Business Success 1: Grew the Business Focusing on Clients

I like to share stories of business success to inspire your success

Focusing on your clients can generate more business. You know that. Sometimes, however, you may struggle to find new or better ways to create more contacts with clients. Let me share the story of a heating and air conditioning company that found several ideas by networking with several other businesses through Bryan Waldon Pope’s Marketing Success Institute. He presented ideas. They gave him feedback. He took the ideas to the owners. The company implemented some of them.

Client Retention Ideas

We’ll call the marketing director for a local heating and air company Chris. Chris meets once a month with several other business owners or marketing chiefs. Each one presents a marketing idea or challenge. The group listens and gives feedback. They become, what Bryan Waldon Pope calls, one another’s marketing team.

Chris presented several ideas to the group over the year. They included:

• Technicians leaving “personal service” cards to connect with clients
• Technicians  up-selling service contracts at discount prices
• Coupon books with free furnace services and discounts
• Calling past clients offering preventative maintenance
• Bringing free filters to clients who call for service calls during slow times
• and twenty other marketing ideas

Results from the Ideas

Chris reports that several of the ideas increased revenues. For example:

• Service calls increased by 18% over a 3 month periods
• Preventative maintenance contracts generated $60,000+
• New furnace and air conditioner sales increased by 16%

Rules of Mastermind Groups

Participating in mastermind groups can grow your business. Some organizations will help you establish a mastermind group as part of their membership benefits. A mastermind group consists of 5-6 (Chris’ group through Marketing Success Institute consists of 10-12 people, but they meet from 9-12:30). Most groups follow a simple agenda. Each person:

• Restates goals they are working on
• Reports action taken to achieve the goal
• Asks for ideas, suggestions, & feedback on an idea, problem, or challenge
• Lists action to take before the next meeting
• Places documents, questions, or feedback on collaboration sites

Thursday we share another story describing a business success