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Almost every business owner or manager will tell you that having loyal customers is the key to a successful business.  If that’s true then what are they doing to keep those customers coming back?

Most will tell you that they send emails or newsletters on a regular basis to keep in touch.  Others will say that they use a discount program to show their appreciation.

It’s not to say that these are bad things but they are not enough.  To create loyalty and get your customer engaged with you takes effort and planning.  Creating strong relationships is one of the most critical ways to retain more of your customers and grow your business faster because happy customers` will use you more and refer friends which will give you a tremendous competitive edge over your competitions.

Here are some statistics showing that challenges that businesses face today:

• Each year the average company loses 10-15% of its customer base
– Bain & Company
• “84% of customers who leave, do so because of poor service”
– Forum Corp
• “A typical business only hears from 4% of its dissatisfied customers—the other 96% leave, 91% for good”
– Jim Barnes, “Secrets of CRM”

By understanding why your customers are leaving you and how you can retain them is priceless information.  The best way to find out what they want is to ask them, read the article ” You Just Need To Ask ” 11/19/2010

The sooner you know what makes your customers tick, the sooner you can begin to cultivate a strong and long lasting relationship to keep your business alive in any economy.

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About The Author:

	Mike Liddicoat is a Husband, Father, Speaker and the Sales & Marketing Director of AttaBoy! Solutions. His goal is to help businesses maintain relationships, ensure future business and acquire new referrals through appreciation marketing. Throughout this blog you can sign up for updates, news, special offers, discounts and more. So take a look around, leave a comment or two and enjoy.
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Gift exchanges between co-workers can help  promote a relaxed work environment as well as add some fun and excitement into the workplace .

Gift giving  at work, like any other gift exchange,  can be fun and enjoyable . Here are some rules,  or guidelines as it were, to follow to  ensure that everyone has a good time and nobody gets their feeling hurt.

1. The reason that we have gift exchanges at work is to build relationships between co-workers there by creating a pleasant atmosphere to work in.  Gift giving in the office should not be considered  an opportunity to try and bribe your boss or anyone with expensive gifts. You can’t buy friendship, at least not the right kind of friendship.

2. Now this is very important.  If there is a dollar amount limit on the gifts to be purchased DO NOT EXCEED IT!  For some buying that one extra gift at the holidays can be financially stressful, also you don’t want to appear to be trying to buy your way into someones good graces by getting something expensive.

3. Spend some thought when buying gifts. Don’t rush into the store at the last minute to purchase gifts. Take some time to find something that the recipient would enjoy. Knowing something about the person for who you are buying a gift helps in selecting a gift that will indeed be appreciated.

4. Stay away from buying personal items such as lingerie when buying gifts for work. Perfume used by women is a personal use item. Unless you know the person well and what perfume they use don’t buy personal cosmetic items. You may love a certain perfume but others may not share your taste not to mention that giving personal gifts can often send the wrong message to not only the recipient but to others in the office or a spouse.

5. Do not leave your gift in the bag you bought it in. Gift wrapping gives a classy and elegant look to any gift when done right.  There are many simple and inexpensive ways to wrap a gift. Don’t forget to include a signed gift card when giving a gift. You will be surprised how many people include a gift card and forget to sign it.

Remember to stay within the agreed upon budget, avoid gifts that are too personal and keep in mind the tastes of the recipient not yours. Following these tips will ensure a fun and memorable time for all.

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About The Author:

	Mike Liddicoat is a Husband, Father, Speaker and the Sales & Marketing Director of AttaBoy! Solutions. His goal is to help businesses maintain relationships, ensure future business and acquire new referrals through appreciation marketing. Throughout this blog you can sign up for updates, news, special offers, discounts and more. So take a look around, leave a comment or two and enjoy.
Contact Mike

Yesterday was a holiday and I received one of the best gifts that I have ever received, and it wasn’t done on purpose.

My wife hooked up with an old friend that neither of us has seen or talked to in about ten years.  They went out for the evening  and spent about seven hours catching up.

The next morning, we all -my wife and I, our friend and our two children, went out for breakfast.  It was nice for me to see her and catch up as well.

Later in the day our long lost friend and some other friends came over for  dinner.  We barbecued, played card games and made homemade ice cream.

We sat around the patio, joking and talking, enjoying the beautiful weather and each others company.  We ended about 11:00pm and all went home.

After all that your probably wondering what’s this “Best gift ever” is.

The gift was time.  Quality time spent with friends and/or family.  After everyone had left I was sitting there thinking how nice it was to to spend the day, not only celebrating our Nations Independence but to spend it with people who are important in our lives.

So take the time to give the gift that really costs you nothing, yet you can’t put a price on it.  No amount of money can take the place of time well spent with others.

Call a friend, a brother, sister or mother.  Get together and spend some time talking about old times and times to come.  Share your goals and dreams with one another. It truly is the gift that keeps giving.

Without friends, no one would want to live, even if he had all other goods…Aristotle

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About The Author:

	Mike Liddicoat is a Husband, Father, Speaker and the Sales & Marketing Director of AttaBoy! Solutions. His goal is to help businesses maintain relationships, ensure future business and acquire new referrals through appreciation marketing. Throughout this blog you can sign up for updates, news, special offers, discounts and more. So take a look around, leave a comment or two and enjoy.
Contact Mike

While this question has stumped many men for years, it’s something that as a business owner you need to know. Although women may represent half of the total consumer market, they do make or influence the majority of all purchasing decisions.

It’s important to understand that women love to gather information. They want to make an educated decision and will ask as many questions as they feel necessary to do so. Let them take the lead -they are not looking for a quick fix. Remember, women communicate differently than men. They may even tell you several stories to ensure that they are getting their point across. And although it may seem that they are all over the board, they have a complex thought process that is very thorough. While you’re thinking she’s not focused, she’s probably frustrated that you cant keep up. When push comes to shove, don’t do either. Women will make a decision to do business with you when they are good and ready. They have to believe that they are making the best decision.

It’s very important to understand that women value relationships. They will only do business with people they know, like and trust. Trust will come much easier is she feels you are looking to create a long-term relationship versus just make a sale. Be sincere and spend time building a relationship with her. Go above and beyond, but be sure not to patronize her. She will see right through you. Let her know you value her and want to earn her business and her trust. Once you have her trust, your efforts will be rewarded with her dollars, her loyalty and her referrals.

Since women account for 85% of all consumer purchases, it’s definitely worth your time to focus on what’s important to her. To learn more, read this great article from Inc.: The Six Costliest Mistakes You Can Make in Marketing to Women
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About The Author:

Sally Liddicoat is a Wife, Mother, Speaker and the Founder & CEO of AttaBoy! Solutions. Her goal is to help businesses increase sales, generate ongoing referrals, strengthen relationships and create loyal customers and employees through appreciation marketing. Throughout this blog you can sign up for updates, news, special offers, discounts and more. So take a look around, leave a comment or two and enjoy.

Contact Sally

Consumer opinion is vital for any company. Whether you are launching a new service or product line, it’s important to know how your clients and prospective customers will react. However, it can be difficult to get people to spend time taking a survey. When you need the feedback and timing is of the essence, sometimes using an incentive is just the thing you need to add extra mileage to a survey campaign.

There are several way to put this type of program in place. The determining factor for which you choose should be determined by your business and how it operates. Obviously, the best would have an end result of the customer walking in to your location to claim their reward. This gives you an opportunity to “WoW” them and offer that personal interaction that is so important to have between the customer and your staff. Personal interaction plays a big part in helping to build a quality relationship. Another great way is to provide a ‘code’ that could be redeemed on your website once the survey information has been submitted. This is a great way to drive traffic and give your customer another chance to browse your offerings.

The number of ideas that could be outlined here are only limited by your creativity. Likewise, the types of rewards offered for completing the survey are unlimited. They need to be quality, yet should not be too expensive. Remember, a very successful survey with a lot of responses could get very costly very fast. However, the information you will gain is invaluable!
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About The Author:

Sally Liddicoat is a Wife, Mother, Speaker and the Founder & CEO of AttaBoy! Solutions. Her goal is to help businesses increase sales, generate ongoing referrals, strengthen relationships and create loyal customers and employees through appreciation marketing. Throughout this blog you can sign up for updates, news, special offers, discounts and more. So take a look around, leave a comment or two and enjoy.

Contact Sally

is the sound of my name. Oh wait! That’s not how it goes…

The most beautiful sound in the world to someone is the sound of their own name.

People really do like to hear the sound of their own name. Not only does it personalize a conversation, it let’s them know you are paying attention and shows that you think they are important. This is especially important when dealing with employees. You can put all the business gifts and reward programs in place, but if you don’t treat your employees with respect and your words don’t match your actions – you are dropping the ball.

Below are a few simple suggestions that can reap huge rewards:

• A good way to personalize any reinforcer is to use the person’s first name when delivering the comment. Tell him or her why the behavior or result is important to you.

• Greet employees by name when you pass their desks or pass them in the hall.

• When discussing an employee’s or a group’s ideas with other people, peers, or higher management, make sure you give credit.

• Acknowledge individual achievements by using employees’ names when preparing status reports.

• Name a continuing recognition award after an outstanding employee.

On a side note, remember not to over-use a persons name. This runs the risk of actually becoming annoying and offensive. Similarly, when using someone’s name, be genuine. It’s great to dole out compliments, but when the sincerity is lacking your employees will see right through you.

As mentioned previously, these are very simple suggestions. Any one can do them. It takes no special skills, no detailed planning. Just a willingness to look around, pay attention to the people around you, and then let them know what they are doing right.
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About The Author:

Sally Liddicoat is a Wife, Mother, Speaker and the Founder & CEO of AttaBoy! Solutions. Her goal is to help businesses increase sales, generate ongoing referrals, strengthen relationships and create loyal customers and employees through appreciation marketing. Throughout this blog you can sign up for updates, news, special offers, discounts and more. So take a look around, leave a comment or two and enjoy.

Contact Sally