Success secrets for 2009!

With the downturn of the economy many businesses feel it's time to tighten their belts and focus on surviving instead of what keeps them in business. Businesses are closing every day. With these 4 easy steps you can ensure a successful new year.


#1-Plan your work and work your plan. Take time to plot out your marketing plan for the entire year. Include tradeshows, e-mail blasts, direct mail, etc. How often do you want to "touch" your clients? Can you work time in monthly to personally "touch" each of them? If not focus on your top 20%. Acknowledge their birthdays, send articles that pertain to their business. After each order and every referral send them a thank you card/gift. Ask yourself, what can you do to keep a personal relationship with your clients so they stay loyal to you. Are you using social networks for your clients to keep in touch with you? Make your list reasonable. Doing too much can give you paralysis.


#2-Make a list of 5-7 things that you will NOT do this year. These are items that aren't productive or work against your goals. Such as cleaning your office during normal business hours. Wasting time and energy on projects that produce small or no results. This list is as important as #1 above.

#3-Follow-up! It's important to keep your client abreast of the status of their order. If it is supposed to ship on Monday. Contact them on Monday afternoon and let them know it did with the expected arrival date and tracking number. Within 1-2 days of it's arrival contact your client and confirm that it was received and that they are happy with it. If they aren't do what it takes to fix the problem. Ensuring their satisfaction keeps them as your client! Fall in love with your clients and they will fall in love with you.

#4-Motivate your TEAM! Make sure your employees are on the same team. Getting them to buy into your vision is the only way your company can survive. Your employees are the only people who are more important than your customers. Take time to recognize the employees who make a difference to your company. Reward them. Up their benefit package, give them a bonus, a gift, an extra day off. So many possibilites that don't have to break the bank.

Implement these ideas a little and you will gain a little, implement them a lot and you will gain a lot. If you decide not to implement them at all you will get nothing.

Happy promoting,
Shana Anderson
Complete Workplace, Inc.
Promoting your business is our business!
www.CompleteWorkplace.com

How can you stay top of mind with your clients 365 days a year?

Calendars! Probably the best value per view of any promotional item out there. It is viewed daily, even several times a day. It's used in front of others and they too notice your logo. It can start a conversation, referring business to you that would have surely been missed otherwise.

On average a calendar is looked at 12 times per day. That's 84 times per week. Over a year that's 4,380 times. That many views will keep your brand top of mind.

in 2006 approx. $500 million dollars were spent on calendars branded with company logos. In 2007 $660 million dollars were spent. That's an increase of more than 30%. Were you smart with your advertising dollars and purchased calendars or did you miss the boat?

We all want to be organized and with so many options out there what's the best way to do it? Calendars! Many believed the days of the paper calendar were numbered with the rise of the PDA's and BlackBerrys. NOT TRUE! Calendar sales continue to flourish year after year.

With only 3-1/2 months left in the year and the holiday season just around the corner what are you going to give to your clients this holiday season? Don't wait until the last minute and give your gift with everyone else. Make an impression and be the first to give your holiday gift. Showing that you are ahead of the crowd, proactive and that you are always there for your clients.

What are the best selling calendars? Wall hanging, appointment style calendars with a different picture each month. Which theme should you select? Timeless...something that everyone likes. Scenic, motivational, Americana, Norman Rockwell, etc.

What if I want to be trendier? Eco-friendly is the way to go. Printed on recycled paper. Printed with Eco images and tips.

What about the construction industries? Employees who spend the day in the field prefer day planners.

Need to motivate your employees? Do your clients want to motivate theirs? What's better than a motivational calendar? Positive messages and powerful images encourage anyone to be there best.

If you need help choosing the calendar that will fit your needs please let me know. I would love to help.

To your success,

Shana Anderson

Complete Workplace, Inc

Milpitas, Ca