Here is an encouraging news story for small business owners. Pricing is very important for our recession-era, coupon-conscious culture. This New York Times business story explains that when the business owner has to raise his prices to cover his expenses, it's not always a deal-breaker for his customers. "The fear, of course, is that raising prices will send customers fleeing. While that can happen, many small businesses have raised prices and lived to tell about it. They echo a common sentiment: setting prices strategically is not just about the numbers. Buyers are not necessarily looking for the best price, said Mark Kronenberg, founder of Math 1-2-3, a New York-based tutoring and test preparation company." - Eilene Zimmerman, New York Times, April 2011 Click here for the rest of the article!
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Posted September 26, 2011
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And now for some final thoughts on what might be helpful, and what might not be when interacting with your customers. Hopefully this series has provided you some benefit. I have noticed that our current generation is very sensitive about customer service; many of us feel entitled to receive exactly what we want at the price we want it at, as consumers. Since we are a very informed generation (with all our access to information often literally at our fingertips as we surf our smart phone to check out consumer reviews and what not while browsing through a store), we are also a very demanding generation. We want the best - but we don't want to pay full price (see TLC's Extreme Couponing). I try personally to be a careful consumer and use coupons and buy when deals are on whenever I can, but I also want to remain reasonable about my shopping experience. I don't want to re...
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Posted September 08, 2011
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Don't: Take every word literally. Do: Listen for the unspoken and read carefully between the lines. -Remember that people have different styles of communication. While some are frank and outspoken, others may not want to offend and instead hint subtly at what they like/dislike. Instead of taking every statement like an order in a restaurant, some things may even get mentioned to give and example or to start a conversation and not because a client wants just that. Interpreting what a client says and asking a lot of follow up questions can be a big step to get the right message and save from disappointments. Don't: Insist on your point or strategy. Do: Admit when you are wrong, or someone else's idea is better, and do whatever you can to reassure your customer, and correct the mistake. -If you're wrong, don't put your defenses up. A humble apology combined with giving y...
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Posted September 01, 2011
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Don't: Stress out a client with your timeframe Do: Keep a client on schedule and the project moving while allowing for enough time to reflect or generate content. -While it is pertinent to remind a client of scheduling and keep a project moving, it is necessary to be sensitive to the clients own work demands and scheduling needs. It is best to agree upon a schedule before beginning the project with the client, but to also be flexible enough to adapt to changes in plans as they come up (on the clients end and on your own). Try to help your client understand how they fit into a schedule which also includes other clients, while still being available to them when they need you. Don't: Assume you know everything about your client Do: Realize that your client ultimately knows his business best. -Your experience in all things branding, design and development are the reason ...
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