Business is based on relationships.  Most relationships don’t last very long without any form of communication.  Communication is the true life source of any relationship.  Keep it going and do it effectively, and you will find a strong alliance will be the outcome.  An alliance that has potential to bring you more and more business.

So how often do you keep in touch with your clients?  What forms of communication do you use?  And what added value can you provide to keep your clients in your backyard?

Here are 11 tips that work for us:

• Catching up over Skype – some of our clients don’t live locally so we catch up with them over a weekly Skype meeting.  At the moment they have events being promoted on Facebook so we’ll throw in some complimentary advice on how to further promote the events and understand user interaction.
• Be a resource - no matter what your customer needs, try to find it for him, even if it has nothing to do with your business.
• Return their phone calls promptly – and if you haven’t spoken to them for a while pick up the phone and ask them how everything is going.
• Send an email – your client may have emailed you for advice or information on a service and you replied but you haven’t heard from them since.  Diarise a follow up.
• Send out a regular newsletter – keep your business in the forefront of your clients’ minds.  By sending a monthly newsletter you are reminding them you are there to help.  You never know, that client that remained on your database whilst they went away for a while, may just return.
• Be supportive of their projects – from time to time clients may engage you to give advice on projects they’re undertaking that are non business related i.e. writing a book.
• Be genuinely interested in their business – ask them about recent events or important meetings that have occurred.
• Be willing to help whenever – Show clients that you are available when they have a problem. Your business should be open to meet the convenience needs of your clients.
• Commit to achieving their business goals with them – whether the goal is short-term or long-term.  Be tenacious in helping them grow their business.
• Uphold the utmost discretion and confidentiality – your clients’ business is their business and nobody else’s.  Keep it that way.
• Speak less and listen more – make the effort to truly listen to your clients.  Take notes during the meeting so you can remember what was discussed and follow up on anything afterwards.  Take the time to hear and get to know clients on a human level.  This can be one of the easiest and most impactful ways to stay in touch.

But, where do you start?

You need to ask yourself, “What do we want to achieve?”

If you already have a marketing plan this is a good starting point.  The following questions also need to be answered:

1. Which social media platforms do our target market use?

2. What do our target market want from us?

3. What social media platforms are our competitors using?

4. Do we have the time to look after these platforms ourselves?

The answers to the above questions will lead you to the social media platforms you should look into. There are copious amounts of them so do your research first before deciding on which ones you wish to use.  View your competitor’s website and see what social media platform’s they’re using, read online articles about the latest trends, as there are often little tips and tricks available to you.

Once you’ve got yourselves set up on your various platforms remember to:

• Be GENUINE in your approach, social media is about conversations so be yourself and your brand when connecting with your audience.
• Be INSTRUMENTAL when posting content that will assist those that engage with you.
• Be CONSISTENT by posting regularly.  Have a schedule you stick to and don’t leave it too long between updates.

If you need help scheduling your posts, click here to view our TOOLS page on our website where you’ll find our Social Media Communications Plan. This will help you plan your weekly posts.

I’m sure you’ve come across an email address or two like this or you may still have one.  Yikes!

Have you viewed a website that looks great only to find a generic domain email address?

Who would you rather deal with: pretty.flowers@xtra.co.nz or hello@prettyflowers.co.nz?

Are you still thinking, that’s not bad, it’s just a trivial thing – why am I putting my customers off by having one?

Here’s why:

1. It looks Unprofessional. By not having a business domain email address it makes your customers wonder how long you’ve been established for and creates an amateurish feeling towards your business.
2. It doesn’t Reflect your Identity and Brand and makes you unmemorable.
3. It creates Distrust and makes a potential customer question whether your business is legitimate.
4. It isn’t Portable.  You may choose to change your email provider if your business changes and grows.  You won’t have the ability to move and keep the same email address.
5. It won’t Boost your Marketing and increase customer engagement.

Are you convinced yet that it isn’t a good idea to have a generic email address and are ready for the next step?

Before you jump right in, think about what you’d like your business domain email address to be.

Be creative like our client Grey St Motors.  Their old email address was greystmotors@vodafone.co.nz.  Their brand new email address is nowfixit@greystmotors.co.nz, which is fun, creative and gives their customers an idea of what they do!  In saying that, always be mindful of what will be appropriate for the industry you are in.  You may prefer to keep it simple and go for info@ or support@.

Don’t drive your customers away!  Let your old email address go and enhance your business today!

Brought to you by Letitia Buckle x

www.quintessentialconcierge.co.nz

Men need to be wanted and needed by their partners, so include him by asking him some questions to help define your personal taste, preferences and style i.e. Is there a hobby or pursuit that he would like to incorporate into the wedding in some way?

Once you’ve got him on board here are a few tips in planning that perfect day together:

1.  Start planning early.  If you start late this could drastically reduce your options and you’ll end up with your second choice.  Try to have at least 3 months before the big day.
2. Get organised.  Create a document that includes supplier names, contact numbers and other important details.  Not only are all details in one place you can hand it to your bridesmaids on the day!
3. Be smart with the budget.  Keep your wishes realistic.  If the budget is tight, spend a little less on things like wedding favours.
4. Send out the wedding invitations.  Do your research on design well in advance.  Keeping in mind time for printing and delivering.  Send you invitations around two months prior to the wedding date.
5. Make it about you and your groom.  Keep the day personal, guests love when couples make weddings individual, being pleasantly surprised with unusual and quirky variations.

What are you waiting for, get that gorgeous groom involved and start planning!

Put any unnecessary furniture, personal items and clutter into storage.  This will help make your home appear more spacious.  Organise and tidy cupboards and wardrobes.  Use a couple of eye catching accessories to enhance living areas.  Depersonalise by putting all personal photographs, certificates, awards and  memorabilia into storage.  Buyers need to view your home as their potential home.

2. Soft Furnishings

Take a walk around your home and have a good look at your soft furnishings.  Are the towels in the bathroom new, unstained and arranged neatly?  Same with the linen in your kitchen, check that they are clean and tidy.  Remove any tied looking cushions, replace inners if required.  Check your curtains, are they in good condition?  If not, consider replacing them.  Make sure bedding is clean and tidy and make sure to make the bed.

3. Furniture Arrangement

Placing furniture correctly can make the room appear more spacious.  Instead of placing furniture along the walls, try placing it on an angle.  Place your furniture to enhance features like, fireplace or a piece of art.

4. Lighting

When opening up your home to potential buyers have some lights on throughout the house.  Make sure light fittings are clean and not dusty.  Place a lamp or two around the home and use candles in appropriate areas.

5. Colour

Tone down any extreme colour in your home.  Keep colours neutral as potential buyers don’t need any distraction.

6. Smells

Lavender and vanilla are good smells to have when having open homes.  A citrusy lemon smell is always good to have in your kitchen as it will help make it smell clean.  Do not over perfume the home as potential buyers may question what you’re trying to hide.

7. Front Entrance

Make sure your letterbox is in good condition and the house number is visible.  Sweep your front door regularly and kept it tidy, removing shoes and clutter.  Consider adding a pot plant for colour and replace your door mat if it looks old.

8. Exterior of House

Ensure the exterior of your home is clean, if not get it professionally washed or hire a water blaster and do it yourself.  Touch up any peeling paint.

9. Gardens

Give your garden a spring clean!  Make sure it is weed free and the lawns a mown.  Consider using potted colour so you can take the plants with you when you move.

10. Contact Quintessential Concierge for a Home Consultation

We will take a fresh look at your home and put together a report with recommendations, designed to suit your home and your budget.  We can also advise you on how to carry out the steps listed above.

We provide the tool or method to solve your problems and deliver results.  Do you buy a computer because you just want a computer?  Do you buy a dress because you just want a dress?

These are some of the problems we solve:

• Disorganised houses or offices
• A new Mum struggling with day-to-day demands
• An Elderly person with no means of transport
• A busy executive with no time to concentrate on core business

These examples show you that you are buying a solution to a problem; you are buying a result. You would not buy a computer, or a dress unless they all solved problems and delivered results.

We understand your problems and we have your best interests at heart.