Written by Naz Rose
Two years ago, I dragged my family out of New Jersey and brought them to Kendall – the place that saw me graduate high school, college and secure my first job. I had lived in New Jersey for a wonderful – but mostly freezing – decade. Coming back home to Kendall was incredible because it had experienced such growth while I was gone that I found myself exploring what seemed like a new town. All of these new restaurants, bars, plazas, and hangouts were a new oasis I had to discover. Through exploring, I found some of the old gems were still some of the best gems (Flannie’s anyone?) On the other end, I’ve seen some businesses that showed massive potential but failed. As a 15-year marketing professional, I know all too well what it was about those long-standing and thriving businesses that separated them from those businesses that met their unfortunate fate. Coincidentally, it’s also the number one thing I try to teach business owners now as a personal marketing coach:
People don’t buy your products or services, they buy how you make them feel.
We will wait, deal with parking, fight traffic and so on to give our money to the people and establishments that we love and that show us love in return. So what’s a flourishing Kendall business owner to do? You can start by keeping these five tips in mind.
1. Professionalism reigns supreme. The client is giving you a chance and their hard-earned money. Acknowledge them when they walk into your establishment, give them the feeling that they matter, and tell them you’ll be right with them.
2. Be respectful of time. You could be selling golden nuggets, but if you make your clients wait too long too often they’ll begin to think twice about coming to you. They’ll look for an alternative that may not be as good as you, but at least respectful of their time.
3. Set the mood. Clients should unconsciously get certain feelings when they think about your business or service. They should identify it with consistent quality, good prices, or a certain ambiance. Everything and everyone who is a part of your business must know what that mood is and follow it.
4. Hire wisely. You may love your business and be doing a great job, but you’re always one bad hire from causing serious harm to your reputation. Be present and let your employees know you are present as well. Be clear with your employees about how you want your clients to feel throughout their journey with your business or service and provide feedback and meetings that touch base often. Kindly show any bad hires the door.
5. Keep an eye on reviews. We are in the digital age (surprise!) If you or your business’ online reputation is 1-3 stars, it’s time for some recon. Go to your reviews and see what the main complaints are and resolve them. Respond to negative reviews and beg customers who have given you negative reviews a chance to make it up. Give them a free visit, a discount, etc.
These are only a few tips that can ensure your business makes it not only in Kendall but anywhere. Good luck!
If you’re a local business owner, please comment below with some of your own strategies for keeping your business alive.
Naz Rose is the owner of Believe It Shop and Believe It Life Coaching. Through a variety of marketing strategies, she teaches individuals and businesses how to create strong brands that impact their bottom line and their personal lives.
Follow her on Instagram @believeit_shop or click here (https://believeitlifecoaching.com/pages/believeitlifecoaching) to visit her website.
