Guest Article The success of every business is based upon relationships. When I started my commercial real estate company more than forty-five years ago, it took me a month to raise my first $5,000 of capital. Today I raise $1,000,000 with one email. Why? Strong relationships; which I have built by providing continuing after sales […]
Never Be Closing in Small Business
Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with @Tim_Hurson. Tim Hurson is founding partner of ThinkX, an international speaker and author of the new book, Never Be Closing. He creates […]
Do’s and Don’ts of Automating Customer Service for Your Small Business
Guest Article The purpose of automating your customer service is to relieve overly heavy workloads on your employers while improving the experience for your customers. It’s a symbiotic relationship, a win-win, and it can help give small businesses the boost they need to thrive. However, it’s also easy to let automation completely take over and […]
SmallBizLady’s 10 Rules for Managing Tough Customers
Let’s face it; the goal of any business owner is to get repeat business. That is the only way to create a sustainable business. Sometimes dealing with customers can be to toughest part of running a small business. Customers can become difficult to work with for a number of reasons, but you have to have […]
The Lifeline of Your Business: 5 Rules to Loving Your Sales CRM
Guest Article Don’t hate your sales CRM. It’s your friend. Really it is. An effective CRM – Customer Relationship Management – system can be the lifeline of your business. I have had the pleasure of using five different CRM systems (plus spreadsheets, notebooks, and my good old memory) over the last 15 years. Quite frankly, […]
The Daily Deal Isn’t Dead Yet
We all know that consumers are not as excited about the Groupon emails that land in their inboxes as they used to be, and we’ve all heard the horror stories of businesses that were overwhelmed or even destroyed by a poorly planned campaign. But, some businesses are making them work. Here’s one. 24-year-old Jacomo Hakim, […]
15 Things About Providing Outstanding Customer Service
This month I’m celebrating my 15th Anniversary in business, don’t forget to sign up for your chance to win SmallBizLady’s 15 Days of Giveaways contest. Today is Part III of my 15 Things Series. Today we’ll discuss how to stay in business by providing outstanding customer service in your small business. The real secret to […]
How to Have Better Communication Within Your Small Business
Guest Article Customer satisfaction is a leading reason why consumers choose to work or not to work with a business. Lack of respect or courtesy between your employee and customers can be detrimental to or even kill a sale. For the optimal customer experience, employers need to teach employees to implement compassionate communication. Respectful dialogue […]
Four Ways to Make Your Small Business Recommendable
Guest Article A primary objective for every small business is growth – stemming either from new customers or from repeat business. Most experts agree that retaining and building loyalty among existing customers is more economical and more beneficial in the long term than recruiting new ones. The two most critical things your small business can […]
How to Give Amazing Customer Service Every Time
Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Shep Hyken @Hyken. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, professional speaker and New York Times bestselling author who […]