heartharmony.com.au

Many businesses create a great new product or service and are so excited about getting it out to the market, that they forget to brief the team about it.

This can be potentially damaging to the credibility of your business as your team members have to scrabble for information. If they don’t know about it – they can’t sell it!

Whenever you have a new product or service, schedule time in with all of your team.

Take time to walk them through all of the features and benefits of the product and service.
Let them understand all of the rules or information they need to be able to clearly sell or teach customers about the product.

Always make sure they know where they can find critical information such as price lists, brochures or fact sheets both on the computer and in hard copy.

Until next time

Ingrid Cliff
Heart Harmony
http://www.heartharmony.com.au/

Business development for small to medium businesses through marketing and human resources

Marketing for small businesses doesn’t have to be all about beating the competition. Many small businesses think they have to go it alone, do everything themselves and try and dominate their competition.

However, the most successful small to medium businesses actively seek out like minded businesses and form alliances. As a result, they can provide integrated and seamless solutions to customers and win more business.

For example – I have some great alliances with a few graphic designers and web designers. Often their clients need help sorting out their overall business strategy as well as writing the words to go with their designs, and often my clients need help with the images. This is a major win-win for both of our businesses and the main source of our leads.

But your alliances need not only be with complementary businesses – what about ones in “so called” competition?

I have alliances with other copywriters – we share direct mail, as well as provide back-up for each other in peak times, when we may be sick or want to take a few days off. We also refer business to each other based on our personal interests and preferences in writing. We believe in an abundance – that there is enough work available for everyone and the more we share the more we grow. Again this is a win-win for our businesses.

So, look through your business card pile and work out who you would like to form an alliance with. Who do you like and trust to do great work? Who do you enjoy talking with? If you like them, then it is likely your customers will like them also.

Approach them. Have a coffee and talk about how you can work together to get better results for your clients. Share in each others success – it is one of the cheapest strategies for increasing your client base.

Until next time

Ingrid Cliff
Heart Harmony
http://www.heartharmony.com.au/

Business development for small to medium businesses

HR Managers know that clearly written position descriptions are vital in creating a shared understanding of the expectation of any role.

Here are some key tips for writing PDs:

• Keep the language simple and conversational
• Include the context in which the role operates – for example is it part of a team or a sole position
• Explain how the role fits into the big picture – what it contributes to the overall mission
• Cover the basics such as hours of work and rostered days
• List the tasks
• Include any other requirements you may have (such as able to drive a manual car or travel overnight on business)
• List the core skills, knowledge and abilities needed to be successful in the role
• Include key selection criteria to help you decide on the suitability of a person to be chosen for the role
• Review them at least annually – roles change as people change and grow.
• Keep the the PD current.

If you would like to know more about how to manage your team go to http://www.heartharmony.com.au/hr-manual.html

Until next time

Ingrid Cliff

Heart Harmony

www.heartharmony.com.au

Business development for small to medium businesses … through human resources

Many consumers are reluctant to purchase products without a guarantee. Many businesses I see are reluctant to offer guarantees because they are worried they will be inundated by people taking advantage of them. This is particularly true of service businesses – they don’t consider their services are appropriate to offer guarantees.

However, offering a solid guarantee is one of the most powerful ways of removing objections to purchase. Think of IGA’s 200% meat tenderness guarantee – they replace the meat as well as refund your money. Avon has a 100% happiness guarantee – like it or you get a full refund.
Both companies get great sales as a result. But it isn’t just for the “big players”. Small business also should consider guarantees.

I offer a money back guarantee with my Instant HR Policies Manual.

Even with copywriting I offer a 100% refund guarantee – if I can’t get your copy the way you want it on your second draft, I refund your commencement deposit and you pay nothing. If I don’t meet our agreed deadlines and the brief didn’t change after we set the deadlines – you are only up for your commencement deposit.

Link your guarantee to the most common objections people have about services like yours – with copywriting it is people not meeting deadlines and the copy not up to standard.

So … have I been inundated by people demanding their money back. No. I have only had one person in all the time I have worked where I couldn’t reflect their direction in their copy and I was happy to not charge them.

What could your guarantee be? Think outside the square to find your guarantee. Make it real – make it big – make it believable.

Until next time

Ingrid Cliff
Heart Harmony
www.heartharmony.com.au

Business Development for small to medium businesses … through marketing and copywriting

Marketing is not only about words on a page, but how they are delivered.

When you or an employee answers the phone – what does the tone of voice convey? Are they bored or do they speak so quickly that it sounds like they are calling the last race at Doomben?

The person at the other end of the phone needs to feel valued and connected to you and your business. The tone of voice used is the main key to making this happen.

A quick tip is to place a photo of a loved one right next to the phone. When you answer the phone imagine you are speaking to that person. Your tone of voice automatically gains warmth and deepens into connection.

This tip also works if you are giving a teleseminar or on the other end of a phone presentation or interview. Place a picture where you can see it, look into the picture’s eyes and talk to the picture. Your voice will automatically gain “rise and fall” in tone, will be warmer and more interesting to listen to.

Try it out!

Until next time

Ingrid Cliff
Heart Harmony
www.heartharmony.com.au

Business development for small to medium businesses …. through marketing.

Marketing is all about knowing your customers and helping them understand why your prorcut or service can benefit them.

You all know the general age groups of your best clients (don’t you?) Use the differences between generations as a way to market to them.

It goes without saying your visual and graphical images need to appeal the particular market you are targeting.

Here are some other quick tips …

If your “A class” clients are Baby Boomers then reward their loyalty to your company, reinforce the stability of your company, provide symbols of their status and standing with you.

For Gen X clients – recognise they have a life (so respect their time after hours) and be flexible with your approach to them, reinforce how your service will make them more productive so they can spend more time doing what they really want to do, use testimonials from their peers as a tool to gain referrals.

For Gen Y clients – use technology to provide services to them and to allow them to contact you (Facebook, Blogs, MSN, Instant On-line contact sections on your website), provide mentoring advice and information to them about your product and service, provide other ways they can instantly learn more.

If you want to learn how to motivate different generations click here to read an article on Managing and Motivating Gen X, Gen Y and Babyboomers

Until next time

Ingrid Cliff
Heart Harmony
www.heartharmony.com.au

Business development for small to medium businesses through marketing