by Kirby Hasseman
This has been true for years. There is an appreciation gap. It’s the gap between how much companies think they show appreciation…and how much employees and customers feel appreciated. It’s probably always been true. Studies show you that 69% of customers that leave you will do so because of perceived indifference. Nearly 70% of them leave because they don’t think you care!
And that was before a pandemic, quarantine, wildfires, racial injustice, murder hornets, and the Big Ten postponing football! So showing your customers and your employees that you really care about them is more important than ever before.
But let’s be honest, it can be harder now. With those challenges, many events have been cancelled. The places where we saw customers have been shut down. So while we need to say “thank you” more than ever, it’s harder than ever before to do it. That is why some companies are thinking outside of the box with appreciation.
Create A Party In A Box
Many companies are looking at the fact that traditional Holiday parties are going to be difficult this year. We want to show our team appreciation, not get them sick! On the other hand, the holidays is when many of us take the time to show appreciation to our employees and our customers. And since we just said, we need to show more appreciation this year, what can we do?
What about a virtual Party In A Box? The idea is simple. While we might not be able to physically get together, what if we did it virtually? We create a Zoom meeting (or pick your platform) and then ship each of your team a box with some amazing items so you can all celebrate together. Depending on your team (and your budget) you can create a branded package that might include an apparel item you want everyone to wear, a bottle of wine, a set of glasses, some sweet treats to eat, and even hand sanitizer! You could create a “party in a box” that really dazzles. And just think, you won’t have to rent a facility or cater a meal…so you can use that budget to build your team, your culture and your brand.
As a side, many of our suppliers are working hard on drop ship programs so you can do this more efficiently and cost effectively than ever before.
What do you think?
If you are interested in exploring an idea like this to show your team or customers that they are special, let us know. You can reach out to your Hasseman Marketing rep…or you can click here to reach out to us!
by Kirby Hasseman
If you are looking for a great branded gift item for your team or your customers, drinkware is a great category to consider. Why? There are plenty of reasons, but here are a few.
First, no sizing. While apparel is a wonderful item to give your team (and you should) you need to make sure you have the right sizes, or the gift is a waste. Functionality. Everyone uses drinkware. And if you get your team or your best customers a NICE piece of drinkware, they will use yours. It’s Personal. Anything you are putting in your mouth is personal! So tying your brand to something legitimately personal ties them more emotionally to you.
But what piece of drinkware?
At Hasseman Marketing, many of our team lean lean toward the Vacuum Tumbler. A vacuum tumbler (often a Yeti style mug) is double walled and insulated to keep your coffee hot and your ice cold for hours. With that, they are functional regardless of what kind of drink your recipient enjoys. Want to sip on a coffee all day, these work great! And if you like to enjoy a cold beverage by the pool all day, these have you covered as well.
But which Vacuum Tumbler? We asked our team!
Kelly Bowe Says: “The Viking Tumbler is always my go to tumbler. That’s the one I always bought for the hospital and everyone always loved it. The price was right and the quality was top notch.”
Jeff Wickerham Says: “Celeste: I love this tumbler! It is vacuum sealed, but unlike most vacuum sealed tumblers, it is ceramic. The Celeste has the traditional coffee cup feel but keeps my coffee hot, so it is the best of both worlds!”
Kirby Hasseman Says: “I love the Urban Peak tumblers. They have great performance as a tumbler, and the full color decoration is amazing. Oh…and you can personalize it so everyone makes sure they have the right tumbler.” (Yes…I just quoted myself there).
Regardless of what style you like the best, during this time we have a great opportunity to show our team and our customers how much we really appreciate it. Let’s not waste it. Please let us know if we can help. Remember, we have drop ship programs that can help you send your branded merchandise directly to their door!
by Kirby Hasseman
In a world of overnight delivery and immediate gratification, starting a real business can seem painfully slow. We have more tools than ever before to build awareness, and that is a wonderful thing. But I have been reminded lately that a “share” on social media is not the same as a “sale.” When you are working to build a real, long term business, there are not as many shortcuts as we would like to believe. Real brand building takes time. So while you should use all of the new tools in the toolbox, there are 5 timeless rules of selling that still apply.
See The People
Despite the the proliferation of social media, building your sales is not just about having a presence on Instagram. There is still very real value to to getting in front of someone and seeing them face to face when you can. You have the ability to just “be with them.” There is power in that kind of focus. And they get to do the same with you. At it’s very core, we humans trust things that we are more familiar with. So by letting your clients see you, you gain credibility with them. Whether that’s showing up in their office with great branded merchandise, or just being at the events that they frequent, it’s still VERY important to see the people…and let the people see you!
Simply Listen
If this seems cliche, it is. It’s cliche because it’s true. As salespeople and entrepreneurs, we get so excited about what we are selling we forget to learn what our customer needs. It’s so important to ask questions first, then tell our story. We can tell our story SO much better when we understand the audience. For me, listening starts with good questions. Here are some good ones to start with.
Provide Them Value
Once you have listened to the prospect or client, don’t JUST try to sell them something. Of course you want (and need) to make the sale. But it’s so important to make sure you present a solution that actually provides value. If you can’t, walk away. As we talk about at Hasseman Marketing, it’s not about making one sale. It’s about creating 25 year customers. You can’t create that kind of long term relationship if you take advantage of people.
Show Gratitude
If you are blessed enough to make a sale, it’s not time to move onto the next transaction (at least not yet). It’s time to (sincerely) say thank you. The danger of the quick sale mentality is that each sale can become very transactional. You can become so focused on the next customer that you forget to appreciate the one you already have. It’s simple to fix this. Take an extra minute and write a note of thanks. Want to be more “new school?” Record a personal note and thank them on video. Either way, make sure you take the time to bridge the appreciation gap in your business.
Be Consistent
It’s not just about showing up. It’s about showing up every day. So many of us see inconsistency in our sales. It’s often because of inconsistency in our effort. We hustle hard and do the pro-active activities while we are slow (because we have time). This creates sales in our business, so we stop the pro-active hustle while we are tending to the business we created. Then we become slow again…and the cycle starts again. The key to consistent sales is keeping up the hustle while you are busy. It’s simple…just not easy.
These are 5 timeless rules of selling. This is NOT to say you should not embrace all of the new tools of brand building. You should. But don’t forget the foundation, or the whole operation will come tumbling down!
Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share with anyone who is in sales or building a business. If you want to check out all of our content, head over to our blog page.
by Kirby Hasseman
When it comes to a successful education, old timers tell us about the 3 R’s of education. The idea is that a focus on “Readin, wRitin, and aRithmatic” would help create a good student.
And though that is hopefully not the entire focus of our education system today, we know that those are the basics for success.
The Three R’s of Business Growth: Retention, Repeat Customers, Referrals
When it comes to business, there are also the THREE “R’s” that are important in any successful, long term business.
We have already spent an entire blog post on one the role that promotional products can have in fostering the first “R,” customer retention. Today I’m going to introduce the next two R’s of Business—repeat customers and referrals.
Why are repeat customers so valuable?
All successful business owners want to have a steady stream of repeat customers. Repeat customers are the backbone of any vibrant business. They are the “holy grail” of business growth.
These customers come back again and again and (hopefully) their loyalty leads them to spend more time and money with us.
(Repeat customers are, incidentally, our best source for the third “R”—referrals—but I will get to that in a minute.)
Repeat customers are great because we have already won them. It takes a great deal of time, energy and money to earn a customer’s trust and business. It’s much harder to convert a non-customer into a customer than it is to sell to one of your current customers. Depending on the study, it’s been shown that it costs up to 6 to 7 times more to capture a new customer than to sell to a current customer.
Insufficiently focusing on their current clients is one of the main mistakes many businesses make. Why do so many spend so much time and money on the clients that are hardest to reach?
So, we have a base of repeat customers. Great! Now, what next? It’s safe to say the goal is to grow that base. But how?
The first way is to get these repeat customers to come and do business with us more often! If we can increase the number of times these customers do business with us, we increase sales. Duh…right?
Well in two separate studies (in 1993 and 1994 respectively) promotional products were shown to improve repeat business.
Research into How Promotional Products Encourage Repeat Business
Repeat Business for a Food Delivery Service
In the first study, conducted by Southern Methodist University, 900 people were divided into 9 groups of 100. These nine groups were broken down by customer type (existing residential food delivery, new residential food delivery, and business/commercial food delivery customers) and what they received (a promotional product, a coupon, or nothing.)
The promotional product and the coupon were both valued at $2. But which one turned out to be more valuable?
- Customers who received promotional products ordered up to 18% sooner than those who received coupons.
- Customers who received promotional products also averaged up to 18% more orders than those receiving coupons.
In other words, the customers that received the promotional products ordered more quickly and more often than those that received coupons…or nothing. Sales more often and sales more quickly = more sales.
Repeat Customers for a Dry Cleaning Business
This study, also conducted by Southern Methodist University, tracked the activity of 300 new customers at two locations of a dry cleaning business.
Customers were randomly assigned one of three groups. Everyone received a welcome letter from the company. One of the groups, in addition to the letter, received a promotional product valued at $5. The second group received a $5 coupon. The control group just received the welcome letter.
After 8 months, the results of the study were:
- New customers who received the promotional product spent 27% more than those who received coupons, and 139% more than those who received only a welcome letter.
- Promotional product recipients were 49% more likely than coupon recipients (and 75% more likely than letter recipients) to patronize the dry cleaner in each of the eight months studied.
Just as in the first study, this second study showed that customers who receive promotional products spent more and were more regular customers than those who do not.
If repeat customers are the “holy grail” to business success, then you need to consider how cementing that relationship with a promotional product can help you grow.
How to Get More Referrals
Another huge part of any successful business is the third R…referrals. As a business friend once told me, “The best way to get referrals is to deserve them!” Obviously, this is foundational. But I am going to assume that you’re already running a business that is worthy of referrals.
So here I’m going to talk about how to get more referrals.
As I mentioned earlier, your current customer base is often the best place to look for growth in your business. It’s also a source of referrals that many business owners and marketers ignore. Your current client base already “gets” you. They understand what you offer, and they love you for it. Repeat customers can be a fantastic source of new customers.
The problem with referrals is that no really likes to ask for them! Admit it. You, like everyone else, don’t like asking for referrals. (Most people don’t.) Nearly every time I speak to a group, everyone agrees that getting referrals is a great way to grow your business. It’s just common sense. And yet, most people admit to failing to “consistently ask” for referrals.
What I’ve found, time and again, is that giving a promotional gift before asking for a referral is a simple way to make asking for referrals easier.
And another study proves it.
In 1993, researchers at Baylor University showed that customers who received a promotional product are more willing to provide referrals than those that don’t.
The study was conducted with 20 Mary Kay beauty consultants, half of whom distributed a promotional gift to their customers; the other half of whom gave no promotional gift.
The results were impressive.
- Customers who received a promotional product were 14% more likely to provide leads than those that did not.
- Salespeople who gave promotional products to their customers received 22% more referrals than the salespeople who did not use promotional gifts.
Providing even a small promotional gift to your customers increases the likelihood that they will provide you with referrals. Combine that with the fact that you have a business worth referring…and you have business gold!
Here’s an Idea: Create a Gift-Based Referral Program
Are you still struggling to ask for that referral? Here’s another approach—create a referral program which does the asking for you.
First, create a flyer to email, mail, fax (or send via smoke signal, your choice!) to your current customers.
The flyer should advertise a nice “referral gift.” Use your imagination. The gift can be anything from a nice watch to a piece of luggage. The incentive gift does not have to break the bank, but it does need to be nice enough to garner attention.
Send your flyer, letting customers know that if they provide a referral that results in business for your company, they will receive this fabulous gift.
Boom. Watch the referrals flow in.
A few tips:
- The gift needs to be nice enough to get your customer to act: Make the new customer’s qualifying purchase large enough that the profits from that sale will cover the cost of the item. This way you might break even on this transaction, but now you have a new customer for life!
- Make it feel “exclusive”: Considering only sending your referral offer to your top 20% of clients. They are the most likely to give you the best referrals anyway!
Setting up a simple program like this—one where you “give first”—takes “the ask” out of the referral. Instead of asking for a referral, you’re giving them an opportunity to receive a great gift. It’s a win-win proposition.
Focusing on the three R’s—retention, repeat business, and referrals—lays the foundation for building a successful business. And the research shows that promotional products can help your business achieve all three goals.
Want more great content like this? Sign up for our VIP list to get access to our weekly content and special deals. Sign up today!
by Kirby Hasseman
I believe we are living in a “Give First Economy.” What I mean by this (and I talk about it more here) is that the best and most successful brands, salespeople, entrepreneurs, etc. provide value up front. They “give” before they go for the sale. This is great for people who want to “do business right,” because they are poised to do this anyway. They want to help. But there is one mistake that I see people make all of the time around this “give first” economy. They want to say “thank you,” but they mix it up.
Let me explain. I got a box in the mail the other day from one of our suppliers. They are a great company, and we do a decent amount of business with them. The box said it had a gift inside, so I was excited to break it open. Let’s face it, it’s always nice to get a “thank you gift.” However, when I opened the package, there was a sales flyer and samples. Don’t get me wrong. They were nice samples. They even had good information on the sales flyer. It was a quality sales piece…and it got me to open the box.
But it was NOT a thank you gift. It was a sales pitch.
I immediately felt duped. I was a disappointed. I went from being excited to being (mildly) annoyed.
It was not the most egregious mistake in the world. It’s not like I won’t forgive them. But I guarantee you it was not what they wanted me to feel (at least I hope not).
So just a quick word of advice for Succeeding in the Give First Economy; don’t mix up appreciation and sales. If you want to say “thank you,” then just do that. Show the appreciation. Be sincere. Give first. Don’t work in a sales pitch. You are smart enough to see through that…and so are your customers and prospects. It takes away from the original intent. It also decreases the likelihood that I open the next package.
Make sure you never miss an update! Sign up for a VIP newsletter here. It’s not a sales trap…just a place where we share our content (and what’s going on at HMC). Or if you just want to stay on top of the content, head over to our blog.
