July | 2018 | Teik Oh

10 Ways to Thank Your Customer

Jul 31 2018

People buy from us because they know us, they like us, and they trust us.

Think of it from your customers’ point of view – would you buy from a business that you have been to before and got reliable service? Or would you buy from a business you don’t know? Would you buy from a business you know but don’t like, or would you buy from a business that you do like? And finally, even if you know them, and kind of like them, would you buy from a business that you did not trust would provide you with the best that they could?

This is the immutable truth of marketing – people buy from people they know, like and trust.

So, in marketing, we do everything we can to show people that they can trust us – our advertising is open and transparent, we shape our corporate culture so that our word is our bond, we explain terms and conditions, we deliver what we promise. We also do as much as we can to get people to know us – we provide clear websites and send out brochures, we advertise in the circles our markets meet, we have recognisable logos.

But how do we get people to like us? Read More

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Why You Need Systems

Jul 22 2018

Most people start their business to obtain financial abundance, to finding fulfilment in doing good things for their customers, but ultimately to find freedom and lifestyle.

Yet for many, they find that freedom and lifestyle elusive! They find themselves tied to their business, unable even to have a decent holiday when they are not constantly reading email or checking their phones. At work, they start their day checking messages, telling people what to do about all kinds of minutiae, constantly re-training replacement staff, repeating the obvious and then ending up late at night going over the books. Even when they find the income to hire staff, they find themselves constantly telling them what to do or checking their work or correcting their work.

Most business owners work hard – but they work hard on the wrong things. As business owners, we need to identify what really matters – what builds the business. Systems allow us to do this. Read More

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How to Research Your Industry

Jul 15 2018

In business, knowledge is power.

The more you know about your business, the industry in which it is operating, your market and the outside forces affecting your business, the more you can plan and strategise.

Specifically, when you are starting a new business, one of the most important things you need to know is information about your industry. In my online training course “How To Start Your Own Business,” I dig deeper into the need to research your industry in preparation for startup.

Why do you need to research your industry? You know what you’re doing right? You’ve probably been working in your industry most of your working life, why can’t you just hang out your business sign and open the store? Read More

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How to define your “why”?

Jul 08 2018

Since Simon Sinek’s Ted Talk “How great leaders inspire action” and his book “Start With Why” everyone has been inspired by the need to understand and define the higher purpose of your business – not what you do but why you do it.

The premise is that people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.

I have spoken often enough about the power of a clear vision – a strong vision statement sets the target for your business to work towards. I have also spoken, in marketing terms, about how you should not swell the features of your product but the needs that it meets.

The higher purpose – your “why” – is an extension of these two principles: “People don’t buy what you do,” how boring, “people buy why you do it,” that’s inspirational.

But if you’re confused about your higher purpose, how do you find and define it?

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Are you marketing to your customers’ needs – not yours?

Jul 03 2018

In small business marketing campaigns, I often find that the business talks about them and what their product is all about.

Think about it – whether it’s an advertisement or a brochure, or on their website, the messages are:

“This is how long we’ve been in business”

“This is what we do”

“This is what our product is made of”

But let me ask you – do those messages interest you? More often than not – unless you have already made up your mind you want to buy what they are selling and you are in the stage of researching who to buy it from – those messages don’t interest you.

How much better would it be if they spoke about you?

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Increase your sales through a highly focused marketing plan!

SMART Marketing: In this book, the owners of a small business are led through the SMART Marketing 7 Step Process to produce a marketing plan targeted at their most desirable customers. Any business can use these principles and in 4 to 6 weeks implement a plan to get them through the door! Find out how...

The SMART Marketing Workbook: Companion to “SMART Marketing”, this workbook sets out the SMART Marketing process in 7 workshops for you and your staff to complete questionnaires and templates that at the end, form the marketing plan you need to sell your REAL product to your REAL customer! View now...

Archive - July 2018

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10 Ways to Thank Your Customer

Why You Need Systems

How to Research Your Industry

How to define your “why”?

Are you marketing to your customers’ needs – not yours?