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Tag: Customers

  • What Leaders Must Do to Create a Great Customer Experience | Entrepreneur

    What Leaders Must Do to Create a Great Customer Experience | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    A great customer experience (CX) begins with an engaged, empowered, and inspired employee. Without them, it’s impossible to ensure that customers are experiencing your brand as you intended. When employees are engaged, they are far more likely to ensure customers are satisfied with your products or services — because they’re able to deliver great things. And consistent customer engagement is the gateway to maintaining your customer relationships throughout their lifetime.

    Here are a few tips leaders can use to better manage their teams, boost employee engagement and provide great experiences for their customers.

    Related: Happy Employees Create Happy Customers

    1. Create a customer-centric culture

    A customer-centric culture helps employees feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves, leading to higher customer satisfaction. A customer-centric culture focuses on the needs and wants of customers. It involves ensuring that your employees are involved in decisions impacting the company’s processes, procedures and interactions with customers. Ensuring that you have this type of environment can help you better understand how to improve your customer service strategy for long-term success.

    2. Avoid tunnel vision

    There is no one else who can see the whole picture except for you. You know your business inside and out, and you’ve got a clear vision of what it needs to be successful.

    It doesn’t mean, however, that you should go it alone.

    In fact, when it comes to customer experience, you need all hands on deck —including your employees’ hands!

    When you rely too much on your perspective as the owner or manager of a business, you’re at risk for tunnel vision — seeing things only from your perspective and not considering other perspectives or options. That’s bad for the customer experience because you miss many opportunities to improve it.

    When employees are engaged with their jobs and invested in the company’s success, they have valuable insight into how customers interact with products or services in real life and how they can improve those interactions. They also have access to information about what customers want that you may not even know exists! When they share this knowledge with you and collaborate, you’ll get better results than ever before.

    3. Measure and reward the right things

    A great customer experience begins with great employee engagement and management.

    That’s why my team and I measure and reward the right things — not just sales but also customer satisfaction.

    We do this by having all our employees work together in a small, open office environment so they can ask questions and help each other out. We don’t have managers or supervisors — everyone is on the same level, so there are no barriers to information sharing.

    It’s not just about keeping up with the latest technology; it’s about ensuring everyone in the company understands how their actions affect customers’ experiences.

    Related: 7 Excellent Reasons to Focus on Employee Engagement

    4. Avoid silos

    The best way to ensure a great customer experience is to avoid silos.

    Silos are when departments or people don’t communicate with one another, so you might be missing out on important information. If your team is siloed, they’ll have trouble communicating with customers. Without communication, there’s no teamwork; without teamwork, there’s no CX.

    To avoid silos in your company and keep your employees engaged with one another and their work, ensure everyone is working towards the same goal. You can create an employee engagement strategy that includes regular meetings where employees can discuss new ideas for improving your customer experience. You could also try using gamification techniques like badges or points as rewards for completing certain tasks within your company’s larger goals.

    5. Empower your frontline employees

    The front line of your business is the first step in your customer experience. That’s why it’s so important to empower your frontline employees to create a great customer experience.

    They’re the ones who greet them, serve them and make sure they have what they need to be happy. They’re often the only people you meet when you walk into a store or restaurant. And even though they may not be able to influence every interaction with a customer, they can certainly make an impact on some of them.

    If you want to make sure that your customers are getting the best possible experience, you need to make sure your employees are empowered and encouraged to do their best work. This doesn’t mean that you should constantly micromanage them — it just means that you should give them room to be creative and develop their skills as they get to know your company better.

    Related: Customer Experience Will Determine the Success of Your Company

    6. Be open to collaboration and innovation

    The best CX is built on a foundation of employee engagement, so it’s important to give your employees the freedom to collaborate and innovate.

    When employees feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves, they’ll go above and beyond for their customers. And when they do, you’ll see the results in happier customers, higher sales and more loyal clients.

    With everyone in your company striving toward the same goal, you can create a better customer experience. If a business lacks a culture of employee engagement and great management, it is almost inevitable that its customers won’t get the high level of service and support they deserve. Customers will likely never know about internal issues but will be presented with a disappointing experience that may cost a company future business opportunities.

    Chris Kille

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  • 4 Ways to Become a Better Leader Through Customer Relationships | Entrepreneur

    4 Ways to Become a Better Leader Through Customer Relationships | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    There are a lot of pieces that go into building a thriving company. But the reality is even the most well-meaning CEOs can’t guarantee success. Early in my career with Truly Free, I believed the right product and a solid social impact story would equate to revenue growth.

    I quickly found that website traffic didn’t just appear. The reality was that a solid offering backed by purpose was just one thing to consider in my entrepreneurial journey. I needed to refocus on our ideal customers and what they truly wanted. By reimagining our company with customers at its heart, Truly Free grew.

    Research has shown the power of placing priority on the customer. McKinsey notes that 70% of the customer journey is based on how the customer feels they are being treated. And Salesforce found that 80% of customers say the experience a company provides is just as necessary as its product.

    Here are four tips to put priority back on building authentic customer relationships.

    1. Become active in the customer service process

    As a CEO, it’s essential to be an active participant in the customer service process. Knowing each aspect of the user journey enables you, as a leader, to know your company best and hear the voice of those you serve.

    In fact, I often delegate other aspects of my job to ensure I have the time and space to be fully part of customer service touchpoints. This allows me to learn more about our customer and how our company story and products are resonating.

    In addition, ensure your sales and customer service teams are reporting on their daily customer interactions. These teams are your front line when it comes to understanding what obstacles, priorities or questions clients have. The information they hear can help enhance the customer journey, strengthen your brand and its products and build a more loyal bond through consistent client touch-points.

    Related: Listening Will Make You a Great Leader

    2. Prioritize being a listening CEO

    At Truly Free, customers are family. With every decision we make, we return to this key point. Would we want our family to use this product? Would we be comfortable sharing these ingredients? Would we want them to have this experience on the website?

    To best get to know our customers, we listen. Not only do we coordinate regular focus groups, but I sit in them as the CEO. This enables them to know their voices are heard and matter throughout the company.

    Related: 5 Strategies for How to Make Customers Trust Your Brand

    3. Pay attention to feedback

    Studies have shown that feeling unappreciated is the number one reason customers switch products or services. That’s why it’s critical to pay attention to feedback from customers and resolve it quickly.

    Make sure team members are actively monitoring customer reviews and social media comments. Set up a process to deal with complaints, giving team members the authority to help rectify situations as they arise. Finally, share complaints and reviews across the entire team for full organizational transparency into customer pain points and opportunities.

    When it comes to angry customers, a swift resolution is critical. As CEO, I’ll even pick up the phone and call an angry customer directly to help solve a problem. This seemingly simple act can reap big rewards. 70% of unhappy customers whose problems are resolved have shown a willingness to keep doing business with the same company.

    Related: Meaning Well Doesn’t Equal Success: 4 Ways to Run a Successful Business

    4. Share your story

    Understanding your why — as well as your customer’s why — is essential to growth. And in this climate, social impact is a critical trend for companies to consider.

    This all begins with authentic connection and a company driven by purpose. Not only should you know why your customers purchase your products, but your customers should also understand why you do what you do.

    For me, this all begins with sharing the story of how Truly Free began and how we’ve grown. I do not shy away from talking about the personal impact products like ours have had on my family. Further, I am transparent about who creates our products and the causes our products support. By building authenticity into our narrative, we are fostering a trusted audience that resonates with our mission.

    With so many products in the marketplace, there is no shortage of options for customers. The key to success in an ever-changing digital and competitive landscape is to understand the hearts and minds of your customer. Creating unique, authentic connections and prioritizing relationships across the organization can set your company up for long-term success.

    Stephen Ezell

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  • 5 Tips to Bring Back Your Lost Customers | Entrepreneur

    5 Tips to Bring Back Your Lost Customers | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Have you ever had a customer return to your store after being upset? If so, congratulations, you win! However, if not, you are like most other entrepreneurs who struggle to get lost clients back.

    Getting lost customers back is never an easy thing to do. You could try as much as possible, sending out repeated and persistent emails and calling them on the phone, but they may not respond. And then you just have to wait until they call you. But wait! That’s not the only way. There are more ways to get your old customers back right now. Keep reading to find out how!

    Related: The Why & How of Retaining Old Customers

    1. Ask why they left

    You lost a customer. Now what?

    You can’t win them back if you don’t know why they left in the first place. You need to ask them why they left, so you can understand what went wrong and how to fix it.

    Ask your customers why they left, and listen carefully to their answers. Don’t interrupt or argue with them — just let them talk until they’re done explaining their side. And then, when they’re done talking, ask questions about what else could have made their experience better at your business.

    If you don’t know why customers are leaving, how will you ever be able to fix the problem?

    2. Offer a “We Miss You” promotion

    Offering a “We Miss You” promotion can help you win back lost customers.

    A “We Miss You” promotion is an offer that customers will only see if they return to your store after leaving. The offer can be a discount, a freebie or something else that would bring them back to your store.

    This is one of the most effective ways to get lost customers back because it gives them the incentive to return and shows them that you care about them.

    The best part about this type of promotion is that it doesn’t cost much money or time to implement, but it can greatly impact your bottom line.

    For example, if you have a clothing store, you could offer them a discount on their next purchase if they come back within the next month. If you have a restaurant, you could give them free dessert on their next visit.

    3. Don’t wait too long — it won’t be easy.

    You are wrong if you think that waiting a few days or even weeks to reach out to lost customers will help them remember who you are and why they should come back.

    The longer customers go without receiving your messages and offers, the harder it will be for them to remember why they liked your business in the first place. If you take too long, customers may have forgotten about your brand altogether!

    Related: 4 Steps to Win Back an Unhappy Customer

    4. Create a loyalty program

    One of the best ways to win back lost customers is to create a loyalty program. By rewarding customers who have purchased from you in the past, you can re-engage with them and remind them of the value of your products or services.

    Loyalty programs are also a great way to get referrals from existing customers. When someone who has previously purchased from you refers a new customer, that new customer is likely to be very happy with the service they receive — and may become loyal themselves!

    You can create loyalty programs in many different ways. For example, discounts for repeat customers, multi-purchase discounts for purchasing multiple items at once or even free shipping offers on orders over a certain amount. Whatever type of program works best for your business will depend on what kind of products or services you offer — but don’t underestimate how much power these programs have!

    5. Make it personal

    There’s no way around it: You’ve got to make it personal. You must show your customers that you care about them and that their business matters to you. If you don’t want to lose them forever, you must show them they matter.

    It doesn’t have to be complicated. Just ensure you’re showing up in their inboxes with personalized emails with their names in the subject lines. If they made a purchase recently, include a line about how much you appreciate them as a customer and how much you hope they’ll keep coming back for more great products or services. If they haven’t purchased anything from you in a while, send them an email asking how things are going and if there is anything you can do at your end of things to help them out.

    The bottom line is that people like being shown that someone cares about their thoughts and feelings. It makes them feel valued and important, more invested in the relationship with your company — and ultimately, less likely to leave!

    Related: Use This Powerful Method of Persuasion to Keep Customers Coming Back for More

    A tip that goes without saying: Provide excellent customer service

    Some customers leave because of poor service, and it’s not impossible to win them back. But if you want to ensure you’re doing everything possible to win back lost customers, start by providing excellent customer service.

    “Good” is not good enough. You must go above and beyond with your customer service efforts to win back lost customers. This means showing genuine concern for their experience, addressing any issues they had with the product or experience they received and making sure they feel like they’re being listened to when they speak up about what went wrong — even if it wasn’t your fault!

    If you can’t provide this level of service consistently, then it might be time to evaluate whether or not you’re ready for customers.

    It is always important to fix mistakes with customers, and if you handle them correctly, you can even make the relationship stronger.

    If you want an angry customer to come back, you should apologize and try to fix the problem. Remember: You are a business owner, and they are a customer that loves your business, so it’s in your best interest to keep them happy. After a situation like this, the first step should always be apologizing to the customer.

    Don’t make excuses or expect them to get over it immediately; just say sorry and mean it. You never know; it could turn a bad situation into something good. Hopefully, these tips can help you keep your customers happy and improve your bottom line.

    Chris Kille

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  • How to Think Outside the Box and Revolutionize the Customer Journey | Entrepreneur

    How to Think Outside the Box and Revolutionize the Customer Journey | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Traditional industries often change slowly, but they have a considerable market share and continue to succeed despite this because they are what customers are used to. They may hope for a more innovative product, but they have been content to settle for what the industry giants offer.

    However, in a post-Covid world, consumers are interested in something other than the same old tired products and services they’ve always dealt with. Instead, they’re demanding newer, better solutions. To stay alive, companies must rethink the customer experience and offer the public something fresh.

    Well-established industries can be slow to adopt new solutions, but there are a few ways to build a disruptive tech product and shake things up.

    Related: The Post-Covid Leader — How the CEO’s Role Has Changed in the Past 3 Years

    1. Build detailed customer profiles from scratch

    It’s time to toss out everything you think you know about your customers and start with a clean slate. A recent report from WeTravel found that travelers are increasingly looking for more personalized experiences, but how and why they travel has shifted in a post-Covid world.

    So, the best way to get to know your customers again is to throw away your notes, roll up your sleeves and figure out who they are and what they want. McKinsey recently found that there are more nuanced customer segments post-pandemic, so you might discover new categories of travelers with unique pain points and preferences.

    For instance, premium travelers are now more interested than ever in feeling like they’re part of an exclusive community. Meanwhile, boomers are looking for more hands-on human assistance when booking trips.

    The things that are most popular with your audience outside of your industry are the same things that will draw them to your product.

    As an example, millennials are a “subscription lifestyle” generation. They like products and services that allow access with a simple subscription fee. That’s why brands like Dollar Shave Club and Hello Fresh remain popular with that age bracket. Travel brands like Inspirato and Bidroom use this subscription-style model to provide better, customer-focused service.

    Gen Z, on the other hand, is more interested in the YOLO (you only live once) lifestyle and gamification. They’re spontaneous, experience-driven and attracted to things with fun game mechanics like the ability to unlock achievements or “level up.”

    Travel booking app Hopper has leaned into this, creating daily login streak bonuses, dropping surprise destination deals and offering “loot crate”-style rewards to use in-app.

    Related: 3 Books to Help Business Leaders Discover Innovation and Growth

    2. Look to other industries to find ways to disrupt your own

    Remember that you’re not the first to try to win against big players. Thousands of startups in dozens of industries are playing the same underdog game. Many are succeeding, so it’s worth considering what they’re doing right.

    Always monitor new emerging products and business models in related industries. The most popular models with different demographics in other areas, such as dating, dining or entertainment, can give you insights about what to incorporate into your disruptive product.

    This strategy is already working for companies like Turo, which utilizes an Airbnb-style model of peer-to-peer car sharing for short-term and long-term rentals. This was a truly disruptive idea. It opened up the car rental industry, allowing owners to earn money and renters to access vehicles at lower prices.

    Dating apps like Tinder and Bumble have long been popular with Gen Z, so travel app OfftheGrid decided to capitalize on that trend to create a brand-new travel experience for the younger generation of travelers.

    The brand allows users to “swipe on” and chat with travelers who share their interests while discovering new destinations. The result is a unique travel product that breaks away from the traditional model of sites like Expedia.

    Related: #Digital Nomads: Unraveling the Millennials’ Way of Working and Living

    3. Follow the tech trends

    It’s important to follow where technology leads you to maintain a competitive advantage. If your company can get ahead of the curve, it sets you up to control a huge market share once the tech you’ve already adopted starts trickling down to your competitors.

    For instance, once the internet became widespread, online travel agencies suddenly became popular. The logical progression that followed was moving from web browsers to phones as mobile internet overtook the telecom industry.

    We’re now in the early days of the era of big data and generative AI, so it’s natural for innovations like ChatGPT to start changing everything we know about travel. Big names like Expedia and Kayak have already begun leveraging ChatGPT to allow customers to build trips through natural conversations with their chatbots.

    By keeping abreast of technology trends, you can ensure the product you build is cutting-edge and can catch travelers’ attention.

    4. Think beyond your product

    Disruption won’t happen overnight. It usually has to be incremental because customers and competitors have to get used to the idea of being outside of what they already know.

    Because of this, you need to think about more than just the disruptive product you’re creating. Remember, if you succeed, you’re essentially turning your sector upside-down. Other brands will want to follow in your footsteps.

    So, ask the big-picture questions while you create: How will this change the market in the long term? What will the ripple effects be?

    For example, AI and ChatGPT are taking over nearly every industry (including travel!), even though they started as tech industry ideas. Now, we’re seeing companies that aren’t willing to jump on board with AI get left behind while the ones that dive in are finding success in unprecedented ways.

    We’ve figured out that a total overhaul of the customer journey is the key to successfully disrupting a traditional sector. If you’re looking to start a revolution in a well-established industry, you have to be willing to admit what you don’t know, get down in the trenches and figure out ways to make every customer segment feel like they can’t live without your product.

    Ivan Saprov

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  • Why Customer Confidence Always Comes First | Entrepreneur

    Why Customer Confidence Always Comes First | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    If you’re in the professional services industry, take a step back and watch what’s happening in the banking industry right now. As of this writing in late March 2023, two banks have failed in the US, and the FDIC stepped in to support the depositors, making them whole. This means the money was not lost per se but rather inconvenienced momentarily.

    However, in the week following, over 120 billion dollars flowed back into the nation’s top 25 biggest banks.

    This should scream to you that consumer confidence is the most important aspect of the client relationship. Period.

    Using banking as an example, customers are always on the lookout for the best deals. They want the lowest interest rates on loans, the highest interest rates on savings and the best customer service. This is why many customers opt for local and regional banks. These institutions often offer better rates and more personalized service than larger banks.

    Related: Analysts Remain Bullish On These 3 Regional Banks

    However, when the economy takes a turn for the worse, and a couple of small banks fail, it can quickly shake customers’ confidence. Suddenly, the safety and security of their funds become the priority, and they run back to the big banks they once avoided and likely still loathe.

    Need more examples? If you’re hiring a CPA for your company’s tax return, what’s more important: customer service and friendliness or your tax bill? Would you feel okay paying more in tax if they responded to your emails and were friendly? Probably not.

    How about this — if you were wrongly accused of a crime and needed to hire a defense attorney, which is more important? Hourly fees, customer service or the ability to get you out of jail. See what I’m saying now?

    The worst part of all this is that the overwhelming majority of local or regional banks are probably doing just fine. All it took to move all those billions of dollars back to the big banks was the mere thought of a small chance of failure (even though it’s still FDIC insured). The slightest sliver of doubt sent them running back to the perceived safety (and horrible service and rates) of big banks without even giving the local guys a chance to defend themselves.

    Related: Banks or VCs; Where Should Startups Seek Funds?

    In banking, law and all professional services, confidence must come first, followed by customer service. Clients are willing to overlook customer service issues if they have confidence in the provider’s ability to deliver results. This is not to say that customer service is not important. It is crucial in building and maintaining client relationships. However, it is not the primary driver of the client’s decision-making process. I always say, “People work with people they like,” but I should add that they only work with people they know can get the job done, then they pick the one they like most.

    So, how can professional service providers build and maintain client confidence? There are a few key strategies that can be employed:

    1. Build a strong reputation. Reputation is everything in the professional services industry. A provider’s reputation is built on their track record of delivering results, expertise and ability to meet client needs.

    Saved a client some money on their taxes? — make sure you tell everyone you know.

    Win a big case? — tell everyone you know! Spread the word!

    2. Communicate often. This transparency can help build trust and confidence in the provider’s ability to deliver results. Taking a personalized approach and communicating frequently can show clients that they are important and that their needs are being met.

    3. Embrace technology. Like it or not, technology is changing how professional services are delivered. By embracing technology, you stay current in the world. This also instills confidence that you’re able to keep up in the changing world and are at the forefront of your industry. That CPA that “doesn’t do email” probably isn’t as up-to-date on recent tax law changes either.

    Remember to be the person they trust; then be the person they like.

    Scott Ford

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  • How Adela’s Country Eatery Makes Big Waves and Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat | Entrepreneur

    How Adela’s Country Eatery Makes Big Waves and Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In a strip mall in Oahu, Hawaii, one might not expect to find an award-winning restaurant. Yet Adela’s Country Eatery has grown a name for itself beyond its small takeout counter, winning the #5 spot on Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat. Praised by customers for the delightful customer service and perfectly cooked noodles, Adela’s traces much of its appeal and success back to its central mission of sustainability.

    Owners Adela Visitacion and Millie Chan create colorful noodle dishes using locally grown Hawaiian produce that would otherwise be thrown away, such as purple-hued Okinawan sweet potatoes from nearby farms. Director of Business Development Elizabeth Chan helped create the restaurant with her mother Millie, with the goal of bringing this special produce to a larger audience.

    “[Okinawan sweet potatoes] were being fed to pigs because the farmer couldn’t get it to the market in Honolulu, so we were like, ‘Wait a second! We could use this for something else,’” Elizabeth said. “It’s a staple that everybody likes and nobody [was] doing this yet.”

    Reviewer Gina L. resonated with Adela’s mission to use locally sourced ingredients: “Since it’s on an island, I feel like that’s really important for the economy within the island versus having them import items that are more costly [which] bumps up the price. They’re able to not only support farmers but also their neighbors and their friends through their products.”

    With locally sourced produce at the forefront of its Hawaiian-fusion dishes, Adela’s is a true testament to the local culture. Because it only has a takeout counter, customers are encouraged to eat their food outside and enjoy the beautiful scenery Hawaii has to offer. But while they’re waiting, they can watch the noodle-making process. By giving customers a first-hand peek into the cooking process, Elizabeth hopes the customer experience is memorable, even without table service.

    “We thought that for the person making the noodles, it would be fun to have a chance to actually meet the people they’re making the noodles for and chat with the customers,” Elizabeth said. “For our customers, we thought we’d bring the experience a little bit closer to them because we do actually find the noodle process to be almost magical when it comes out.”

    In addition to the values of sustainability, one of Adela’s strongest values is family. Millie and Elizabeth foster a close-knit kitchen team and try to make all customers feel like they’re a part of the family as well.

    Adela’s welcoming customer service has garnered the restaurant a fair share of regular customers—and over 2,000 Yelp reviews. To strengthen relationships with new customers, Millie always greets them and guides them through the ordering process, answering any questions about the dishes and the ingredients behind them.

    “I’m just happy to see [customers] walk into our restaurant,” Millie said. “It’s like seeing an old pal you haven’t met for a long time, and it’s just the excitement that inspires me.”

    Gina said she felt Millie’s warmth from the second she stepped into the restaurant. This pleasurable customer experience inspired her to leave a 5-star Yelp review.

    “When we walked in, it felt very local. [Millie] welcomed us in, and then my sister and I didn’t know how to order, so she ended up leading us through the process,” Gina said. “She was very patient with us. She had the sweetest voice, and she seemed like a very good person overall.”

    In addition to its delicious food, Adela’s achievement on Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat was made possible by:

    • Putting business values at the forefront. As a small business, let your customers know what your values are, whether they are displayed on social media or branding around your storefront.
    • Showing customers how much they care. Invite customers in and give them a behind-the-scenes look at your process to make their experience memorable.
    • Building a united staff. Treat your team members like family to make them excited to come into work every day. Customers will feel the passion they have for your business.

    Listen to the episode below to hear directly from Millie, Elizabeth, and Gina, and subscribe to Behind the Review for more from new business owners and reviewers every Thursday.

    Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and Soundcloud

    Emily Washcovick

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  • Upgrade to Real-Time Feedback with This Focus Group Style | Entrepreneur

    Upgrade to Real-Time Feedback with This Focus Group Style | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Research is a crucial component of any successful business decision. One of its most popular and effective forms is focus groups, where people are brought together to discuss and provide feedback on a product, service or idea. Usually, it’s conducted after people have interacted with the product for some time.

    My company tried applying this research method in a bit different format. By dividing the data collection into two parts, one just after another, we made the process faster and more accurate than ever before. Here’s a guide on how to level up your focus group if you’re limited in time.

    Related: If Your Company Is Not Customer-Obsessed, You’re Doing It Wrong

    How to organize focus groups differently

    The main difference in our type of focus group was collecting data on your customers’ opinions on the service or product almost simultaneously while interacting with it. We asked our participants twice: briefly while they were getting our services and more lengthy as soon as they were finished. Here’s how to build this type of focus group.

    1. Gather a representative sample: Inviting people who closely match your target audience is essential. For example, you can select participants who have already registered for your service and have some familiarity with our product. In our case, we randomly invited people who enrolled in our free webinar. Of course, you should offer compensation for their participation.

    2. Don’t set any limits: Explain that people shouldn’t treat your study as something they should change their behavior for. In particular, they are free to drop out if they don’t like something or get bored.

    3. Collect feedback while they are getting your service: You can chat using the most popular messaging app among clients to collect feedback in real-time. We asked questions regularly so that participants could share what they liked and didn’t like as the webinar was taking place.

    4. Arrange a follow-up call: After the webinar, we arranged a group call that was just like the usual focus group to get additional feedback and more detailed information. During this, give a brief intro and encourage participants to take turns telling you about themselves. Then ask questions on matters that are most significant for you, like:

    • Did you finish taking the service?
    • What were the good parts?
    • What were the inconveniences you experienced?

    Related: This Is Why You Should Never Ignore Customer Feedback

    Benefits of “real-time” focus groups

    As mentioned above, our goal was to make more data-driven decisions about the webinar funnel. We were looking for some little insights that might not be obvious at all, which people will soon forget about but are crucial in decision-making.

    There are several benefits to changing your approach to focus groups. Here are the key ones:

    • Unfiltered feedback: When participants provide feedback in real-time, their thoughts and feelings are not distorted by time or memory, resulting in unfiltered feedback. For example, we learned that people were really annoyed when the speaker’s icon covered a piece of presentation. It’s not surprising that it can be unpleasant, but we were astonished to know that it could be a reason for people to leave the webinar!
    • Realistic representation: It was important for us to allow the participants to drop out or lose interest in the webinar, just as they would in real life, providing a more realistic representation of the process.
    • Simultaneous information acquisition: By providing a platform for real-time feedback, we can understand the perspectives of different participants while gaining insights into cultural and social differences.
    • Quick implementation of changes: Consequently, you can plan improvements on your product significantly after just one round of data collection.

    Related: Steal These 4 Proven Customer-Retention Strategies

    Challenges

    While real-time decision-making during focus groups has many benefits, it is not without its challenges. The main problem one would face is typical for any kind of focus group: this format is not for newbies. To gain valuable insights, it is essential to have a skilled moderator who can keep the discussion on track and ensure that all participants are heard.

    Moreover, there is a risk of people who talk too much – those who form opinions for other participants or do not let them express themselves. In this case, the moderator should encourage others to speak during their turn and know how to interrupt and even silence that person politely. Of course, all the participants must have a stable Internet connection. It can be hard to reassure, and technical difficulties can disrupt the process.

    Moreover, it would be a mistake to think that focus groups are less expensive than other qualitative interviews. To recruit the participants, you will likely have to pay each of them the same honors as for other interviews, so you will spend several times more for one hour and probably learn less from each participant. Apart from them, you will need to hire a research team if you don’t have one, which would cost you extra. However, if your goal is to get the most information from several people simultaneously, you’re unlikely to find a better solution.

    Conclusion

    Real-time decision-making during focus groups is a revolutionary research method that can provide quick, unfiltered feedback and a realistic representation of the decision-making process. By following our step-by-step guide, you can organize your own real-time focus group and take advantage of the many benefits this method offers. While there are challenges to consider, the rewards are well worth the effort.

    Roman Kumar Vyas

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  • Digital Transformation Is a Must. Here’s How the Voice of the Customer Should Help Drive It. | Entrepreneur

    Digital Transformation Is a Must. Here’s How the Voice of the Customer Should Help Drive It. | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    A retail shopper looking for a specific type of handbag. A city citizen who needs better transit options. A B2B executive who wants to help other companies complete analytics with new software.

    What do all of these people have in common? They’re all stakeholders — customers who want to build and use a fantastic product or service. Whatever you offer, you offer it for them, not for yourself.

    Regardless of your sector, the concept of the voice of the customer (VOC) is something that everybody is familiar with. Connecting VOC and digital transformation — which connects to virtually every operation you’ve got — is one of the most powerful ways to put customers in long-term control of your organization for better results.

    Related: Digital Transformation Strategy: The Pillars of Digital Fluidity

    VOC is the foundation for your digital transformation

    The golden mantra in business, government, non-profit or other sectors is that your organization has value when you meet the customer’s needs or wants. It’s all about solving some kind of problem they have and collectively sharing the same core values. As Simon Sinek put it, people don’t buy your product or service, they buy the why behind the product or service. Or looking at it from a slightly different angle, it’s the customer you market to and design for who ultimately will have to deal with the positive or negative consequences of the digital transformation you implement.

    With this in mind, if I had one stream of data I could look at to drive the direction of my business and digital transformation within it, hands down it would be the voice of the customer — because unless it’s an operational necessity your customers can’t see, there’s little point in transforming processes that stakeholders have zero interest in. You have to understand your customer’s pain points and barriers to entry. Can these barriers be lifted with a digital solution? How can you reach this solution collaboratively? You have to work with your customers if you want your digital transformation to be successful.

    Imagine you’re in a rally car, and your course is digital transformation. Your business is in the driver’s seat while your customer is your co-driver — your navigator — providing step-by-step directions of how to get to your destination. Without them, you may make the wrong turn, but with them, you’ll rocket over the finish line.

    Markets are unpredictable. Five, 10 or 20 years down the road, customers will want something different than they want now. So, listening to VOC is a continuous process, not a one-shot or one-study approach. Consistently listening to your customer teaches you to prioritize your most important stakeholders’ needs — which are constantly changing. What will work for a digital transformation now will likely not work in 10 years. Getting to know your VOC well sets your organization up to always be evolving and improving with your customer. It’s this ability to consistently turn feedback into insights and then into action that moves the needle for a business.

    Related: Digital Transformation: How to Make Your Way Through the Cloud

    Getting customer feedback

    If VOC needs to drive your digital transformation, the next logical question is how to get the customer’s feedback. You’ve got plenty of options, like surveys, focus groups, panels and emails. Which one you use depends on your goals and resources.

    Your best results happen with a combination of qualitative and quantitative data. Many common metrics, such as net promoter score (NPS), don’t do much to tell you how to take action where you’re not scoring well. Additionally, go omnichannel — the customer experience isn’t a single point.

    Suppose a customer came into your store. They walk up and down the aisles for 60 minutes and buy three items. You could look at pure numbers and say that visit was a success because the customer made a purchase. But what the numbers don’t say is that 55 minutes of those 60 minutes were spent in frustration, and the person had come to the store looking to buy 30 items, not three. The only way you’d know how to improve their experience would be to ask them for their perspective and then take that feedback and use it to better their experience next time.

    Remember to talk to the people who didn’t buy, too. The conversion rate in physical retail is only 20-40%. On a website, it’s down to 2.5-3%. So, if you don’t get feedback from the people who haven’t converted, you’re ignoring most of your potential market.

    No matter how you collect your feedback when you talk about VOC, you also have to talk about the employee’s voice. Your team members are on the front lines and in the best position to understand what your customers want and need.

    Related: How Leaders Should Use Consumer Insights to Guide Decision-Making and Improve Customer Experience

    Closing the loop

    VOC doesn’t just tie into one neat part of digital transformation. It’s the force behind so much of it that you need a process to help undertake digital transformation guided by your stakeholders. When you listen to customers and evolve with them over time, you build a foundation for the future and a loyal base. Your stakeholders will stay with you if they know you are using their feedback to meet their needs.

    As you sift through the data your stakeholders have provided, you may find that your customers would benefit from updating your website, creating a more user-friendly app or introducing new technology like self-checkouts or item look-ups in your brick-and-mortar store. Their feedback will ultimately guide your digital transformation.

    Whether you’re a small retailer looking to venture into ecommerce for the first time, a mature organization that needs to modernize outdated processes or even a government agency that wishes to provide more accessible services, tapping VOC protects you from operating in a silo and making unwanted, ineffective offers. Organizations that will survive have to be listening brands that are genuinely customer-centric. The sooner you commit to an ongoing, omnichannel feedback process, the sooner you’ll be ready to walk alongside your customers to produce long-term, competitive digital change.

    Jonathan Levitt

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  • Do You Know Why Your Customers Really Buy From You? | Entrepreneur

    Do You Know Why Your Customers Really Buy From You? | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The following is a simple question for business owners. Why do your customers buy from you?

    I told you the question was simple, but an accurate answer, on the other hand, can be far more complex and perhaps even elusive. To achieve long-term, sustainable success, your understanding of why your customers choose to do business with your company needs to be both correct and substantial.

    Many business owners develop a customer value proposition (CVP) alongside their company mission and vision statements. The brief declaration is supposed to document why a customer would opt to buy your product or service over the competition.

    While developing a CVP is commendable in its customer-centric approach, it often falls short of its intended purpose due to ambiguity, a lack of self-reflection and sometimes even outright insincerity. Dollars to doughnuts, there is not a single CVP out there that reads, “Our customers turn to us because we deliver lackluster service and a marginally good product.”

    Related: Who Is More Important — Your Customers or Your Employees?

    I would also assume that there are many businesses whose CVPs portray an exaggerated sense of the company’s true customer value. CVPs should never be created based on hype or manufactured mantras; instead built from sincere, astute insight.

    Bravado and disingenuousness are not the only ways business owners are misguided in their understanding of customer engagement and loyalty. The following are common misconceptions related to the question of why customers buy from you.

    “We are the cheapest”

    Sure, this value statement might be dressed up as “We deliver the best value,” “We are the low-price leaders,” or some other cost-based differentiator. But when I hear any form of “My customers buy from us because we are the cheapest,” I cringe. Competing on price alone is simply not a good model and is often unsustainable. There is always some other business owner who is willing to run out of cash faster than you are.

    Most customers – both B2B and B2C – understand the balance between cost and value. They walk that tightrope in every purchase they make. Contending that cheapest is the key attribute that keeps them coming back shortchanges both your business and your customers.

    “We have the best employees”

    Forgive me for being a bit skeptical about this assertion as well. Sure, your business may have good employees; but are they really the best? You may provide excellent service, but your competitors probably do as well. Is it truly your employees that keep your customers coming back? With the rare exception of that ultra-charismatic salesperson who charms the socks of buyers, the answer in all likeliness is a resounding no.

    That is not to say that hiring for personality and alignment with company values is unimportant. It most definitely is. But to put the onus of success and customer loyalty squarely on the shoulders of your employees is shortsighted.

    Related: 3 Reasons Why I Gladly Welcome Competition

    “We’ve got the best product on the market”

    While possessing a corner on the market is a great position to be in, it does not account for innovations in the marketplace and often fickle changes in consumer preferences. Evolving customer motivations and expectations, coupled with aging business models, have been the downfall of even some of the most successful industry titans.

    Consider Blockbuster, that for more than 20 years, was the largest and most successful video rental company in the U.S. Then industry innovators like Netflix and Redbox entered the arena with new and improved ways to provide the same service and completely changed the playing field. While the business’s products and services may have been “the best” in their heyday, innovators with more modern and sustainable business models came along and essentially put the video rental titan out of business.

    Suffice it to say even the best products and services on the market have competitors nipping at their heels.

    So why do your customers really keep coming back?

    What you are selling vs. what they are buying

    In considering why your customers continue to purchase from you, it is important to understand the difference between what you are selling and what they are buying. This is such a crucial distinction. As Harvard Business School professor and economist Theodore Levitt famously said, “People don’t want to buy a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole!”

    An accounting firm may see itself as selling tax preparation services, but its customers are seeking peace of mind. Apple offers not just its technology but a modern retail experience. A mechanic sells an engine tune-up, but the customer is purchasing a quieter and safer ride.

    As a customer-conscious business, it is essential to sell the hole, not the drill.

    Related: Do You Actually Understand Why Your Customers Are Buying?

    Understanding customer loyalty

    How do you identify the true reasons why customers buy from you? Get ready for a shocker. You ask them.

    While this may sound flippant, you might be amazed by how many business owners never ask the right questions or truly listen to what their customers have to say. HubSpot recently reported that 42% of businesses do not survey their customers or collect any sort of customer feedback. Those that do elicit feedback often do not ask the right questions. And even fewer business owners take any action based on the responses they receive.

    Performing a customer survey can be a real competitive advantage for you. You can communicate by phone, on your website, in an email campaign or in person. The platform matters less than posing smart questions that evoke insightful answers. How important do they consider price? How would they rate your customer service? Why do they prefer you over the competition? Create a system for recording the answers you receive, which might be as basic as a spreadsheet or as comprehensive as entering responses into your CRM or other sales and marketing tools. Feedback should not be a one-and-done; make it a habit to speak to your customers regularly.

    Then the next time somebody like me enquires about why your customers buy from you, your answer will accurately reflect the true value your business brings to the marketplace.

    Jason Zickerman

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  • How to Tell Your Bullying Client to Get Lost | Entrepreneur

    How to Tell Your Bullying Client to Get Lost | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    It’s late in the evening, and while watching a sports game, the news, a movie or spending time with the family, a client suddenly calls, demanding their full attention. They call repeatedly and send endless texts, emails and even voicemails. They want something done — now.

    Then they claim you are not paying full attention to them for their last-minute deadline. They question your teamwork and dedication as a ploy to get their way. They say: “Hey, are you not part of the team? When did you stop caring?”

    These are all ploys. Counterpoint: Why did they not call you during business hours if it was that important? This scenario and many like it are familiar to public relations firm owners.

    In fact, business owners of any kind will encounter the same narcissistic bullying tactics repeatedly. Bullies and narcissists aren’t just career obstacles; they permeate all walks of life. You’ll have met them as early as the schoolyard. And just like how acquiescing to a schoolyard bully’s every demand would do you no favors back then, it’s the wrong decision now. You have to stand up for yourself.

    Succumbing to clients’ unreasonable demands and tantrums is an easy mistake for business owners. After all, they have the money. And we’ve all heard the adage, “The customer is always right.” But taking a stand against narcissistic behavior will help your business in the long run. And the best part is you can tell them to back off — politely and professionally — to ensure that you keep their business while ditching the toxic power dynamics festered by meek surrender.

    Related: 3 Lessons a Toxic Client Taught Me About Entrepreneurship

    What to do when a client is too demanding at the last minute

    In a perfect world, there is a strong line of communication between yourself and the client from the get-go. Managing client expectations and establishing an agreed-upon project timeline is integral to an amicable relationship. But, no matter how clear you have been on what can and cannot be done, you will have an unreasonable client who is too demanding at the last minute. Bending to accommodate last-minute excessive demands will shift the relationship dynamics into an unsustainable place — they are presumably not your only client, and they will feel entitled to be treated as such if you are too accommodative. This will hurt your business in the long run.

    Instead, remain firm on your previously established boundaries. Don’t simply ignore the request; instead, listen to it and propose an alternative timeline. Gently remind them of the agreed-upon terms, and explain why their request will not work in the form in which it’s been proposed. Ensuring the client feels heard and establishing a workable timeline to fulfill their wants will go a long way in retaining their business.

    How to take back control when a client is bullying or manipulating you

    As tempting as it may be lose your cool with a bully client, confrontation and arguing will only exacerbate tensions and likely lead to losing their business altogether. But this doesn’t mean you can’t take control of the situation with a more measured response.

    To take control of the situation, you must remain laser-focused on the situation. A bully will likely cast aspersions and blame and pitch a fit involving all kinds of unpleasantries. Remain calm and cut through the noise. Focus on the business end of their concern and what they want. Ignore everything else.

    You will lose if you get into a mudslinging contest with a bully. They’ve got too much practice; they’ve been slinging mud since the schoolyard. You regain control by steering the conversation toward what they want and how you will achieve it.

    Related: Why Empathy Is One of the Most Overlooked Skills in Business

    Best approaches in collecting payments for invoices on time

    The best way to ensure payments are received in a timely manner is to communicate expectations at the start of the client-business relationship. Offer the client a personalized invoice schedule and follow up with polite reminders if they lag on payments.

    If the client fails to pay or escalates the situation, you may be forced to withhold services until a resolution is reached. A contract with terms and boundaries is a great place to start. Follow a uniform approach and stick to it. Also, include a termination clause in your contract, like a 30-day notice of termination.

    Related: 6 Strategies for Dealing With Unpaid Invoices That Get You Paid Sooner

    So, how do you really deal with unreasonable and even narcissistic clients?

    Narcissistic clients are a handful from day one. But other times, clients become unreasonable simply because they have lost track of the process and become overwhelmed. In either case, reminding them you are on their side is essential.

    Use inclusive words like “us” and “we” when addressing their concerns. Remind them you are all on the same team. Reply to their concerns promptly and develop a plan with action items to resolve their concerns. This doesn’t mean dropping everything and giving in. Stand your ground, stick to your principles and the terms of your agreement but remind them you are on their side and willing to take reasonable steps to address their concerns.

    The client is not always right, and there is a nice way to call them out on their behavior

    Whether the client is making unreasonable demands or being an outright bully, it’s important to let them know their behavior is unacceptable. While you may fear losing their business, their problematic behavior creates a toxic environment for you and your team. This ultimately hurts your reputation and business in the long run.

    Be specific about the inappropriate behaviors when it comes time to put your foot down. Many people defer to generalized and accusatory language in the heat of an argument. For example, an unconstructive reply may be, “you always make last-minute demands.” Instead, isolate and address exactly what happened in a specific instance and explain why this will not work.

    Related: Customers Are Not Always Right. They Are Just Never Wrong.

    Act like you don’t care: The best tips on dealing with bullies and narcissistic clients

    The temptation to argue with bullies will always be there, but it is unlikely to pay dividends. Act like you don’t care when a client like this throws a tantrum. Focus on actionable items to address their genuine business concerns. What’s good for them is good for you.

    Rather than argue, reflect your client’s words to them without vocalizing support for their point of view if it is unreasonable. Let them know they are heard. Don’t be afraid to put your foot down on toxic behavior. You can also spend time ignoring them all together for a few days, as playing silent with a narcissist or bully drives them crazy and drives your point home. It’s all about respect, right?

    Stand up for yourself no matter what and watch your business grow to new heights

    Be yourself, call people out, own conversations and projects and don’t wear your clients’ emotions. Sure, you may lose their business, but it’s better for your health and business operations in the long run. Stand your ground, and you will be richer on every level. Remember that when you call out bullies, you will gain a firm reputation, and most start-ups and businesses will admire this now and in the long run.

    Paul Fitzgerald

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  • Jamie & Kayla Giovinazzo of EAT CLEAN BRO on Creating a Meal Prep Business | Entrepreneur

    Jamie & Kayla Giovinazzo of EAT CLEAN BRO on Creating a Meal Prep Business | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Jamie and Kayla Giovinazzo have built a healthy food empire with Eat Clean Bro. But success took time, talent, and teamwork.

    At 19-years-old the CEO/Founder of Eat Clean Bro Jamie Giovinazzo wanted to combine his two passions of cooking and fitness to create a meal prep company.

    The year was 2012 when Jamie took a chance on himself. He was on his last $300 and had given up on his dreams of cooking. Until everything changed for the better.

    He began cooking again after a chance phone call from a long lost friend. That was enough to reignite his passion to restart his meal prep company journey during a time when that wasn’t really a thing. Eventually, Jamie became “the guy” that cooked and prepared meals for clients.

    “I had a Rolodex of business (contacts). So I just started going down by calling everybody’s name,” Jamie Giovinazzo recalls with Restaurant Influencers host Shawn Walchef of CaliBBQ Media. “I had four items on my menu and I started cooking at my buddy’s house.”

    That decision would forever change his life. It also led him to find his wife Kayla and learn she was indeed the one.

    Business had been doing so well at this point that Jamie had to call a rain check on a first date with Kayla in order to sort through receipts to submit for taxes. Instead of casting him aside, Kayla decided to help him organize. They have been locked in ever since.

    Kayla, who eventually dashed her dreams of being in Law Enforcement to be a part of the family business full time, still exhibits that helpful, considerate propensity to this day as the VP of Eat Clean Bro.

    One of the company’s overarching goals is “sculpting your company into a positive, uplifting, awesome place to work”, according to Kayla. She is the brains behind ensuring the success continues to happen.

    The two have built an empire and become a powerhouse couple that has amassed upwards of $20 million in sales per year for the company that now stretches across 15 states and operates out of a 17,000-square-foot facility with 150 employees.

    Marriage, money, and meals have all been put into their proper place as Eat Clean Bro continues to grow.

    “I’m only as good as my last meal” is a proclamation that Jamie Giovinazzo and Kayla Giovinzzo embody.

    With their dedication to hospitality and incredible celebrity backing, the Giovinazzo family’s ascension has been fast and shows no signs of slowing.

    ***

    ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS:

    Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

    Toast — Powering Successful Restaurants. Learn more about Toast.

    Restaurant Influencers is also supported by AtmosphereTV – TV to Enhance Your Business. Try AtmosphereTV.

    Shawn P. Walchef

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  • How Dogpatch Games Wrote the Rulebook for Tabletop Gaming Customer Service? | Entrepreneur

    How Dogpatch Games Wrote the Rulebook for Tabletop Gaming Customer Service? | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Behind the Review host and Yelp’s Small Business Expert, Emily Washcovick, shares a look at this week’s episode of the podcast.

    Growing up, Shannon spent countless hours playing board games with his family, a core memory he wanted to help others recreate, especially during the pandemic when people were feeling largely disconnected. From that, Dogpatch Games was born—a board game store in San Francisco that, soon after opening, became more than just a place to buy games.

    “One of our key tenets or touchstones that we try to focus on is inclusivity,” Shannon said. “It’s this idea that there is a seat for everybody, and there’s a game for everybody. This game may not be for you, but this game is, and you just haven’t found it yet.”

    Shannon’s approach to entrepreneurship was to start slow, giving the business a chance to grow in the neighborhood. He started with a soft opening, in which the business was only open a few hours of the day. Even with limited hours, curious customers still trickled in, giving Shannon the opportunity to wow them.

    One such customer was Yelp Elite reviewer Jenny X., who saw the store when she moved to the area. Before entering, she thought Dogpatch would be a one-time visit. To her surprise, it ended up being a memorable experience she couldn’t wait to tell her friends about.

    “I definitely entered being really skeptical. I [thought], we’re just gonna pop in and leave. This is not going to be somewhere we’re going to spend a lot of time,” Jenny said. “Just seeing how much passion the owner had for games, I let my guard down a little and [decided] to not be skeptical for a second here and let him try to convince us.”

    To make Dogpatch more than a store, Shannon goes the extra mile to make customers feel comfortable. Similar to Jenny’s experience, he frequently offers to teach customers how to play different board games and asks questions to figure out which games they’ll like best.

    By easing customers into the business, Shannon was later able to introduce a membership model for return customers, which provides a stable stream of revenue for the store. In deciding prices for different membership levels, Shannon prioritized accessibility for all customers.

    “We were trying to find a price that feels fair but recognizing that this is a premium game space,” Shannon said. “We want to have our community members feel like they’re getting enough value for their membership, where they’re getting the premium service, but they’re getting enough of a discount for it and getting invited to these extra things so that they don’t want to give up their membership.”

    As part of the membership model, Dogpatch hosts exclusive events and game nights for members. It also hosts events open to any community members, such as Dungeon & Dragons tournaments and Ladies’ Nights, to help customers meet each other and form new connections.

    Moving forward, Shannon hopes to integrate Dogpatch even more into the community by partnering with local businesses, such as his “Parents’ Night Out” initiative with local restaurant Gilberth’s Latin Fusion, where parents can drop their kids off at Dogpatch and receive a discount on their meal out.

    “The kids are here for two hours playing games. We got them—you go have your date night and then come back and pick them up,” Shannon said. “We’re trying to create a little neighborhood community with other establishments in our neighborhood because we’re all in this together.”

    Other small businesses can learn effective strategies from Dogpatch’s playbook, such as:

    • Considering a soft opening model. A soft opening can be a great way to garner excitement for your business and get the word out organically without a high resource investment.
    • Building a solid pricing model. Creating profiles of your ideal customers can help you decide on a pricing model that’s right for your business and accessible to customers.
    • Integrating your business in the community. Host community events open to all, and partner with other local businesses to help each other grow.
    • Giving customers an experience to talk about. Prioritize customer service and help customers feel comfortable with unfamiliar experiences to keep them (and their friends) coming back.

    Listen to the episode below to hear directly from Shannon and Jenny, and subscribe to Behind the Review for more from new business owners and reviewers every Thursday.

    Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and Soundcloud

    Emily Washcovick

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  • Pat Flynn Teaches You How to Build a Revenue Generating Audience | Entrepreneur

    Pat Flynn Teaches You How to Build a Revenue Generating Audience | Entrepreneur

    You know that building an audience is important. Whether it’s on LinkedIn, YouTube, your newsletter – you want to grow the base of people who know, like, and trust you, and will eventually buy from you.

    But, knowing that an audience is important is entirely different from having the skills to build an audience that lasts. So how do you do it? How do you build an audience of engaged, vocal followers who will not only buy your product but spread the word on your behalf as well?

    For this week’s podcast episode I sat down with Pat Flynn to discuss just that. Pat is the co-founder of SPI Media, a podcast, and owns several successful online businesses – when it comes to audience building, he’s the real deal.

    You can read the key takeaways from our discussion below and listen to the full episode here.

    Being an expert isn’t enough to find success

    Just scroll Instagram or Linkedin for a few minutes, and you will find people with way less skill and knowledge than you who have an audience hanging on their every word.

    Here’s a tough truth: You can be the most skilled expert in the world, but if you don’t know how to communicate that skill in a way that resonates with your audience, you’re going to be outdone every time.

    How do you build a presence that creates lifelong fans? Good question, we’ll cover that next.

    Be the audience before seeking an audience

    Pat advocates for becoming part of your target audience before you start to build a presence there. This gives two big advantages:

    1. You speak the language – by the time you’re ready to sell, you’re using the same vocabulary, know the inside jokes, and know who key players are. If you come in with no background knowledge, you aren’t offering expertise or a unique perspective. You’ll just be white noise to that audience.

    2. You can empathize with your audience. When you’ve been a part of a group, you know the problems they deal with, what motivates them, what slows them down. And that enables you to solve problems for an audience more effectively.

    Master one platform before expanding to others

    While you’re joining the audience, notice what platform they gather on. Then start with mastering just that platform.

    Pat said that if your effort is distributed across five platforms with five different sets of best practices, you’re going to fail. Instead, pick one platform and take courses on how to best utilize it.

    Invest in your community there. Learn about the individuals that follow you, care about their lives, decide how you’re going to show up on that one specific platform.

    Calculating Return on investment

    This part is tricky, because most business owners would like to know for certain that if they put in a certain number of hours, they’ll get a certain number of dollars out.

    Pat says ROI is the wrong way to look at it – when you discover who the people are, and what they need, you have an infinite number of ways you can solve their problems.

    He also points out that knowing your audience increases the impact of other areas in your business – copywriting, lead magnets, sales. All of those are infinitely more effective when you know your audience.

    Another note on ROI: If you measure it after your first project launch, it’ll feel lousy. The value of investing in your audience compounds over years.

    Next Steps

    Want to learn more from Pat? First, listen to the full interview Pat Flynn Teaches You How to Build a Revenue Generating Audience.

    Then, check out SPI Media’s All-Access Pass. In addition to gaining access to interactive DIY courses, you’ll also join a community of entrepreneurial peers of all levels who are committed to learning and improving their skill set.

    And, here are a few ways I can support you.

    Either way, I wish you the best of luck and feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram.

    To hear the full conversation and get access to additional resources tune in to this week’s episode of the Launch Your Business podcast.

    Terry Rice

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  • What You Must Know About the Next Generations of Consumers | Entrepreneur

    What You Must Know About the Next Generations of Consumers | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    How we experience things is constantly changing, and you need to adapt in order to build a future-proof business. If you want to look ahead, the best option is — and always will be — to look at the younger generation.

    Generation Z (aged 10-25) and our younger siblings Gen Alpha (not all born yet) already make up one-third of the U.S. population. Some of us already know how to earn our own money, while many of us still rely on our parents — but all of us know how to spend it. Getting to know us is a smart move.

    So, let’s start with Gen Z, which is my generation. Here are some need-to-knows:

    Related: Two Influential Gen Zers Explain How to Market to Young Consumers

    Gen Z: A brief guide

    Empowered with influence:

    We’re the first generation to be born fully post-internet. Ninety-five percent of us have smartphones as early as age 12, and we live out a big portion of our lives on social media. The platforms we like — Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok — are as much about creating as they are consuming.

    As digital natives, our first instinct is not to just be observers, but to get involved with the brands we like. We know that the world runs on the internet now, so with any mobile device, you can get in the game. That means you shouldn’t treat us as passive consumers. If you involve us and we rock with your product, we’ll become advocates for your brand.

    Cynical but understanding:

    Most of our parents are Gen X-ers. We are masters of BS detection in the digital realm because it’s our home turf. So, anything that comes across as fake or inauthentic will get tuned out.

    We’re not nearly as sensitive or impractical as you may think we are. We understand that all people and all brands make mistakes. We care about what you do as a business, and if you do make a mistake, we just expect you to own it. If you’re authentic and transparent, we’ll know it and respond. Our dollars are votes, and when we buy your product, we see it as a reflection of our values.

    Independent but community-oriented:

    Because our lives are digital, my generation is also the most socially isolated. All of us who had to stay home from school during the pandemic obviously had it tough. We’ve learned how to make it alone, but we also crave community and the experiences we missed out on.

    This is a double-edged sword for potential employers. On the one hand, the workplace is a community and can be a draw. On the other hand, my generation is mastering the art of the gig and the side hustle. It’s much easier to own your own business in the creator economy.

    That means work-life balance is non-negotiable, hybrid work should be the norm, and workplaces need to be somewhere we want to hang out. Perks like free meals are a plus, but also the chance to develop and grow longer-term (in a way that we couldn’t do by ourselves online) could well be a clincher. My Gen Z friends fit into two categories — those who jump from job to job and those who are looking for ultimate opportunities. Nobody’s just settling.

    Forward-thinking but nostalgic:

    If you noticed the #y2k hashtag popping up and wondered why, it’s because we Zoomers aren’t all about the future. Maybe this is because of an idealized view of the good old days, but the early 2000s are — for whatever reason — a time period that fascinates us.

    Businesses have been able to lean into this nostalgia by bringing back retro styles and products, such as camcorders and flip phones. I have to admit, I recently realized wired headphones are better than AirPods. Not everything newer is better. You may also have heard about how the demand for Ugg boots increased by 525% when a TikToker posted a video of a pair she had modified.

    That’s decentralized R&D, courtesy of Gen Z. Get with it, and keep your eyes out for how people are using your product.

    Not digital but phygital:

    Just as we are not all about the future, we’re also not just about online. Unlike millennials, who are less about “stuff” and more about experiences, we are into tangible objects. In a world where digital is often the same as free, non-digital has a more valuable, exclusive vibe. It’s also easier to stand out when you have something that can’t be copied at the click of a button.

    When it comes to making everyday purchases, we buy online, but we will go to physical stores for significant and luxury purchases. If you’re going to be making a significant investment, it makes sense to check it out in person. So, brick-and-mortar isn’t dead — at least on our watch. You can ask any luxury watch dealer, but most of them are sold out.

    Related: 3 Marketing Lessons I Learned From My Digitally Native Kids

    Gen Alpha: What do we know?

    People are curious to know what changes the next generation will make to the game, myself included. I think it’s a little early to judge, as most of Generation Alpha are just kids still, and their priorities will most likely change as they grow up.

    That said, there are a few things that we can go on:

    • Their parents are millennials: Unlike older generations, millennials probably won’t need to rely as much on their kids to guide them digitally and are already savvy enough to control what they can do or are exposed to. We may see millennial habits and preferences being passed down, and some of the above trends reverse. So, don’t throw out your old market research — it may be valuable again a few years from now.

    • They will build the future: I mean this literally. Gen Alpha, like my partner Danny’s son, Tyler, has already built many virtual worlds in Minecraft and has spent a whole lot of Robux. Gen Alpha is going to come of age when technology like AR, VR and blockchain take world-building out of the gaming realm and into the mainstream economy. Danny and I are working on helping businesses prepare for this future. And its future builders will be skewed toward Gen Alpha.

    • They like the outdoors: Just like with shopping, it’s not all going one way. Gen Alpha is, of course, clocking in serious screen time (around 4hrs 44m a day). But just like all kids before them, they like to play outside as well. So, while they’re experiencing things previous generations never thought of, some things never changed at all.

    Did all that leave you a little confused? I’ll break it down for you. Gen Z and Gen Alpha were forced to become more independent by circumstances beyond their control and are deeply immersed in their games and entertainment. We embrace change and expect updates from our products and services.

    Embrace the change, welcome the future, and be ready for what comes next. Generation Beta is just around the corner.

    Related: 4 Unconventional Ways to Better Market to Generation Z

    Zach Hirsch

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  • Putting You in Your Business | Entrepreneur

    Putting You in Your Business | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Behind the Review host and Yelp’s Small Business Expert, Emily Washcovick, shares a look at this week’s episode of the podcast.

    Small business owners pour their time, knowledge, and money into building a business and keeping it running, all while trying to increase their bottom line, hire great employees, and create an excellent customer experience.

    With multiple priorities to juggle, it can be easy to leave out a crucial element of the business plan: the business owner themselves. When your business reflects more of you as a person—and not just an owner—you can humanize your business, improve the customer experience, and build brand loyalty.

    An easy way to put your voice and personality into your business is through your responses to online reviews. When a business owner takes the time to respond with an authentic voice, current and potential customers take notice. In fact, 88% of consumers are likely to use a business if they can see the business owner responds to their reviews, whether positive or critical.

    Even when things go wrong, Alyssa Bayer, owner of Milk + Honey Spa in Austin, said that her review response matters more than a mistake made during the customer’s experience.

    “Things are going to go wrong. That’s a given,” she said. “What really matters is how the business responds when things go wrong. And that’s what I think separates truly exceptional customer service from the average. Customers who’ve had the biggest customer service breakdown, a really horrific experience, when you have the opportunity to fix that and exceed their expectations, those customers are the ones that become the most loyal and fanatical.”

    Josh Campbell, owner of Rescue Air Heating and Cooling, agreed with Alyssa, making sure to also thank reviewers for their critical feedback.

    “They want to voice this concern because it’s not okay. And I’ll listen to them, and I’ll be like, I’m taking action on this. I’m going to build a better company. Every time, I thank them for the 1-star review. This is how I grow,” he said.

    It might not be your first instinct to thank a customer for a critical review, but according to Josh, reviewers often feel much better about their experience with his business after he responds, sometimes updating their reviews to be more positive because he engaged with them (not because he asked them to).

    Another way to be front and center in your business is to remain in a service mindset, even when interactions with reviewers or customers get tough. Brian Batch, co-owner of Bird Bird Biscuit in Austin, likes to keep that attitude top of mind when working with customers.

    “When you’re having a really hard interaction with a guest or someone on the team, if you can ask yourself, ‘how can I blow this person’s mind,’ that puts you in a place where you have the best opportunity to go through that situation to bring the best fruit,” he said.

    “You’re thinking about serving that person. And when you’re in a service mindset, that’s the place where you’re not judging that person, and then you can navigate with clarity.”

    Taking a moment to see the situation from your client’s perspective can prevent a defensive response (which can do more harm than not responding at all).

    Because you won’t always be available, it’s crucial to hire employees who are passionate about your business and are willing to uphold the customer experience even in your absence.

    Brandon Gardner, owner of SoCo Taphouse in San Angelo, Texas, makes a point to hire employees who love craft beer. It’s non-negotiable in his hiring practice because a bartender who is well versed in the beers on tap can personalize each interaction for every customer.

    “We try to pick the people that love craft beer because if you come into the place and you wanna work there and you don’t love craft beer, you’re not gonna exactly have the greatest way of interacting with the bar regulars, talking about beer or giving them something good to drink,” he said.

    This Behind the Review episode is chock-full of entrepreneurial advice that could benefit your business, including:

    • Employee training is key to an excellent customer experience. You can’t always be there, so you’ll need to hire and train employees willing to believe in your mission and uphold your company’s processes and policies.
    • Don’t be afraid to put some of your personality, your life, and your outside passions into your business. People appreciate authenticity, and that translates into good reviews and social media success.
    • It’s just as important to respond to positive reviews as it is to critical ones. Make sure your responses are sincere. Creating various templated responses can help you get started.
    • Hire slow, fire fast. Your employees are often the face of your business, but hiring the wrong people can impact the entire team.

    Listen to the episode below to hear more from our business owners over the last two years, and subscribe to Behind the Review for more from new business owners and reviewers every Thursday.

    Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and Soundcloud

    Emily Washcovick

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  • Entrepreneur | Charlie Eblen of Single Tree BBQ on Becoming the

    Entrepreneur | Charlie Eblen of Single Tree BBQ on Becoming the

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Just Do It. For Charlie Eblen, founder of Single Tree BBQ and host of Single Nation Podcast, that famous slogan is both a motto and rallying cry.

    “We really believe that we can be the “Nike of Barbecue.” says Charlie Eblen to Restaurant Influencers host Shawn Walchef of CaliBBQ Media.

    The motivation behind that mission is not to be the top-selling BBQ restaurant and corner the market. Instead, the entrepreneur credits his push to a more noble cause; he wishes to use BBQ to impact the community.

    Eblen has turned to technology to increase his digital hospitality. Taking steps, like implementing an upgraded POS system, is done with the customer in mind.

    “We went with Toast to be able to start doing stuff like having a loyalty program,” says Eblen of the change. “Being able to tell our loyal fans of Single Tree Barbecue that we’re opening a brick and mortar, that we’re going to partner with Heroes Den (a local live music restaurant in Murfreesboro, TN) and we’re going to have live music and we’re going to have a great bar. We’re going to have an amazing barbecue.”

    In addition to technology upgrades, Eblen has dove head first into the new media world of podcasting with the Single Tree Nation podcast. After a push from Digital Media Guru Shawn Walchef, he wasted no time putting ideas to action and broadening the scope of Single Tree’s impact.

    “The purpose of my show is really that it doesn’t have anything to do with Single Tree BBQ. It has everything to do with our community and helping build our community through barbecue, digital hospitality, and online storytelling.” explains Charlie Eblen of the weekly podcast.

    The most apt description of Eblen’s growth as a restaurant influencer is summed up in his own words: “It’s been amazing.”

    ***

    ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS:

    Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

    Toast — Powering Successful Restaurants. Learn more about Toast.

    Restaurant Influencers is also supported by AtmosphereTV – TV to Enhance Your Business. Try AtmosphereTV.

    Shawn P. Walchef

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  • Entrepreneur | Startups: Use the Power of Transparency to Earn Customer Trust

    Entrepreneur | Startups: Use the Power of Transparency to Earn Customer Trust

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The hype that often accompanies new startups can be both a blessing and a curse for entrepreneurs. On the one hand, it increases the likelihood that investors will be ready and waiting to hear about your new startup. On the other, it means there’s a lot of pressure to go big and deliver fast to stand out from the competition. This has led to an environment where “fake it ’til you make it” has become something of an unofficial motto in Silicon Valley.

    For those just starting out, this approach can feel like the only way to get ahead. Startups are rarely funded in excess, and the people providing that funding are pretty much always short on time. That means you’re dealing with tight competition and a small window of time in which to present your best self to investors. It can be extremely tempting to mix imaginary future successes with the reality of the present moment to make your startup seem like the best investment out there.

    However, this creates an environment where investors approach everything you have to say with skepticism, regardless of whether you’re telling the truth. It also fosters an unhealthy environment where successes are exaggerated and failures are swept under the rug. On the extreme end, this leads to high-profile disasters such as Theranos; even in moderation, it can cause lasting harm to your startup’s business prospects and your own reputation.

    Related: How Transparency In Business Leads to Customer Growth and Loyalty

    Honesty is your best selling point

    Instead, you should try to be forthright and transparent right from the start. This engenders trust among investors and also puts you in a better place with potential customers. According to a report from NielsenIQ, 72% of consumers consider transparency to be either “important” or “extremely important” when it comes to choosing whom to buy from.

    With my own company, I’ve found that people are more willing to recommend us as a startup worth investing in. This isn’t because we offer guarantees that we won’t end up being one of the 90% of startups that fail. Rather, it’s because people know where we stand — both in the areas where the company is succeeding and those in which it’s struggling. Creating a positive brand image isn’t about removing risk from the equation. It’s about making both the risk and reward crystal clear to investors.

    The startup world might seem intimidatingly large, but when you narrow it down into specific niches, such as fintech or food tech, it becomes much smaller. You might start out as an unknown entity, but once you build a community around you, your reputation in your industry will likely precede you. You should make sure that reputation is one you’ll be happy to have associated with you for the rest of your career.

    For entrepreneurs who want to build that all-important customer trust, here are a few places to start.

    1. Balance optimism and realism

    I have to admit that I am more of a skeptic than an optimist, which makes one wonder: Why run a startup? I like to think of myself as more of a critical thinker. I would prefer to find the flaws in the path than have the market show it to me later. Transparency in business isn’t about admitting you don’t know the answer to something. Instead, it’s about admitting you don’t know the answer yet. You need to tell people where you are but also what your plan is for getting to where you need to be.

    If you’re still trying to figure out what or where your startup is, don’t shy away from that, either. You can be forthright without sounding lost at sea. Talk to potential investors and customers about your great idea, as well as the ways in which you’re moving toward understanding how to put that great idea into a commercial package.

    Related: 8 Practical Tips for Successfully Launching Your Startup

    2. Build your foundation on defendable information

    Data is important in any organization, but having data in a startup shows that you have done your homework to the furthest extent possible — whether that be market size backed by multiple industry contacts or lab data that has been repeated more than once. We have all seen the good news story that is based on only a single data point, but a company needs to build its foundation on defendable information.

    Remember that the goal shouldn’t be to raise money just because you can — it should be to raise money because you should. The best way to prove that is by backing up your efforts through data that shows what your startup is doing is impactful.

    Be honest about what kind of revenue to expect and what obstacles you’ll encounter. If all you have is a rosy, unrealistic forecast you relied upon in order to secure initial funding, it will only be a matter of time before you find yourself at the end of your runway with no real idea of how to take flight.

    3. Ask yourself the tough questions

    To succeed as a startup, you need to do some serious self-reflection. Understand that it is just as important to have a board made up of individuals that will ask the organization the tough questions as well. Ask yourself: Is your startup something that can actually make it with today’s technology and consumer demand? If it is, do you have enough money to make it happen?

    The answer to these questions might be no, but it’s better to know that before you’ve sunk your time, money and reputation into an idea that just won’t work. This can not only sink your startup but can also end up sinking your career as an entrepreneur. One such example is the drone startup Airware. The startup could have potentially made it if it had saved its funds and waited for its clients and tech to get up to speed. This is an excellent case to use as a comparison for future startups to ask themselves hard questions about budgets, market readiness and more — while not counting their victories with prestigious investors before reaching the finish line.

    Related: 5 Must-Haves for Entrepreneurs and Their Startups to be Successful

    While “fake it ’til you make it” might look good on a coffee mug, as a strategy in the real world, it leaves a lot to be desired. You might be able to convince venture capitalists to take a risk on you at the start, but if you’ve built your business on the back of empty promises, there’s nowhere to go but down.

    Larry Clarke

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  • Entrepreneur | Redefining Customer Engagement in a World Where Data Privacy Reigns

    Entrepreneur | Redefining Customer Engagement in a World Where Data Privacy Reigns

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    With customer data having gone back underground, the magical genie is back in the bottle. That means now is the time to prove that as advertisers and marketers, you can juggle both engagement and privacy.

    Just about a year ago, consumer data was everywhere and readily accessible. But following data restrictions by Apple, countless consumers have clawed back their privacy. Indeed, not only do consumers doubt the security of their personal data, they feel as though their daily lives are subject to being tracked by companies, according to a recent study by Pew Research.

    After the data floodgates began to close, a major problem was revealed: Many marketers and many companies had gotten quite lazy. We had the gift of easy data, which helped identify consumer behavior with a pretty high degree of confidence. As it turns out, that adjustment may have been just a modest first step: Google plans to discontinue third-party cookies in Chrome sometime in 2024.

    Related: Importance of Customer Engagement in This Day and Age

    The future of digital advertising

    While the Apple changes were one of the first dominos to fall, the proposed Google changes also have the entire digital advertising industry nervous, since Chrome has the majority of global browser market share. Google’s move could represent a drastic departure from the current methods of targeted advertising. Indeed, I foresee a cookieless future for digital advertising that looks a lot less appetizing.

    That means the battle for authentic customer interaction has to adapt and come of age. Advertisers and marketers often find themselves at a loss for what to do to get authentic consumer engagement. This move away from high confidence, data-driven sales scenarios means that inroads for engagement need to happen as early and often as possible by working to make digital feel more personal.

    We all know that clicks do not necessarily convert to sales or loyalty, but the era of gaining insight into what makes a consumer tick based on behavioral data like keyword searches and previous page views is behind us. A consumer’s initial search for a microwave oven, a car or a soccer ball might have meant reminders showing up in a social media feed later on as a nudge of sorts. These days, the same search brings up dozens of examples that don’t necessarily inform or educate or sell.

    As a result, we are in a very confusing time for digital advertising, where the old, programmatic best practices — to optimize cost, scale and personalized accuracy — are becoming extinct, but new ways of trying to optimize digital advertising with personalization aren’t clear. Amid that uncertainty, the best approach to redefining customer engagement is a back-to-basics approach that, at its best, can be a differentiator for brands by helping to build customer trust and loyalty.

    Related: Now Is the Time to Get a Grip Around New Data-Privacy Realities

    Redefining customer engagement

    For certain purchases, potential customers will always want some sort of engagement that feels more personalized. This means any company hoping to make a sale without that built-in ability to get organic insight about a customer’s needs and preferences is now faced with creating a three-dimensional relationship in a one-dimensional environment. With less data to go around, purchase decisions rely more heavily on creating a sense of value exchange by going back to some of the basics, starting with creating a more human connection.

    One age-old solution to this modern problem is a return to insight sales. Many brands moved away from human-enabled sales to 100% digital because, at the time, the move was more cost-effective. But now is the time to rethink this move. In a world where there’s less “easy data,” companies risk spending a lot of money on engagements or clicks that don’t become engagements that convert.

    A personal, human element can potentially transform those clicks into an engagement or a sales conversion, creating a sense of value exchange that drives not only engagement but a confident purchase decision and even better consumer loyalty.

    Brand owners will need to work harder to truly know their customers. That is where a meaningful, strategic customer engagement strategy will be decisive. Consumers have lost their appetite for cookies, but they are hungrier than ever for meaningful connections.

    Nick Cerise

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  • How to Increase Storefront Revenues in an Online Sales World

    How to Increase Storefront Revenues in an Online Sales World

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    With over 5 billion Internet users and $870.78 billion in online sales in 2021, storefront operations have struggled. They have had to raise the bar and the customer experience to survive. They can no longer get by with the same old, same old. There is some good news here, though. Even though the digital market is going to get bigger, baby boomers, Generation X and millennials are quite happy to participate in a shopping experience. You may even occasionally bump into a Generation Zer.

    According to Morning Consult, more than 2 in 5 adults prefer shopping in-store versus online. There’s something to be said about feeling the experience whether we’re shopping with a friend or want to try something on. So, it’s time for retailers to step it up and compete with the online sales world.

    As a corporate trainer, I’ve consulted with entrepreneurs through Fortune 100 companies, and I’ve found four commonalities in storefronts that increase traffic and revenues while dramatically improving the customers’ shopping experience. Here’s what you can do:

    Related: The 6 Essential In-Store Experiences That Your Customers Want to See

    1. Use employee meetings as a proactive tool to understand customers

    Customer reviews can be abstract in their content, sometimes contrived to get a 5-star rating. If you can’t cite specifically what your employees are doing to get five stars, there’s no meaning in that review. There’s no way it can help you solidify or refine practices. It becomes about numbers.

    To avoid this trap, add a few questions to your weekly agenda. First, “what can we do to attract more customers to our business?” It’s your employees’ collective creativity that will foster innovation. Adobe lives this mantra. Your employees are your front line. They hear what customers like, don’t like, what they want and what they need. These employees’ perceptions can lead you to do things differently. Then whether it’s showcasing a specific product, holding an event or advertising a new product launch, make it big. Create an experience customers want to attend with food, entertainment and free gifts — the bigger, the better.

    Second, ask employees to identify customers who left happy and what specifically made them happy. All of these happy feelings tell you what you’re doing right. Similarly, ask your employees to share a customer experience where the customer left unhappy. Ask your employees to specifically identify what happened that left the customer feeling this way. This will enable you to assess processes that need to be changed, inventory requirements or training that needs to occur.

    2. All hands on deck with all customers

    Instead of allowing employees to point customers to an aisle to find a product, have employees walk to the product area with the customer. During the walk, employees should ask customers two key questions: “How often do you shop with us?” and “What are your two predominant purchases?”

    Inventory lists may tell you what the customer is buying, but your employees can tell you why the customer is buying. When we know why a customer is buying, we can stay ahead of the trend. If customers buy a specific hair conditioner because it has proven effects to withstand humidity, new product offerings may reflect these reasons. These questions may even enable you to change up your store layout so finding these products is easier for the customer.

    Related: 3 Key Takeaways About the Future of Retail: Selling Online, In-Store and Both

    3. Share the revenue

    Pay your employees well. If your employees contribute to a bigger customer wave and your storefront is thriving, your team should thrive. Offer bonuses, incentives, an employee of the month and other awards. Buy lunch for the team. Let them know you see their efforts and appreciate them.

    4. Innovative training

    Training is your secret weapon. There’s no more room for greeters, floor associates, cashiers or stocker jobs. Your employees are now salespeople and should be trained to do so. Most likely, they don’t consider themselves salespeople. This is where training becomes critical because the heart of selling is delivering high-level customer service. Selling is about caring, and you’re asking your people to do that. You’re asking them to care — to treat the customer as a friend. To relate, ask them questions and then provide solutions.

    Recently, I called an airline to rebook a ticket. While the representative looked up the details, we conversed about the holidays. She shared a part of her life with me. It was a very positive experience, but unusual. Typically, customer service representatives are focused on the customer solely. But this time, she was connecting with me as a person. One of the most revolutionary topics noted in my book, Sell Like A Cockatoo, is that a relationship isn’t just about you getting to know the customer. The customer must also get to know you. There must be reciprocity in every relationship. That’s what a relationship is.

    Related: 4 Ways Brick-and-Mortar Stores Can Outsell Online Retailers

    Training will also teach your employees how to upsell. It’s the difference between a customer being directed to an aisle to get a screw for a ceiling fan and the employee helping the customer find the screw while updating them on the latest ceiling fan models that have arrived. Customers can’t buy if they don’t know — and the more your employees care and share, the happier your customers will be and the happier you’ll be with your bottom line.

    To keep your storefront going strong, maximize employee involvement. Today’s digital world offers so many choices that when a customer enters our storefront, it should feel like home.

    Gail Kasper

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  • 3 Marketing Fails That Demonstrate The Importance of Fundamentals

    3 Marketing Fails That Demonstrate The Importance of Fundamentals

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The temptation to find a simple solution to the ever-more-complex initiative of marketing growth is strong. Explore an effective website for just about any technology software you can apply to marketing, and soon enough, you’ll be convinced that this is the solution for your growth challenges.

    Consider the explosion of interest in AI (artificial intelligence) with the recent release of Chat GPT. (Click this Google Trends search, and you’ll see the buzz quantified.)

    ChatGPT is an impressive example of the power of AI (try a few queries and see what it generates). But AI’s influence can be misapplied or under-applied, and the precision of its algorithms can be debated ad nauseam. The same is true for most marketing technology (Martech) solutions I’ve encountered.

    Now, this article is not taking aim at the Martech industry in general or ChatGPT specifically. Martech has helped the industry take massive strides forward, even with the headwinds of the macroeconomy and privacy regulations curtailing data access. But technology, for all of its power, has huge adoption challenges. It is simply not a magic bullet for growth.

    While I’m at it, neither is any single initiative, no matter how often you hear buzzphrases like “customer-centric marketing” and “content is king.”

    Yes, it’s incumbent on good marketers to look for solutions to their challenges, whether they’re measurement, creative or audience-based. And yes, the industry changes so rapidly that it’s a big part of a marketer’s job to stay up to date with trends and releases that can improve performance, efficiency, or both.

    That said, none of this is a substitute for marketing fundamentals.

    Whether your fundamentals version traces back to David Ogilvy or the 5 Ps (people, product, price, placement, and promotion, an evolution of McCarthy’s 4 Ps), they must serve as your bedrock.

    Let’s look at three examples of fundamental marketing fails:

    1. Uber’s Jump Bikes and Scooters

    Another fundamental that’s been drilled into me in my marketing career is that things have to start with a market need for a product. How many products are created to fit a fad or a founder’s vision without an at-scale, long-term need to match?

    The echo chamber of Silicon Valley provided a great example of this in Uber’s “Jump” line of bikes and scooters — a market created out of the shaky idea that people “needed” these vehicles all over the streets of San Francisco to get where they needed to go. In a famously compact, walkable city, and without a mobility component that would have accommodated differently-abled people from whom walking wasn’t an option, the scooter project fell on its face and choked scrap yards in the process.

    Related: 5 Crypto Marketing Fails and How to Avoid Them

    2. Made.com

    This one’s a failure of placement — where the customer finds a product.

    With notable exceptions (Wayfair, Overstock), the furniture industry presents many challenges. Beyond the expensive logistics of shipping large items, buying furniture online requires the user to take a big leap of faith and trust that customer reviews (many of which are proving fake) will provide reasonable assurance that, yes, the product will look and feel good in your home even if you’ve never seen it or touched it in person.

    Beyond that, furniture etailers importing overseas goods often incur huge warehousing costs. Made.com was building a healthy business by turning that model on its head and purchasing goods only after taking orders for them, thereby reducing warehousing risks, until they overreacted to the online purchasing shift wrought by COVID.

    Just as the first vaccines were hitting the public in the spring of 2021, Made.com doubled down on its warehouse space, jacking up operating costs without considering that furniture customers who could return to shopping in person would be more likely to do so than customers in other, less sensory-dependent verticals. This failure to predict customer behavior was also a failure of people, and largely because of it, Made.com collapsed last November.

    Related: Ask These 5 Questions Before You Blame Your Company’s Failures on the Marketing

    3. A shoe company

    Since this company was a former client of my agency, I’m not going to name-shame them. But we had some tussles over promotions, another of the 5 Ps.

    This company had a CPA (cost per acquisition) target of $60 for new customers, but they were only willing to pay $20 per customer referral of new customers. Instead of optimizing referrals and lowering overall CPA, they pumped money into paid marketing campaigns with their $60 CPA target. My agency runs paid campaigns on all channels, but I could see the failure in this logic.

    Related: More Is Not Better: How to Effectively Target Retail Promotions

    While this is only an example, it’s part of a more significant marketing issue. In my experience, people tend to think about promotions as sales or discounts, but they can and should expand their options to include BOGOs, giveaways and rebates. Back in a college marketing class, I learned that rebates are a phantom cost — 80% of them go unclaimed, and as soon as they expire, all those “costs” go back to your bottom line.

    Whether it’s customer referrals, BOGOs, or giveaways of slow-moving clearance products, use promotions to lower your overall acquisition costs — but only if you have a solid plan to maximize customer lifetime value after the first purchase. Otherwise, you risk acquiring customers at a loss with no hope of profit.

    There’s a common thread here: neither Martech, content, mobile, nor any other shiny object would have prevented these. And there’s a lesson as well: marketing and growth leaders charged with keeping their eyes on the big picture must ensure their fundamentals are in order before leaping to take advantage of the next big thing.

    Bryan Karas

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