Posted  by John Patterson: "'Thank you' are the two most important words in the English language. Yet, how often are you served and end up the only one in the equation doing the thanking? It is always important and never more so in today's tough economy to make sure customers know unmistakably that you never take them for granted. If all your customers exited tomorrow (which they certainly could), how well would you fare the day after tomorrow?

The goal of an effective "Thank You" is not simply the expression of a statement but rather the conveyance of a feeling. We have all been on the receiving end of "thanks" knowing there was little sincerity. Thanks means communicating gratitude in a fashion that makes customers feel your authenticity. Most customer relationships don't end in dispute; they wither away from disregard and neglect. Remember: customer relationships are fueled by affirmation, attention and care which are critical elements of service warmth. Also remember most customers do not feel obligated to let you know they are unhappy much less they are leaving! Research tells us that only 4% of disappointed customers will even bother to complain!...

Continue reading this interesting post at the source site listed below.

Source: Service Untitled, 10 September 2009

Posts are going to be a little erratic for a while. Mom is still recovering from hip surgery at our house and my husband had a heart attack last Friday and is having a triple bypass next Monday. I'll post whenever I can fit in the time.

Oh yes - another beach trip starts tomorrow!! Posting will resume on Monday, June 8^th.

There will be no blog postings for the rest of the week. High school basketball games are calling me to Columbus!

 See you on Monday!

 Nancy

There will be no blog posts on Friday, March 20^th

Posted by Tom Kane: "Focusing on prospects in a down economy - or any economy for that matter - is far down my list of suggested marketing priorities. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd rank it a 15. Business development activities should be focused on existing clients and referral sources 99.9% of the time in my opinion. There are a few exceptions, but not many.

An aside: I had a partner one time, when I was in-house, who told me - no ordered me - to focus on bringing in new clients, and "stop wasting our time on existing clients we already have." Putting a high priority on retaining existing clients, and trying to get more work or referrals from said clients was not on his radar screen. He was a bit long in the tooth, so his radar was WWII vintage, and we can pardon him for his lack of marketing sophistication.

Today, there is no such excuse. This past Wednesday, I had the privilege of listening to a free webinar hosted by John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing blog fame. His panelists consisted of three highly respected experts in the field of referral marketing - Ivan Misner, Bill Cates and Bob Burg. I thought I pretty much understood the value of referrals. Now, the word "clueless" comes to mind. To say the least, I learned a few things (and I expect I can learn a whole lot more) listening to these guys.

Here are a few of their pointers:

Key elements for a referral foundation: Visibility, Credibility, Profitability (includes reciprocal referrals);
Being referable - i.e., potential referrers know you (and what you really do), like you and trust you;
Common mistakes - not prepared, no system, no script, not collaborative and don't ask for referrals;
Focus on giving vs. getting - add value by sending referrals first;
Develop trust - it is "the ultimate root and source of referrals;"
Over 71% of new business comes from referrals;
Women give two to three times more referrals than men;
Sources of referrals: clients, personal networks and strategic partners; and
"Referrals are King" in current economic climate - "More important than ever."

That's just part of what was covered in the webinar. You may want to buy one or all of their books to learn more. I intend to.

Thanks, John."

The active links are available at the source site listed below.

Source: Legal Marketing Blog.com, 12 March 2009

I have a long weekend vacation planned to view the Festival of the Lights at Oglebay - NO POSTS TOMORROW.