 Chad Harris |
This month’s session will be a review—and a test, all at once. Are you ready? It’s just two questions:
The short answer to the second question is “yes.” The more complicated answer, which we’ll explore now, will also help us find the answer to the ever-important Question One. Whether you sell petunias or whip up amazing landscapes, technology is the best tool in your shed. That’s why we have talked so much about using your imagination with marketing, about going “virtual” with social media, about building an online “virtual potting shed.” The future of our industry will be technology-based. You need to master technology so you can use it to your advantage. We also have examined how branding your business is so important to success and how the branding process can be as simple as “Getting your Mojo Back.” If you remember and recapture the passion you had when you started, you’ll do what it takes to make your store special. Now, let’s link the two principles and find a way to enthusiastically manage the virtual world so that the real world (the one that’s measured by how much money is in the bank) will be characterized by lots of black ink. Master these four realms, and you’re there. Branding Basically, this is the continuous effort you make to get customers to say the three magic words, “That’s MY store.” Branding is everything you do to get noticed as “different and better”: business cards, apparel, vehicle decoration … just about anything that has your name on it—at the store or online. Every day, you need to examine your brand to make sure it’s relevant in an ever-changing market and that it’s effective in attracting attention to your store. Company logo refreshes are great ways to keep things current and fresh looking. Pertinent, compelling use of technology that meets customer needs on a daily basis also hits the branding mark. Social media Pick your platform, and spend a little time every day using it to communicate with your customers, friends and potential customers. Often the time you take to engage with people in a social environment is for the future, not for the immediate results. Website You built your first site. Are you updating it? Does it have current photos that are relevant to the business? Consider updating the information on a regular, even daily, basis. Add a blog component that features projects, store specials and news. Customer interaction Now that you have built multiple channels for customer interaction, use them to engage customers and build loyalty. Show them why you are the expert in your field and why they should do business with your company. Profit is all about creating a value in the minds of your customer, and you can use the aforementioned tools to attract, study and serve customers who benefit from this value. Finding and understanding the right customer for your garden center will drive business every day. Running a business today is about using new tools and technologies to build a better business for the future. Taking the opportunity to learn new skills and to explore how they can improve your business should be the most important part of “Plugging in Your Mojo with Soul.” Contact Chad E. Harris, charris@ceverettharris.com; www.ceverettharris.com; www.thegardengates.com; follow him @ www.twitter.com/ceverettharris; friend him @ www.facebook.com/ceverettharris; watch him @ www.youtube/thegardengatesnola.com; read about him @ www.thegardengatesblog.com |
Explore the August 2011 Issue
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