Comments on: What Do Small Business Customers See?

By: Steve Sipress

Steve Sipress — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:32:37 +0000

Can’t tell you how many times I’ve done great marketing for a client, only to have him or her waste everything by not paying enough attention to the quality of the customers’ first impression of their business.

Great marketing can pour tons of hot leads into the top of a company’s “bucket”, but poor attention to detail can poke holes in the sides of the bucket so that prospects just keep leaking out.

Great advice, Dan.

By: Rob Anspach

Rob Anspach — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:50:27 +0000

in Lancaster County PA – a local bank tried to mix it up by creating the ultimate banking experience – they mixed banking with a coffe house and wi-fi service…

the problem was – people would ‘hang out’ instead of banking and the regular customers who used the bank as an actual bank didn’t care about the coffee aspect… after 2 years the bank closed down

By: Rabbi Issamar Ginzberg

Rabbi Issamar Ginzberg — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:58:12 +0000

Charles,

There is a bank in NYC that actually mixes Art+Banking. That’s one way to get the kind of affluent customer your bank is targeting…

By: Meredith Bell

Meredith Bell — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:05:41 +0000

The point about first impressions is so important and basic, but I’m always amazed by the number of businesses that don’t give this area proper attention. It makes a tremendous difference in whether a person decides to buy or come back. I like your application, Michael. Great reminder to watch what great companies outside our own industry are doing to wow customers.

By: Charles Ra

Charles Ra — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:27:01 +0000

art gallery and wine
great combination Rob

By: Charles Ra

Charles Ra — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:26:15 +0000

Manage first impressions – first impressions are lasting impressions. America does judge a book by its cover. It’s very difficult to overcome a poorly managed first impression.
great truth Dan
thank you

By: Jonathan Flaks

Jonathan Flaks — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:57:31 +0000

Hey Dan –

Great post! I agree completely. First impressions are indeed lasting impressions. Thanks for sharing!

Looking forward,

Jonathan Flaks

By: Rob Anspach

Rob Anspach — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:15:38 +0000

… I just wrote an article on my blog about a art gallery owner who served wine & champagne to prospective clients… it made them feel relaxed and non-pressured… sales boomed.

Although I’m not a big advocate on promoting alcohol… anything to to take the “edge” of a client will help.

By: Michael Devers

Michael Devers — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:45:02 +0000

Great points on environment. Laundromats in college towns were forever changed when someone had the bright idea to add beer. It seems like there are countless examples of this until, of course, someone thinks about in terms of their own business.

We S&D’d the laundromat example. Our retail business is in a historic district and, for a while, was located next to a quilt shop. On the weekends we’d get a lot of tourist husbands in who didn’t want to look at quilts, but weren’t necessarily crazy about what we sold either (but at least it was better than quilts). We started offering “beer samples” on weekends and the husbands started staying a lot longer and always seemed to find a few things they could buy. Our regular customers loved this added feature as well.

By: Rabbi Issamar Ginzberg

Rabbi Issamar Ginzberg — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:04:55 +0000

Great stuff, as always!

I actually know of a lube place that actually brings the Lube to the customer- they drive up with a big rig and actually perform the oil change out of your house. (this is in a New Jersey town that has space to park the rig.)