What Are Your “Extras”?

I just read an interesting article featuring a bicycle business with four locations. When the interviewer asked the owner what distinguished them from other businesses in their category, the owner said what makes them special goes beyond guaranteed lowest prices and great customer service. Smart man! Though both are part of this company’s commitment and philosophy, he recognizes that it’s the little “extras” that separate them from their competitors. For this bicycle business, it’s things like a lifetime of free adjustments, staff committed not just to serving but to educating customers and helping them them choose the right bike and gear for them, free spin classes and organized bike rides in the community, same day service, Kids Trade Up program, and on and on.

My question to you is this. What are your extras? Think beyond the expected benefits you offer, such as quality and good service. Chances are your toughest competitors say they offer the same thing. Without ever having used your service or bought your products, your prospects cannot tell the difference and have a tough time choosing between you and them. However, if you know, define, and promote the extras you offer in a way that causes your potential buyers to perceive them as added value, you will be the easy choice and have customers flocking to you.

Send me the name of your business along with three “extras” you offer customers, and I will send you my Special Report, Stop Telling and Start Selling – Presenting the Benefits of Buying from You, absolutely FREE!

Call or email me: 303-693-2306 and julie@juliewassom.com

Julie Wassom
“The Speaker Whose Message Means Business”
Marketing and Sales Speaker/Consultant/Author
Call me: 303-693-2306
Fax me: 303-617-6422
E-me: julie@juliewassom.com
See me: www.juliewassom.com

What is Your Center’s Quality Constellation?

There are stars everywhere. Astrologically, the sky twinkles with them, some in constellations we recognize and seek out. In practical, down-to-earth terms, we use them to signify a measure of quality. Think about it – the star of the show, the star forward on the team, the rock star everyone loves, the star who won the Oscar.

In multiples, stars become a rating scale. Stars signify a level of quality. The buying public expects a five-star hotel or restaurant to be of highest quality and be worth the higher cost likely to match the multiple star ranking. Movie-goers flock to see the five-star films. Internet buyers look for star rankings on everything from books to hard goods to consumables. Reviewers know the buying power of public opinion, and how their rankings can impact sales.

So how does your center rank? Do you have enough stars to make a constellation that means more inquiries and more opportunities to convert and retain enrollments? Your center has four separate sets of star “reviewers”.

First are those in the ECE industry trained to assess the level of quality with which you operate and deliver early educational services. This may be a national accreditation team, such as those through NAEYC or NACCRRA, a state quality rating system, such as QRIS, or another official ranking program available to you.

A second set of opinion influencers with stars to give out are those outside the child care industry, but important to your prospects and customers, such as a ranking of centers by Parenting Magazine or another local media outlet who uses their own set of criteria to designate how full your constellation will be. Rankings by business organizations also hold merit for those customers who value them.

Your own prospects and customers are a third set of quality reviewers. They talk. Whether it’s on the job or online, many prospects are investigating their early care options via the public opinion of known friends and colleagues, as well as unknown sources such as those in the news media, on social media and in chat rooms. How many stars would they give you?

Last is YOU! How can you assure that your star ranking is as high on the quality scale as possible? Become your own reviewers and take an honest, hard look at how you are delivering your programs, communicating with your customers, and converting your prospects.

Think in your prospect’s perspective, and rate yourself on several features of your school that you know are important to your specific target audience. Where do you stand? What can you improve? How can you listen to your prospects and customers better and respond to their unmet needs? Where can you innovate to be competitive? Once you are certain you are delivering the highest quality you can, market your school to be recognized and ranked as the star-studded constellation you are.

Julie Wassom
“The Speaker Whose Message Means Business”
Marketing and Sales Speaker/Consultant/Author
Call me: 303-693-2306
Fax me: 303-617-6422
E-me: julie@juliewassom.com
See me: www.juliewassom.com

What Are Your “Extras”?

I just read an interesting article featuring a bicycle business with four locations. When the interviewer asked the owner what distinguished them from other businesses in their category, the owner said what makes them special goes beyond guaranteed lowest prices and great customer service. Smart man! Though both are part of this company’s commitment and philosophy, he recognizes that it’s the little “extras” that separate them from their competitors. For this bicycle business, it’s things like a lifetime of free adjustments, staff committed not just to serving but to educating customers and helping them them choose the right bike and gear for them, free spin classes and organized bike rides in the community, same day service, Kids Trade Up program, and on and on.

My question to you is this. What are your extras? Think beyond the expected benefits you offer, such as quality and good service. Chances are your toughest competitors say they offer the same thing. Without ever having used your service or bought your products, your prospects cannot tell the difference and have a tough time choosing between you and them. However, if you know, define, and promote the extras you offer in a way that causes your potential buyers to perceive them as added value, you will be the easy choice and have customers flocking to you.

Send me the name of your business along with three “extras” you offer customers, and I will send you my Special Report, Stop Telling and Start Selling – Presenting the Benefits of Buying from You, absolutely FREE!

Call or email me: 303-693-2306 and julie@juliewassom.com

–Julie Wassom
http://JulieWassom.com

Unlocking Sales Potential in Paralyzing Times

They freeze. That’s what happens to some owners and managers when the economy slows down and prospects become harder to find and convert to buyers. Market conditions and fear of what’s happening out there causes them to stop doing these three things:

1. Marketing actively to generate inquiries
2. Converting every qualified prospect into a site visitor, then to a buyer
3. Communicating to customers that their business is thriving

Is this you? If so, you may be inadvertently diminishing the potential you have to build new sales and repeat business.

Here’s the good news. These times are exactly when savvy business owners and managers are taking advantage of the growth opportunities in a challenging economic market. They keep marketing when their competition has slowed or stopped. They seek new target audiences, and use creative, cost-effective methods to gain exposure and generate inquiries. They learn proven marketing and sales skills and practice them. And they initiate customer attention activities.

People still seek quality in their investments, lifestyle, and purchases. But since the markets took a nosedive, many investments seemed to vanish in thin air, and recovery is predicted to be slow, they are reassessing what else they need in an investment. Most are looking for the best value, a sure thing, and someone they can trust. They are carefully determining what is important to them in their purchase decision.

This means now is the time for you to be keenly aware of what your prospects – and your customers – want or need and how you can assure them you can deliver it.

– Know who your target is, where they go for information, and what needs they have which you can meet. Adjust your marketing messages and promotions according, always communicating your unique niche. Start with your website. Is it unique, easy to navigate, up to date, interactive?

– Be visible in your community. Increase community marketing in your draw radius. Choose cost-effective activities that will put you in front of groups of your qualified prospects and opinion influencers. Generate good publicity.

– Sharpen and practice good sales conversion skills. Now more than ever, every qualified inquiry counts! Get the training you need and then make it your goal to do what it takes to convert every real prospect to a buyer. Their first purchase may not be huge, but with good customer follow-up, these customers could well become repeat buyers.

– Increase customer focus. Initiate regular activities to make contact with your customers, communicate important aspects of the business, involve them, and assure them of your stability and value in helping them be successful.

There’s truth to the saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” By making sure you keep moving forward with your marketing and sales efforts, you can turn tough times into terrific sales and business building opportunities.