February 7th, 2008
By: Shama Hyder
We all know that giving is fantastic. Give great customer service; give great rates, and always give your best. But, what about getting? What kinds of things should you expect from your clients? Asking is also a great marketing strategy! Here is a list of 25 things you can (and should!) ask for when working with a client.
1. Ask for a down payment - Just like there are flaky freelancers out there, there are flaky clients as well. It’s completely okay to protect yourself and your time. Ask for a down payment, and make it fully refundable if you don’t do your share. Most clients will be happy to oblige.
2. Ask for more time if you need it - Sometimes your creative genius self needs time, and who can blame you? Between Twitter, and Facebook and well… clients, it’s a busy life! So, feel free to ask for more time if you need it. Just don’t go overboard.
3. Ask for clear directions - If a client wants exactly what they have in mind, they have to be able to communicate those thoughts. Help them along. Make sure to ask for clear directions and double check.
4. Ask for consistent expectations – It is okay to ask for consistent expectations on projects. If the client feels your work seems “fantastic” one day, and “not up to par” the next, and given that your quality has stayed the same-bring it up with the client. One caveat: this may require that you have some sort of quality check system in place to ensure the consistency of your work product.
5. Ask for recommendations- You kicked butt on the last project. The client is thrilled. Now, strike while the iron is hot, and ask for the recommendation. (i.e. - “I appreciate your confidence in me, and I will deliver my best to you always. Since I know you are enthusiastic about working with me, do you think you could please recommend me to your friends? I’d really appreciate it tremendously.”).
6. Ask for referrals - It can go something like this- “Who else in your network could use my services? Would it be okay if I contacted them and introduced myself?”
7. Ask for testimonials - So many freelancers forget about this wonderful marketing tool. It’s called “social proof.” People like people who are liked by other people. At the very least, they are usually intrigued. Simply stated - Ask for your clients’ good words on paper.
Read the rest here.
Posted in Business Profitability, Marketing Your Business | 1 Comment »
January 29th, 2008
By: Shama Hyder
The dynamic Steve Mullen had me over as a guest on his online radio show last week. We talked more in depth about my earlier article on Selling During Stormy Times.
You can check out and download the podcast here. It’s only 10 minutes long. (What’s a Podcast-? A podcast is like a radio series that’s available via the Internet. You can listen to shows online or download them to your computer or mp3 player.)
One of the first things you will notice is that Steve has an amazing voice and manner. He has radio experience and now helps clients of all sizes with their podcasting needs. If you have ever wondered if podcasting is for you, visit Steve’s site here.
Posted in Business Profitability, Marketing Your Business | 1 Comment »
November 2nd, 2007
A lack of vision? No.
Not knowing how to market? No.
A lack of employees? No
A lack of organization? BINGO!
Most small business owners possess vision and skill. If they lack marketing know how-they can always learn. If they need more help, they can find that as well. What they really lack is an organizational system which can cut costs, save time, and streamline their business operations. One place to store their invoices, create cash ledgers, host documents, and basically-run their business! I always thought about how cool it would be if some company actually came up with something to help keep small businesses organized. The ideal small business office online! (Big franchises always provide all their franchisees with this type of infrastructure. They want them to have an edge in their individual businesses and they know that this type of a system is key.)
I didn’t think anything like this existed for small businesses until I saw www.WinWeb.com. This is not an ad for this company, but I giving them great kudos for providing small businesses with much needed online infrastructure. And get this…they provide FREE accounting software and 24/7 tech support. Originally a UK company, they have just bought their services to the US.
For years, I have been juggling my own accounts with Quicken and trying to keep my documents organized. I often dreamed of an online virtual office that could combine my paypal invoices and help me setup my books (sans the annoying FAQ page). I even thought about paying a few developers to custom build one for me. Luckily, I now have WinWeb and am spreading the message loud and clear.
If you are an independent professional or a small business owner who wants to get organized for good- check out this service at WinWeb.com. If you are a fellow small business blogger- be sure to get the word out to your readers about this fantastic resource as well. On that note, I would love to read what the following bloggers have to say about such a service for small businesses:
Posted in Business Profitability, Managing Your Business | 2 Comments »
