“I’m working for a company that sells windows for highrise apartments. I love my job except one thing is my company doesn’t keep their promises. They don’t deliver on time and customers get upset.

How should I handle it, to keep my customers?”
- Peter T.

How do you keep your customers happy even if the product doesn’t get there promptly as it should? Use this marketing idea and this idea to manage your boss.

Manage Your Customers’ Expectations
Let them know that even though delivery is scheduled for two weeks that it usually takes four weeks or whatever. No one likes surprises but most people can adjust to a realistic delivery schedule even if its the three to six months it takes to get a couch made and delivered here in the U.S.

Do the Math.
Calculate how much more business you’d be getting if your customers windows were delivered on time and they were happy. E.g. with happy customers you get reorders and referrals which can easily double your sales.

Then take your report to management and ask them if they are interested in increasing sales by 25% or more next year. Show them how much more they could be making if they delivered the product on time and ask them if they can make a commitment to improving delivery times.

- Charlie Cook
Marketing Ideas That Work

“I have a growing gift basket business and I’m trying to focus on serving the small business and service professional market. Give me a theme and I can develop a great gift basket. I did one recently for a car dealership. Should I focus on developing theme baskets to grow my business?” - Barbara in Virginia

Theme baskets are a great idea but remember the ony reason your clients buy them is to solve a problem or achieve an objective. Small to mid-sized businesses like car dealerships have two concerns you can help them with. They want to build customer loyalty and motivate employees to top levels of performance. A gift such as your gift baskets is a great way to do this.

Just remember, don’t lead with how great your theme baskets are. Market to your prospects concerns about improving customer loyalty and employee performance and you’ll sell many more theme baskets. While you are at it, instead of selling individual baskets, give companies a discounted rate on a hundred when they pay in advance. Help your auto dealership give a gift to each new customer when they buy a car. They’ll build customer loyalty and you’ll both grow your businesses. - Charlie Cook

“I have recently bought a golf driving range wich was in a poor state. In six months i have gained many new menbers and feel that we are going in the right direction by offering special offers at different times of the day or week, but locally there are newer driving ranges in operation. What i am looking for is a new angle on marketing, a fresh idea?” - live Staddon

Offers can be a great way to get first time prospects in the door but you need a long-term strategy for building client loyalty. Think about why people like golf driving ranges, what they are looking for and find a way to give it to them. The age of your facilty isn’t necessariy a negative. Focus instead on creating a unique ambiance, one that will keep golfers coming back. And look for ways for first timers to connect with other people who use your facility to create a strong social bond.

Relationships rule in keeping people coming back and then you can leverage those relationships to get existing customers to bring in new customers. - Charlie Cook