Archive for the ‘Articles’ Category
WOW…IKEA!
February 27th, 2009 at 2:26 am by Livvie
Saturday my daughter and I went to the new IKEA here in Charlotte, NC. Their furniture showroom had everything you could imagine and they had it in every color. It was quite an experience…a very good experience!
This experience started with the parking. Even the parking attendants were organized. You would have thought you were going to a huge concert the way they were directing traffic…for a minute I thought I was going to have to pay for parking. As one car left, the parking attendants would direct another car into that very space. No cruzing the parking lot to try to find a spot…they directed you right to it!
Next we went inside and up to the showrooms. Every inch of space was organized with a theme and furniture to match. Even with the large number of people there, the inside traffice kept flowing. If you ran into a problem, there were plenty of the IKEA staff there to answer any questions.
These employees made you feel like you were the only visitor they had with their one-on-one customer service. They didn’t rush you or brush you aside, they simply took the time to listen and answer your questions.
In Summary…IKEA had anticipated their clients needs …were prepared to meet them…and went the extra mile in doing so.
Which brings me to you and your business. Are you taking the time to simply listen and answer your clients questions? Have you anticipated their needs? This can be as simple as a brochure with frequently asked questions, a web site, an information product, a report, or a combination of all these.
Maybe you have some or all the above mentioned items…how long has it been since they’ve been updated?
We are living in the age of “instant gratification”, your clients want information and they want it now. Anticipating your clients needs and being prepared says a great deal about who you are…you are a company that’s interested in meeting your client’s needs by solving their problems.
Bottom line: You want them to know you not only HAVE their solution…you ARE their solution! Then you are on your way to being a…WOW…IKEA!
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Livvie Matthews, freelance writing services/Owner of Write Business has been helping businesses with their online and printed marketing content including Brochures, Web Site content, White Pages, e-mail Marketing, and Newsletters since the late ’90′s. e-mail Livvie@writebusiness.net or Visit http://www.WriteBusiness.net.
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Are You Your Client’s Solution?
October 3rd, 2008 at 12:26 pm by Livvie
Right after hurricane Ike went through, we saw a “run on the pumps” for gas here in Charlotte. Some drove for miles trying to find gas, some sat in lines for hours waiting for gas, while others literally ran out of gas waiting in line.
One lady was interviewed around 2:00 AM while sitting in her car wearing pajamas. When asked by the reporter why she was in her PJ’s, she answered she did what she needed to do. She thought if she came out early she would beat the crowd. Unfortunately many other people had thought the same thing as they sat in the lines at 2 AM…waiting.
But of all the people waiting in line, why was this particular lady the one interviewed, weren’t they all there to get gas? She was picked/interviewed because she stood out…she was different from the rest…she had on pajamas.
In our neighborhood we have a gas station about a mile from our house. My husband usually leaves before I do to go to work. I had asked him to let me know if he saw the tanker or saw that there was gas at the “corner store” and to call me if he did and I would leave early to go pump the gas.
Sure enough on Monday morning he called to say there was gas at the corner store and for me to come on while there was no line. That sounded great except for one problem…I was coloring my hair Monday morning and at the point my hair was literally foaming on the top of my head!
Is There A Copywriter In The House?
July 18th, 2008 at 5:25 pm by Livvie
Everywhere we look it seems we see higher prices and lower morales. Although initally it started with rising gas prices, it now incorporates everything and has touched all businesses.
With layoffs and cutbacks in our workplaces it’s put pressure on companies to make sure their marketing materials maintain the professional image the public is use to seeing and to complicate matters it’s put pressure on those left in the workplace to pick up the slack.
Your written materials are powerful, cost effective marketing tools to clearly communicate your companies strategic message and are critical to your professional image.
With many business operating with fewer employees and remaining employees already under a heavier work load, becoming a wordsmith and a written content specialist with all the material deadlines needed just seems impossible. In fact you find yourself saying more and more “So much to do and so little time!”
Enter the freelance copywriter. A professional copywriter can:
1) Learn your product quickly
2) Discover all its features and benefits
3) Define who your target market is
4) Get a lead on the competion
5) Figure the best strategy to lift your product above the competion with quality wrtten content
Individual projects or multiple projects – from marketing brochures to website content, newsletters to articles, reports to white pages and all materials in between – a freelance copywriter can be the extra set of hands needed to keep that critical professional image and is as close as your “Send” button!
So the next time you’re in a crunch or about to miss a deadline, remember…Yes, there IS a copywriter in the house!
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Livvie Matthews, freelance writing services/Owner of Write Business has been helping businesses with their online and printed marketing content including Brochures, Web Site content, White Pages, e-mail Marketing, and Newsletters since the late ’90′s. e-mail Livvie@writebusiness.net or Visit http://www.writebusiness.net.
Consistency…Is Everyone On The Same Page?
May 25th, 2007 at 11:13 am by Livvie
Ever needed information, asked several different people, and received several different answers?
Even more confusing, how about asking several different people who work in the same office and still receive several different answers?
This happened to me in a practice I was with. It concerned bleaching or whitening the teeth. The patient had received instructions from the assistant as she was being dismissed in the back.
As the patient was checking out, she asked the front desk to explain it to her again and received a different set of instructions.
Confused by the information, when the patient got home, she called the office, spoke to another person and received…you guessed it…. a third set of instructions different from the first two.
This time she asked to speak to the office manager, explained to me what had happened, and expressed her disappointment in the office.
E-Mail Marketing: Your Practice’s Golden Opportunity!
March 4th, 2007 at 7:35 pm by Livvie
The electronic (e) age is here and along with it comes the most cost effective marketing tool to communicate with your patients and clients…e-mail and e-mail marketing!
Keeping your name in front of your patients and clients on a regular basis strengthens your existing relationships and establishes credibility and trust –two of the main ingredients needed to attract and retain quality patients and clients.
Choose an autoresponder program like Aweber (what I use) , iContact, Constant Contact , or mailchimp.com . These programs are double opt in, meaning they must confirm they subscribed to the email/newsletter before they can start receiving it. If you are using Demand Force in your practice, they have a newsletter section you can use. Once set up, all these programs are very simple to use.
Use e-mail marketing to announce office events, important dental health information and tips, special offers, awards, welcome letters, and even appointment confirmations.
Build and strengthen patient relationships. Include your patients in your “dental family” by announcing team members marriages, births, graduations, office trips, and participation with school or charitable events.
Gathering patient e-mail address can be done by adding an e-mail address field on your New Patient information form and your online patient forms.
For patients of record ask for e-mail addresses as you update/confirm their current information or simply create a form for patients to write their e-mail addresses.
Make sure you include a “check here to receive more information” box for permission to send e-mails. NOTE: ALWAYS provide an unsubscribe link in your e-mails allowing subscibers the option to “UnSubscribe”.
The length and tone of your e-mail messages is entirely your choice. It can be a few lines of text or a detailed newsletter or both.
Your newsletter may be semi-monthly, monthly, or even quarterly. Again it’s your choice. If you choose once a month, then send once a month….every month. Later you may try sending twice a month .
Choosing the 2nd Tuesday of the month is a good example. Then every 2nd Tuesday of the month….send your information. The main thing to remember is once you have made your choice… be consistent!
Remember to always include your web site link and e-mail address in your information along with a notice to feel free to forward the information to a friend.
Your content can be written in-house by you or a team member (if time permits), or by outsourcing.
Whoever you choose to write the content needs to understand the purpose and audience of your newsletter. They are representing you and your practice.
Another great e-mail marketing tool is your e-mail signature (sig). It’s your virtual online business card. You are (or should be) sending out responses to e-mails every day, don’t just type your name and send your e-mail.
Advertise your practice and web site every time an e-mail is sent from your office. Your e-mail signature should include your name, office title, practice name, telephone number, e-mail address and most importantly, your web site address.
Remember: Keeping your name in front of your patients is paramount in establishing credibility and trust. With e-mail marketing…It’s your practice’s golden opportunity
