You know you’ve got some great clients + potential clients. And spoiling them with a party has likely crossed your mind. But what a daunting (and possibly costly) task.
Most people expect good food, drinks and company from a party. If there’s a theme and some entertainment – that’s bonus.
Photography by Ron Sombilon Gallery
So how do you create a remarkable event without extravagant pricing? Here are some tried and true suggestions:
1. Partner up. Think of businesses that could use some exposure and work together to create something memorable. Some examples may include:
Utilizing another business’s facility or speciality has many benefits. Most notably include promotion of the event through their network and the offsetting of costs as you “share” your customer base.
2. Choose your food and beverage quantities wisely. Of course, you won’t want to run out of either, but if you are footing the bill (meaning you haven’t coveted an alcohol or food sponsor/partner) you’ll want to be careful about how you make your purchases.
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Mix catered dishes with purchased snacks (ex. crackers, breads, chocolates)
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Work with a caterer who understands your budget and needs and can help create something spectacular.
3. Pick a theme tied to a cause. Support a charity and show your community spirit. You’ll have an easier time getting donations for your event. You may even have luck forming a theme via the charity. Supporting Dress for Success’s theme could be a dress up event where WaterCan’s could be “everything in blue.”
4. Choosing to work with an expert may seem expensive at first, until you breakdown how much money you’ll likely save as a result of the connections, discounts and money saving techniques an event planner has.
5. Music is part of the fun. Do you know of any local bands that your clientele would also like? If you can’t afford to hire a DJ, consider renting speakers and creating a great playlist. (If you don’t have a musical ear – ask a musical friend. You might be surprised that they are happy to put together a playlist that they can add to their IPod later.)
6. Make sure your event is remembered long after the party hats are put away. Send your guests home with a gift. Goodie bags that have a good surprise in them are always crowd pleasers. (Try not to crowd the bag with too much promotional material). I have used Ultimate Gift Cards for some of my most recent events and they have been quite powerful. Both cost effective and impactful.
You will also want to look into any permits you’ll need such as a special event liquor license.
And, for every event you do, make sure you use what you’ve learned and accumulated on your next event. Write to do and check lists before your event and revise afterward. Add it to the file of things you need to throw your own successful party.
photo credit: Keyser_ Soze
Spend the time.
It’s the one thing we all complain we don’t have enough of. Time spent with a client can really strengthen your relationship.
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Make time for lunch or coffee; participate in an activity together – it doesn’t have to be golfing either: skiing, snowshoeing, a movie, a dance class, a cultural event.
Random Act of Kindness 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
photo credit: //amy//
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and researching on how to improve client relationships. And what I’ve noticed is a decline in big business-kindness (what happened to greeting someone within 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds – greeting someone at all) and a significant shift in small business kindness (like baking biscotti and hand delivering it to over 50 clients for Christmas – a la Accentuate Home Design Group)
Yesterday, while spending some social time with one of my client’s, at the movies, she asked, “What kind of gestures can I make to acknowledge and appreciate my clients, without breaking the bank?”
Here was my response (I knew it would be easier in writing so I emailed her this list):
- Take cues from your personal life. Picking up the phone or sending a snail mail card can do a world of good in developing your client relationships.
- Show your friendly side
-walk with your client to their car because they forget their umbrella
-offer to find out information or pass a referral on – and then don’t forget to do it
- Share a heartfelt testimonial about your client using your Facebook and/or Twitter status.
- Remind them about important tasks or dates:
-wedding anniversary
-dentist appointment
-insurance renewals
- Give a small token of appreciation:
-free gift with purchase
-work with your suppliers to give a special discount or gift card for their services
- Surprise your favourite clients with something unexpected and from the heart:
-movie tickets for a specific movie that they wanted to see
-a DVD or book specifically chosen for them
-pay for their babysitting so they can enjoy an evening out with their spouse hand deliver their favourite food and enclose a hand written note
The moral of the story is we can create an EXPERIENCE for our clients. It can be as simple as genuinely listening to their needs and feedback and genuinely acknowledging them as great customers.
photo credit: brykmantra
Do you feel like you could be busier in your business? But you don’t want to invest in pricy marketing strategies like you may have done in previous years?
Staying in touch can sometimes be the most difficult and yet most rewarding marketing strategy there is. (I’m often shocked by how many people read my newsletter that I haven’t spoken to for over a year! Subscribe by emailing me here).
Get back in touch with networking alliances, old clients and potential clients with these cost effective (aka virtually free) strategies.
- Okay, I confess! I still have 2 boxes of business cards that I said I would organize of people I have met at networking or social functions. And I haven’t. But now I have motivation. Inside of these boxes are opportunities to reconnect with people that I forgot to send post-meeting emails to or didn’t add to my email database. Go through your business card collection and make contact. (Note to self: must remember to write an article this week on some phone, email and card scripts that have worked for me.)
- Utilize Facebook. If you’re like me, you probably feel like shutting down your account from time to time because you know you don’t keep up with all of the people you’ve added as a friend. Change that feeling by checking out their websites and blogs and try emailing them a personal note.
- Create a “from the heart” campaign that acknowledges your current and potential clients. Not because you can sell to them here, but because you truly honour their [insert great characteristic trait]. They’ll likely remember this friendly gesture longer than they’ll remember what promotion you were advertising this month.
- Be proactive on Twitter and any other forums you hang out on (or join one). It’s one thing to go on and promote yourself, it’s another to really engage with others there. Listen and find out about their businesses with a genuine interest. Ask if they need anything in terms of assistance – some raw ideas for a blog post, post helpful comments that evoke more responses. These things tend to help everyone involved.
- Get local and volunteer. You’ll meet new people and help out with a great cause (its cliché, but it is relevant and true).
With all of these ideas, if there’s potential business opportunities you will be in a great position to be asked for help as you will have built up a rapport and trust without directly needing to sell.
photo credit: Idhren
It’s finally hitting us all. There are fewer jobs and less dollars circulating through the economy. But it’s not all doom and gloom. People are still spending. Businesses are still in business but have started looking for most saving-friendly ways of getting their message out there.
Why not try getting back to basics and nurturing existing client relationships?
Think of your customers the way you think of your significant other. It’s the little things that count. Work on personalizing your relationships by addressing people by name. If you don’t know their name – ask for it. Or implement a customer profile software system. Collect their information.
Start a GOOD loyalty program that gives value. If you’re a small business you can outshine the big corporations by giving more. Instead of points – give real dollars back. Make your program easy –without a lot of strings attached. (This is a whole other topic that we’ll blog about soon.)
Start a referral program. Either entice your loyal customers with a reward or simply acknowledge their referral/testimonial - a personal phone call or thank you card will likely go a long way.
Be spontaneous! A chocolate cafe that I hold client meetings at (called Mink) will sometimes bring over a scrumptious bite of chocolate to accompany our mochas. It’s unexpected, it’s memorable and I continue to choose their coffee shop over any of the big guys. (And look, here I am plugging them!) Look for ways to elicit this response in your own business.
Be kind. Volunteer and participate in your community. It will be both personally and professionally rewarding. You’ll meet new people, strengthen existing relationships all while helping out. And hey, you can advertise what you’re doing to lend a hand.
Go above and beyond (cliché, but true!). Show your customers that you truly care about them and your business by over-delivering and wowing them!
And the cost for doing all of these programs? Likely less than the cost of losing just one of your loyal customers.
Some days I feel like I’m drowning in an endless sea of to-do lists and whiteboard-idea-doodles. But I rarely complain about it. I’m happy to be working with and for my hand selected clients.
Mbody Fitness + Wellness Spa on Robson Street, here in Vancouver, has been a Polished Promotions client for a year. As Mbody’s marketing girl, I update their website, brainstorm promotions, analyze their analytics, create some print materials and even help with their events. In a way, I’m part of their team.
So it’s great when I receive emails like this one. (This email correspondence was a short as it appears. I had just finished updating Mbody’s homepage. I sent a blank email with the subject line “Published” and within a few minutes, had this response, “Could you be any more awesome? Seriously…could you?”)
This instance reminded me that wowing customers can happen accidently. I say accidentally because a lot of the time, it’s not what YOU think you’re doing that ignites positive feedback, referrals etc – it is what THEY feel when a project is completed (and another weight is lifted off of their shoulders).
Why not put some effort into learning what your clients really love about the service or product you provide (and finding ways to improve on them)?
Try:
Photo Credit: Dominik Gwarek
Hiring a third party to administer a customer survey over the phone or through email. Think like the big guys – but on a business-savvy budget – and get a professional business do to do one for you. Your clients will likely be truthful to a non-biased party. (Feel free to ask me for information on client surveys)
Mystery shopping yourself. Develop feedback forms and use an external source to rate your performance. (We do these for some of our selected clients, and are always surprised to learn which areas our client’s need to work on based on some honest feedback.)
By the way, my response to this lovely little email – was literally “awwww, shucks!”
