Contact Us Today! 330.666.0802|tlmaurer@maurerconsultinggroup.com
LinkedInTwitterFacebookPinterest

Customers Are Important – 8 Ways to Make Them Feel That Way

'Designing Strategies' newsletter July - August 2018          Volume 15 - Issue 84   Customers are important.  They are probably the most important element of any business. They represent sales and revenue that keeps your business going.   If we ask a thousand small business owners if they have good - or great - customer service, the majority would yell out:  "Yes, of course!"  Everyone seems to think they have awesome customer service.  Could that be because they have never heard, or paid much attention to complaints?  On the other hand, what if we ask the same number [...]

By |2018-07-27T18:44:52-04:00July 20th, 2018|Customer Experience, Customer Relationships, Newsletter|
Read More

First Steps: Identify and Find Ideal Customers

Designing Strategies newsletter March - April 2018            Volume 15 - Issue 82   Face it, if your small business doesn’t have customers, who will purchase your products or use your services?  You’ll be out of business in no time.  A steady stream of revenue coming in on a regular basis is what keeps businesses of all types running smoothly and profitably.  Advertising and marketing to the masses is not the way you want to go.  Unless you are selling a commodity like soap or toothpaste, you need to be looking for your ideal customers.  Ideal customers [...]

By |2018-04-06T22:48:53-04:00April 6th, 2018|Customer Experience, Customer Relationships, Newsletter|
Read More

Build Customer Loyalty to Grow Your Small Business

Acquiring new customers helps any small business grow.  Customers are known to come and go.  All customers that leave are not necessarily dissatisfied or disgruntled.  Customers may move out of your area for any number of reasons, or no longer need your products or services.  Worst case scenario would be that for some reason, you failed to build customer loyalty. To grow a small business,  former customers have to be replaced. Remember that current customers are the lifeblood of your business and keeping them satisfied should be your highest priority.  Their experience with your firm, your products or services and your staff [...]

By |2016-12-27T17:52:58-05:00October 30th, 2016|Customer Experience, Customer Relationships|
Read More

Today’s Customers Are NOT Your Father’s Customers

'Designing Strategies' Newsletter September – October 2015                     Volume 12 -- Issue 67 There have been various versions of the 'It's Not Your Father's (whatever)' on TV and in magazine and newspaper advertisements over the past few years. Ad Agencies must think we have yet to notice that things have changed and aren't the same as they were years ago. No surprises there. Of course things have changed. Almost everything has changed to some degree.  Today's customers are very different from those our parents dealt with in the past. Everything has [...]

By |2017-01-09T02:30:02-05:00September 20th, 2015|Customer Experience, Customer Relationships, Newsletter, Sales|
Read More

Customer Referrals: Get New Customers Through Old Customers

Every small business owner wants their customers to love them.  Well, we at least want them to be extremely satisfied with the products or services we provided for them.  In these situations, everybody is happy.  All small businesses also want new customers. More customers equal more sales.  More sales add to growth and success.  Each new customer also provides increased opportunities for more word of mouth customer referrals that can lead to even more new customers. Referrals are nice to get, but don't leave giving referrals entirely in the hands of the referrers. If you do, they will be in [...]

By |2016-12-27T18:56:05-05:00April 2nd, 2015|Customer Experience, Customer Relationships|
Read More

Establish a Sales System Strategy For Your Small Business

There are a number of important elements to any business aspiring to success.  One of those elements is a good product or service.  But, no matter how wonderful your products or services might be, unless there is an audience who sees value in them, and is willing to purchase them, they are pretty much worthless. This is where establishing a sales system strategy comes into play.  Identifying target markets of people who will buy what you want to sell, then converting them into actual paying customers, may be the most important strategies you will face in developing a successful company. I found the [...]

By |2017-01-08T04:38:01-05:00July 9th, 2013|Sales, Strategy|
Read More

Customers – Separate the Wheat and Chaff

I was reading an article written by Jim Clinton, CEO at Gallup. The title of the article was: "America is Losing Jobs by Ignoring Its Best Trading Partners."   The article discussed how the we spend so much time focused on Russia, China and the Middle East, all of which are very small players in the GDP here in the United States. The article went on to say that Mexico and South America are much better friends to us and represent a much larger piece of our GDP and therefore, our economic situation. "So what?" you might ask. "What does that have to [...]

By |2016-12-27T21:16:05-05:00February 19th, 2013|Customer Relationships, Strategy|
Read More

Customer Relationships Start With Baby Steps

Does your approach to getting a new customer start and end with making a sale?  I certainly hope not.  If you take that hard sell approach to anyone who can pass the mirror test -- fogging up a mirror because they are still breathing -- you are in for a lot of disappointment.   Before you push for a sale, you need to develop strong customer relationships.  That relationship needs to build on getting  the customer to know, like and trust you. Think about the last half dozen telemarketing calls you've received.  They were all trying to sell you something weren't [...]

By |2016-12-29T01:15:13-05:00August 30th, 2011|Customer Experience, Customer Relationships|
Read More

Renew Customer Relationships: Time for Your Business to Spring Forward

Tax season is behind us here in the US -- to my mind, the most depressing part of any year.  I look forward to the coming of Spring and all things invigorating and motivational. Our bizarre Ohio weather has taken us through sunshine and warm temperatures,  rain showers, thunderstorms and even a bit of snow, all in a little over a week.   I look out now at overcast skies and dropping temperatures and yet see bright yellow daffodils and forsythia bushes in bloom  and  a few tiny green leaves starting to pop on the trees.  It's time for small business [...]

By |2016-12-29T19:14:29-05:00April 20th, 2011|Customer Experience, Marketing|
Read More

Branding: Protect Your Online Reputation

Our recent Designing Strategies newsletter issue covered guarding and protecting your company brand online. The need for protecting your online reputation assumes, of course, your company has a web site or other form of online presence.  In today's world, the Internet is where customers  look for you.  An active online presence is a major part of your branding efforts.  It may sound drastic, but you need to protect your online reputation at all costs. Far too many small businesses, especially those in the retail arena, still have not created a website.  Many don't have a blog to present their company either.  Their [...]

By |2016-12-29T19:23:40-05:00April 1st, 2011|Branding, Marketing|
Read More
Go to Top