Let the Fresh Spring Breeze In

1. Step Outside, Literally.

If you are a brick-and-mortar, front-facing business, start right here. Get in your car and drive out of the parking lot, turn around and drive back in. Take a critical look at the sense of arrival, the same way a customer would.

I once attended an excellent keynote session that was about avoiding coffee stains in your business. It was a great analogy, and I’ve used it ever since. He encouraged business owners and managers to walk to the front door of their business and look up and look down. Do you see cobwebs and dirt around your lighting? Is your welcome mat frayed? Are there leaves and dirt collected around your front door? These are coffee stains in your business. 

And, here’s the thing…those are free to fix. Absolutely free. Assuming, of course, you own a broom. And, if you don’t email me. I’ll send you one.

2. Declutter the sight line

Look at the front door, and your windows. Is there visual clutter? I get it. It’s hard not to add another sign every time you have a sale or want your customer to know something. Resist. Take down two signs for every new one you put up. 

Try your hardest to avoid handwritten signs, unless you can do so with personality and authenticity. I walked by a restaurant recently that had a small handwritten sign in their window. It was clearly written in a hurry, ripped from a notepad and hung crookedly. I gave them a pass as there could have been some kind of emergency. However, I checked back the next day and the next, and it was still there. 

This may seem like such stupidly simple advice. But let’s go back to the original concept here. Customers have very high expectations because their money is so precious to them right now. Maybe they had to put gas in their car on the way to your business. Ouch. This means that they spent A LOT of money before they even got to you, so your business just became a luxury for them. Earn it. Appreciate it. Show you care. 

3. Do a Google Search for your business

What did you find? How do you look? Your google listing is free. Absolutely free. It is kind of like a little mini website. First, focus on the basics, like your open hours and your address. Are they correct? Then, move onto the description and the photos. Put a few new photos into the listing. Don’t just throw any old photos up there. Every interaction counts, one bad photo might have someone scrolling to the next option in their “coffee shops near me” search. Write the description copy in your voice. The voice that is your business. Make it genuine, warm and real. 

4. Speaking of Google and Trip Advisor and Yelp….have you responded to your reviews?

There is no better way to show your customers that you care than to say thank you for the review. This also shows your potential customers who are checking you out (because they most definitely are) that you care. What about a negative review? These are always an opportunity for recovery, and to show your future customers what? Yup. That you care. 

With a negative review, acknowledge and offer a next step. Keep it simple: “I’m sorry that you were inconvenienced. I would be happy to discuss this further offline with you. Please feel free to email me at____” 

Just four simple steps that help you reset your marketing and let that beautiful Spring breeze blow through. Then go ahead and have some fun. There is some great stuff out there right now. Remember my Troublemaker blog? Go ahead and take some risks now. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. 

Text me. Email me. Call me. I am always available to chat about marketing and business survival tips.