| Newsletter 2008 - July |
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Welcome to the July 2008 issue of EZSteps!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A quarterly e-zine with tips for career and business success while still having a life! Susan Urquhart-Brown, M.A Career and Business Success Coach Author of The Accidental Entrepreneur: 50 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Starting a Business Available in bookstores and online www.careersteps123.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. Book Signing with Susan at Alta Alliance Bank, July 10 2. 3 Tips for Recession Proofing Your Business 3. Notable Quotables 4. Susan Sightings: Book Celebration Event on August 14 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Book Signing:We are excited to invite you to please join Susan on July 10, 12:30pm for a book signing at Alta Alliance Bank, 1337 Grand Ave., Piedmont. Light refreshments served. Drop in and chat! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3 Tips for Recession Proofing Your Business Be proactive long before problems arise. Quick fixes just don’t work! 1. Nurture Your Best Customers. 1. How? Appreciate them. Genuine gratitude generates good will and builds relationships which is what business is built on. Take the time to listen to your customers and get to know them. Then, market only what you know is of interest to them. Be a resource, be responsive and don’t make excuses. Make it easy to do business with you. Why? Your competitors’ business may sound like yours, but the key is who you are being with your customers. Your customers will think twice about making a switch to someone else…..and happy customers refer their friends, family, and colleagues. 2. Include a Customer Survey with your mid project invoice as well as to all your customers once a year. Make it simple. How? Include a simple checklist and two questions such as What’s working? Or what do you really like about our product/service? Also ask: How can we improve our service? These questions are open-ended to give you a variety of responses. Email surveys work best because they are easy and quick to fill out and send back. Also you can include an incentive so that more customers fill out the survey. Why do surveys? Wouldn’t you like to know if something is not working for your customer before the end of the project so you can fix it and have a happy customer? Also, The feedback is a great source for testimonials.(Note: Always ask for permission to use customer’s feedback as a testimonial.) A yearly survey helps you avoid what I call the head in the sand syndrome. Instead of wondering why your customers aren’t referring others or do not return, ask them. You will then be able to make smart decisions about how you might make changes. 3. Be Crystal Clear About How your Business Stands Out Ask yourself these questions: ? What is my unique expertise? ? What success stories show how I work with clients? ? What solutions do I offer that meet my client’s needs and keeps them coming back? ? What do my clients say when they recommend me? Then, incorporate the answers to these questions into your core marketing message in your presentations, website, and all marketing materials. This is your You, Inc. Brand. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Notable Quotables “The first hurdle to success begins between your ears. Change your negative thought to “I am able.” Mary Foley, Bodacious Woman "Combine a user-friendly website with caring customer service.” Susan Urquhart-Brown, The Accidental Entrepreneur, page 136 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Susan Sightings!Do you live in the San Francisco Bay Area? You are invited to Susan’s Book Celebration Event on August 14, 2008 from 6:30- 8:30pm at OCSC Sailing Club on the Berkeley Marina. Call Susan at 510-654-4352 or email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for more details.Please pass this along to colleagues and friends. Thank you! Contact us at 510-654-4352 www.careersteps123.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Susan Urquhart-Brown, M. A. Career Steps Coaching "Put Your Passion and Power to Work!" Oakland, CA 510-654-4352 Individual Career & Business Coaching Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Copyright (C) 2008 Susan Urquhart-Brown. All rights reserved. |