Debbie Mayo-Smith: How to find the time to be a better marketer
9:11 AM Monday Feb 18, 2013
If you don't have a smartphone, get one - they are the epitome of convergence. Photo / Thinkstock
Last week I gave you fifteen marketing ideas. Read it here. You hopefully found a few very helpful and want to implement. However is time holding you back?
With 101 things to do when running or managing a small business - where do you find the extra time to add in something called marketing (rather than advertising) when there are so many other concrete activities taking up your time?
Here are five suggestions.
Time management
1. Get help
You can do anything you want, you just can't do everything. So get help to do the lower value tasks you have to do (such as administration, marketing, calling/reminding customers, cleaning the house/mowing the lawns) to free your time up to do the income production. If you earn $90 an hour, why do the $20 an hour work? My suggestion for a first step is to get local students (use student job search) to help you on a small part time basis. Use them when you want, and you have lower per hour wages and no employment hassle or responsibilities.
2. Focus on best income earners
If one business activity provides a higher income on time/investment involved, focus your marketing in that area.
Use technology
3. Use a smartphone
If you don't have a smartphone already, get one. Not only are they coming down in price, they are the epitome of convergence, giving you at least 17 different appliances that fit in your palm. There are many ways you can use the built in Video camera, still camera, voice recorder, GPS system, internet, calendar, email, computer, alarm, stop watch, timer, clock, calculator, note pad, music player, book reader, photograph album, calculator..... for business. Oops forgot to mention phone.
4. Use SMS reminders
Almost everyone has a cell phone and it is a totally accepted mode of communication with your customers. If you work on appointments- each hour is an asset that once passed is gone forever. If you initiate appointment prompts (don't forget your 2:30 message tomorrow) you'll be able to lower your no-shows or late arrivals.
5. Systemise for immediate response
You can be very clever and respond to your emails and messages very quickly. You will have repetitive paragraphs you sms or email. Don't' forget your appointment; what days you have free next week, the like. In your phone notepad, write them out once and save. Then anytime you have to email or sms, copy the paragraph from your notes and paste into the email or sms. It will save you heaps of time, boost your customer service and help you book more appointments with minimum effort.
After three days of trying to get through I finally gave up and found the mechanic's mobile he had left me on a previous job so rang him direct. He said sorry about not getting through I will call the office and get someone to call you to make a time. Three days later I called the office and got through. The guy apologized and said I was on his to do list.
Really? three days later? Golden rule in customer service, always ring back the same day and never more than 24 hours! If customers are slipping through your fingers you have a system and process failure and will continue to lose business.
Today I rang a company wanting to spend $3000.
The person who answered the phone could not give me a price and told me "you'll have to speak to the manager but she's not here today."
I asked when she would be. "No idea. Maybe tomorrow?" came the reply. Followed by this pearler:
"You should probably ring XYZ Ltd as they could probably do it for $500 less than us."
Way to go! Top staff, well trained. Nice.