How many times do we go to networking events, exchange business cards with several individuals and then… not follow up! We are all guilty of this to a lesser or greater degree and yet we have made the initial investment in the design, print and exchange of cards, attending the function and introducing ourselves, so what goes wrong?
Is it our typical British reserve? Why do we feel so awkward about making follow up contact? Could it be that our expectations are so high that it stops us from thinking about the most appropriate approach? Is it that we feel that it’s obvious these...
Is this what your website would say if it had a voice? How many of you have invested your time and in some cases, a not inconsequential amount of money, in a website only to leave it floundering out there in cyberspace fighting for its intergalactic life! Out of date information, typos, old images, missing information on built pages, outdated screen sizes, links that don’t work, no social media links and half-hearted attempts to be social, news features and blogs several months old, text-heavy content, poor visuals, the list goes on and on…
With increasing demands on small to medium size businesses it is no surprise that many company directors and owners find themselves drowning in a sea of paperwork. Compared with large companies, small to medium size businesses usually have far fewer resources to help them with their day to day marketing and advertising needs whilst they comply with new demands on their time, for instance the recently introduced Real Time Information (RTI) introduced by HMRC. It is therefore no surprise that the shape of the workforce is changing dramatically with many companies wising up to the increasing...
How well do you know your competitors? How many times do you keep an eye on what they’re doing? Are they stealing a march on you and if so how are they attracting customers? Many small to medium size companies are limited on time and because of this are not as knowledgeable about who their main competitors are as they should be, but finding out what makes your competitors tick and keeping one step ahead of them is sound marketing strategy and gathering of intelligence about them puts you and your company in a very strong position - information is most definitely power.
Being at the very well attended and totally indulgent Venus Awards Nomination Launch Event this week, hosted by Tara Howard, Founder, and Celia Delaney, Speaking Success, created to recognise Local Business Women http://devon.venusawards.co.uk/ , we were spoilt for choice – massage, mini cup cakes or Choccie Bar? Although we strenuously resisted it, we were drawn to the free samples of delightful handmade chocolates courtesy of chocolatier Katie Jones and her company Choccie Bar. With beautiful hand crafted chocolate stirrers, heart-shaped lollipops and stunningly decorated Easter eggs, it...
With Social Media marketing taking on a life of its own in recent years, we at The Plum Consultancy ask what is relevant and what isn’t? How many people are drowning under the barrage of tweets, shares, likes, LinkedIn requests and Google+ notifications? Are they all meaningful or are tweets being re-tweeted within an inch of their lives and is anyone taking any notice or is it all going in the spam folder?!
We believe the considered approach is the only approach to have when using and dealing with Social Media for business purposes. Social Media is as much about relationship...
How important is it to you to have a really good experience when you go out shopping, to a restaurant or at any time when you buy products or services? If you’re anything like us, the answer is – Very Important!
The whole experience means the difference between using a company once or returning several times for a repeat experience. How important is a friendly face, helpful advice or a pleasant telephone manner? And how objective are you about your own business’s image? Do you know what customers think of the experience your company offers? If you don’t you need to find out quick!...
Have you ever contemplated why some businesses do so much better than others in the same industry? And do you find yourself drawn to certain products,remembering certain slogans and tunes with good product recall?
Love it or Hate it, Go Compare, is probably one of the most well known brands in the country and having gauged the depth of feeling with the public about how annoying the Go Compare advertisements have now become, their advertising strategy has now moved to engaging high profile celebrities in trying to kill the Go Compare man off – Clever!
South Devon based experts in tourism, hospitality and marketing have signed up to offer a FREE speed mentoring service in English Tourism Week in 2013.
The Speed Mentoring event forms part of the English Riviera Tourism and Business Conference at Torquay’s Riviera International Conference Centre on 21st March 2013 being organised by the English Riviera Tourism Company.
The mentoring team will be giving bite size chunks of information about hot topics, delivered on a one to one basis, to tourism businesses who just want to pick up new tips or ask a few critical questions....
If you’re waiting for your customers to come to you with their next order you’ve got a fundamental problem – you’re taking part in the Waiting Game. It was Franklin Delano Roosevelt that said “The Only Thing We Have To Fear Is Fear Itself” and nothing is truer in business than this.
Your existing customer base can hold hidden treasures in terms of extra business. How proactive are you at going after it? Do you think ‘If I contact them then I run the risk of hassling them and then they won’t use me anymore’ – If this is your mindset then think again.
