Realizing the long-term potential value of satisfied customers/clients will help you determine how much you can spend to acquire each new customer.

If your business is relatively new, it’s likely that you don’t have a sizable customer list. This will probably require you to spend more initially, in order to establish a customer base of some kind.

Remember...Grow Your Profit And Prosper!

Rodney Burge

Once you have customers/clients, it’s always in your best interest to continually serve… communicate with… make offers to…and generally “bend-over-backward” to please those who have already bought from you.

Remember that it’s far easier to sell to a happy existing customer/client than it is to sell to a new prospective one.

Remember...Grow Your Profit And Prosper!

Rodney Burge

Satisfied customers/clients usually welcome frequent contact from businesses or practices that have delivered superior overall satisfaction in the recent past.

Your frequent communications will serve to renew good feelings — something everyone likes to experience (and puts them in the mood to buy again and again).

Remember...Grow Your Profit And Prosper!

Rodney Burge

Things You Can Do To “Reach Out And Touch” Your Customers Or Clients

• Create a system of regular contact where you can mention additional products and services that might be of interest to your customers/clients

• Use inexpensive tools of communication like invitations, postcards, newsletters, thank-you cards and sales letters

• Keep customers and prospective customers informed and up-to-date with any ongoing changes in your business/practice

Remember...Grow Your Profit And Prosper!

Rodney Burge

More Things You Can Do to “Reach Out and Touch” Your Customers Or Clients

• Be sure to notify them about new products and services, along with new ways of using existing products or services

• Ask them to direct other people to you or if someone they know would like to receive your free newsletter, sample, catalogue, etc.

• Keep the lines of communication open so customers/clients can easily have their questions or concerns handled – regular contact makes you more seem more accessible to customers or clients

• Do whatever it takes to make customers happy as quickly as possible.

Remember...Grow Your Profit And Prosper!

Rodney Burge

A Few More Things You Can Do to “Reach Out and Touch” Your Customers or Clients

• Inform customers first about all upcoming events, new product releases, publicity excerpts, changes in product selection, etc.

• Remind customers before it’s time to renew or replenish their supply

• Provide helpful tips or pass along related information customers or clients may find useful

The quality of your on-going relationships with customers/clients is the primary underlying value of your business/practice.

Customers are your business and should be treated as good friends.

Remember...Grow Your Profit And Prosper!

Rodney Burge

This means that you must stay in your customer’s thoughts (or “top of mind”)

In other words, it means to be the first (and perhaps only) source your customer/client thinks of, whenever she or he needs what you provide.

This gives you a tremendous competitive edge over others and adds considerably to the true value of your business/practice.

Remember...Grow Your Profit And Prosper!

Rodney Burge

If you’re reading this blog post, and you haven’t read the above titled book by best-selling author and small business visionary Michael E. Gerber, then SHAME ON YOU!!!

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be reviewing, dissecting and commenting on the book that has positively influenced more small business owners than any other publication over the last one hundred years or more.

So, if you don’t have it, GET IT…NOW…TODAY!

Stop whatever it is you’re doing and GET IT!

Go to you nearest bookstore or order it online.

Maybe you can borrow it (I’ll bet your wildly successful competitor will have it on his/her desk).

I don’t care how you get it, but GET IT!

Any questions?

Remember...Grow Your Profit And Prosper!

Rodney Burge

Well…did you GET IT? Did you start reading it?

Get and read what? Did you miss my last post (see September 19th)?

I’m talking about the best-selling book The E-Myth Revisited: Why Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to do About It written by “The Grandfather Of Small Business” (that’s the title I gave him) Michael E. Gerber. It is one of the most influential books on small business organization ever written.

Let me ask you a question.

Do you own a business, or do you own a job?

No, it’s not a trick question. But it’s a question you should honestly ask yourself.

Let me ask you another question.

Do you work in your business, or do you work on it?

Notes on Chapter One of the book: The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber

Chapter 1: The Entrepreneurial Myth

For most business owners, the dream has faded (maybe even died?). You start working for someone else.

Then, you decide you could do better.

So, you set up on your own.

But, you get caught up in the technical work and forget the dream.

The Fatal Assumption: If you understand the technical work of a business, you understand a business that does the technical work.

This is The E-Myth at work. (the Entrepreneurial Myth).

The technical work of a business and a business that does technical work are two totally different things.

To the technician, the business is not a business but a place to go to work.

Rodney’s Comment: So here’s something to think about. Is most of your day spent thinking like a technician, a manager, or an entrepreneur?

Remember...Grow Your Profit And Prosper!

Rodney Burge

Are You Working ON Your Business, Or Just IN Your Business?

This is the first in a series of blog posts based on the book The E-Myth Revisited: Why Small Businesses Don’t Work And What To Do About It by Michael E. Gerber

The majority of successful business owners are so because of their insatiable need to know more.

The owners of most failing businesses don't know enough about finance, marketing, management and operations.

They think they know enough, but they don't.

In fact, most don't even know what they are supposed to know!

But, fortunately, these skills are relatively easy to learn.