something about you and your company that makes you distinctive. A symbol, or a service, that is distinctly yours.

It might be your truck. Old trucks are very popular right now. Imagine what kind of impression you’d make driving to your work sites in a perfectly restored cream-colored 1949 Ford F-1 pickup with your logo on the side. People would remember that. You’d be a riding billboard for your company.

There is a very popular exterminator company in other parts of the country by the name of Truly Nolan. And yes, there was a real Truly Nolan at one time. This company refurbishes old cars, puts the company name on the side of these cars, and parks them all over the area they serve. Everybody knows who they are, and what they do, and they are by far, the most successful exterminators in any market they serve. And its all about those beautiful old cars.

But your trademarking doesn’t just have to be about cars. It can be about your uniforms. It can be about your logo or your logo on your uniforms. It could be all about what you do that is special. Right now, in the very competitive hair cutting business, there is one company that has become famous by finishing each haircut off with a nice hot towel rub to the neck. It doesn’t cost much but its unforgettable to the point that their numbers are constantly rising because of those hot towels.

Years ago, when I lived in Milwaukee, there was a fabulous airline called Midwest Express. They were known for their great service, the fact that there were no middle seats, and best of all they served hot and gooey chocolate chip cookies! People loved them, both the airline and the cookies were known as the airline that served chocolate chip cookies. People would go out of their way to fly Midwest Express.

One of the local landscapers in our area gave out beautiful freshly-made Christmas wreaths every year, that was one of the things he was known for, besides the fact that he was a great landscaper, we miss you Ken.

So, what it’s going to be for your business? What are you going to do to make sure you are remembered? To help you out, here are a few ideas that you should find useful:

  • If you have a landscaping company, leave a single rose when the job is done. Or maybe an instruction booklet on how to take care of the plants you just planted.
  • If you’re a plumber, leave a unique calendar, or a booklet on water conservation. Make sure it has your name on it, and if you are into that make it your cause.
  • If you’re an electrician leave them with a flashlight or other such device with your name on it, of course.
  • If you’re a house painter and wallpaper hanger, arrange a small guide informing the customer of exactly the paint and paper you used so they can get more if needed.

Look, we could go on all night here, but you get it. Be unique and be outstanding and people will remember you. Try different things out, not all of them will go over big but keep trying until you find something that represents your company well and also is delightfully memorable. This in the end will help you be remembered and most importantly, help you grow your business.