Character Discernment: How to Find Safe People

Have you ever met someone seemed fake? They’re charming, funny, and confident. Yet there’s something about them that’s off?

Your intuition waved a huge red flag in your mind’s eye, signaling caution! DO NOT PROCEED!

And what did you do?

You ignored the warning and form a connection with that person to only regret it later.

We’ve all been there.

I’ll be the first to admit of learning the hard way.

Character discernment is like completing an American Ninja Warrior obstacle course. It's incredibly challenging, but with practice, patience, and self trust, it can be accomplished and very necessary for protecting yourself and your business.

What makes character discernment challenging?

From personally experience and observation, I have uncovered 4 basic truths.

1. Adults have become masters at hiding our true selves from the world. Western society has taught us we must be something more than who we are to belong. The search for belonging and acceptance motivates us to consume things we believe will "fix us"

2. Not trusting yourself.  There have been countless times I trusted others before myself.  Yes, I was naive and yet I didn't know my own power so I freely gave it away.  How many times have you trusted someone's word over or your intuition? What about a group of friends, or experts? We naturally look to peers and expert opinions before trusting our own judgement.

3.  We judge others based on qualities outside of character traits. Some of us discern people based on their personality, looks, financial status, ethnicity, etc.  It's only when we look at character are we truly able to connect with safe people.

4. Allowing emotions to over-ride rational thinking. We buy out of emotion. Marketers know that, sales people know that, and manipulators know that. Being able to pull back those feelings and think things through would save a lot of money and heart-ache.

 How to find safe people

Safe people are those who are trustworthy, reliable, and genuine. They'd never intentionally bring you harm and want the best for you. Finding safe people involves being aware of patterns in behavior and conversation, self-reflection and dealing with your own short comings and sticking to personal boundaries.

 

THANKS FOR READING MY BLOG!
Are you looking for ways to stay top of mind?
Contact Us to discuss your client retention blueprint!
Or check us out on Facebook at TamaraBurkett

Customer Loyalty: What Do Your Customers Really Care About?

Do you know what your customers value the most about your product/service?  Many business owners assume it's quality, great customer service, or price.

But if you were to ask current clients, their answers may surprise you. Sometimes personal concerns play an important role in buyer’s choices.

Recognizing the full range of both rational and emotional factors behind client purchases and tailoring your communications accordingly, is just as essential to client retention as it is to gaining new clients.

Today's criteria of  affordability, met expectations, and great service is standard for doing business.

Savvy BOSS LADIES include surveys in their customer support process to know what clients value.

How well are you retaining your clients?

Many entrepreneurs assume 50% client retention rate is great. It's a good start but you should want more customers to stick around.  Keeping as many clients as possible reduces the time and resources it takes to gain new customers.  An ideal client retention rate of 80% is a target you should aim for.

If you're not at the 80% mark, focusing your attention on keeping customers would be the easiest and smartest way to grow your business.

Are you nurturing your clients as prospects?

Now tell me this: Who is more likely to purchase high ticket offers—new buyers or existing buyers?

That’s a no-brainer.

If you see your existing buyers also as prospective buyers, and include them to the maximum degree, you will significantly improve the percentage of new business that results.

We often miss this clear and simple, direct route to improving our businesses because we don’t see existing buyers as prospective buyers, only as “past” buyers.

This is absurd and risky.

Making sure clustomers are aware of all the services we provide opens the door for new business. Addressing their individual values such as personal growth, reduced anxiety, and reputation solidifies customer loyalty.

THANKS FOR READING MY BLOG!
Are you looking for ways to stay top of mind?
Contact Us to discuss your client retention blueprint!
Or check us out on Facebook at TamaraBurkett

 

 

 

Customer Loyalty: What Do Your Customers Really Care About?

Do you know what your customers value the most about your product/service?  Many business owners assume it's quality, great customer service, or price.

But if you were to ask current clients, their answers may surprise you. Sometimes personal concerns play an important role in buyer’s choices.

Recognizing the full range of both rational and emotional factors behind client purchases and tailoring your communications accordingly, is just as essential to client retention as it is to gaining new clients.

Today's criteria of  affordability, met expectations, and great service is standard for doing business.

Savvy BOSS LADIES include surveys in their customer support process to know what clients value.

How well are you retaining your clients?

Many entrepreneurs assume any number 50% is great and it's a good start.  Keeping as many as your clients as possible reduces the time resources it takes to gain new customers.  An ideal client retention rate of 80% is a target you should aim for. Increasing client retention is a simple and easy way to meet your revenue goals.

Are you nurturing your clients as prospects?

Now tell me this: Who is more likely to purchase high ticket offers—new buyers or existing buyers?

That’s a no-brainer.

So what I’m sharing you is that if you see your existing buyers also as prospective buyers, and include them to the maximum degree, you will significantly improve the percentage of new business that results.

We often miss this clear and simple, direct route to improving our businesses because we don’t see existing buyers as prospective buyers, only as “past” buyers.

This is absurd and risky.

Making sure clustomers are aware of all the services we provide opens the door for new business. Addressing their individual values such as personal growth, reduced anxiety, and reputation solidifies customer loyalty.

THANKS FOR READING MY BLOG!
Are you looking for ways to stay top of mind?
Contact Us to discuss your client retention blueprint!
Or check us out on Facebook at TamaraBurkett

 

 

 

Intuition:Optimize YOUR Brain Power Part 2

As a child, relying on my intuition was second nature. The sun was my watch, I knew what mood my mother was in by the sound of her footsteps, and could smell the rain before it came.

Yet as I grew older, I relied on it less and less.  I educated my intuition away.

Now, as I stare my forties in the eye, it has become a priority to reclaim that powerful relationship with myself I had as a child.

How can I return to the awareness I once had?

First I must understand what I'm reclaiming.

How do you define intuition?

You might define intuition as a gut feeling, or leading with your heart, but it's much more than that.

Ancient Polynesian navigators were able to map most of the Pacific Ocean without the use of  tools.  They used all five senses to gain knowledge of the waves, clouds and stars. The navigators were able to read the state of the ocean and traveled hundreds of miles on small canoes without getting lost.

Polynesians aren't the only people to achieve extraordinary accomplishments without the use of tools or technology.  Yet their story reveals 2 fundamental truths:

1. How we relate to the world builds intuition.


2. Intuition is an experiential intelligence.

More than 95% of your brain doesn't use language.  It relies on data collected from your 5 senses. All that information is translated into language and emotions for us to plan and take action. In other words, the majority of our brain is used to relate and understand the world while less than 5% is used to manipulate it.

Yet, we spend the majority of our bran power to manipulate our world.

No wonder we are overstressed, burned out, and in a hurry.

If you want to use more of your brain power, strengthening your intuition is the answer.

How can you become more intuitive?

Building intuition requires being fully aware of your environment and self awareness. Here are 4 daily exercises to improve your 6th sense.

1. Reflect on your emotional state. Understanding what triggers certain emotions will help to improve self awareness, control reactions, and become more proactive.


2. Breath deeper. It may sound too simple to be true, but most people take shallow breathes. Breathing deeper will give the body more oxygen, keeping you calm, and relaxed. This will make it much easier to slow down, be observant and notice patterns.


3. Take in your surroundings. What does it smell, touch, taste, sound, look, feel like today? Asking yourself these questions daily will help you become in tune with yourself, and your environment. Once it becomes a habit, you'll notice patterns will start to emerge and you'll be able to tell if something's off.


4. Go for a walk. Fresh air does the mind good. Experience beauty of nature and slow down.

Intuition is an internal compass that help us make sense of the world.  It grounds us, keep us safe, and bonds us to each other.  Strengthen your intuition and watch a new world unfold before you!

THANKS FOR READING MY BLOG!
Are you looking for ways to stay top of mind?
Contact Us for your client engagement blueprint!
Or check us out on Facebook at TamaraBurkett

 

 

 

 

 

Peer Networking: Creating Strategic Alliances

What does Mark Zuckerberg, Issa Rae, & Bill Gates have in common?

I’ll give you a hint: think strategic networking…

That’s right, they all collaborated with their peers to grow their business. When well established companies would not give them the time of day, their peers offered them opportunities.

Horizontal networking is a powerful strategy most business owners over look.

I was certainly guilty of this and questioned this strategy.

What do two entrepreneurs in the same stage of business have to offer each other?

Asking this question opened the flood gates of creative answers and transformed how I network.

Just like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Issa Rae transformed their businesses, you can too.

True BOSS ladies know the value of horizontal networking and use the power of peer groups to grow their business.

Here are my top 5 ways to leverage your peer group.

1. Honest feedback.  It’s a huge advantage to have a group who'll test your branding, products, and marketing.  A large company would pay thousands of dollars to a marketing research company for the feedback your peer group would gladly provide for free.


2. Support.  It's challenging talking about business to loved ones. Often times, they're tired of hearing about it, they don't understand, or it's boring to them.  No matter if it’s to celebrate or vent, your peer group will understand your victories and pain. They can also help plot your next move.


3. Project Opportunities. Peers are more willing to include you in proposals  for joint opportunities such as workshops, webinars creations, conferences etc. If your business offers adjacent services/ or products, it’s a win-win situation for you, peers and clients.


4. Marketing. Marketing opportunities are abundant in peer groups.  Guest blogging, podcast interviews, and event sharing are just a few inexpensive ways peers help one another gain visibility.


5. Build life-long relationships. Experiencing collective emotional highs and lows build strong, lasting bonds.  It's amazing fun making money with people you enjoy being with.

Building strategic alliances with your peers can make all the difference in the world when growing your business.

THANKS FOR READING MY BLOG!
Are you looking for ways to stay top of mind?
Contact Us for your client engagement blueprint!
Or check us out on Facebook at TamaraBurkett

 

 

How to Prevent Clients From Having Buyer's Remorse

Have you ever had buyer's remorse?

You know, that sinking feeling of regret after a purchase.

I’ve experienced buyer's remorse plenty of times and still do from time to time.

That feeling of regret is a red flag signaling you've over spent, there’s a lack of value, or little to no trust of the product/service will meet expectations.

As a business owner, buyer's remorse can be the kiss of death for your business.

Often times, customers hold the business responsible for their negative feelings and this can lead to no repeat business, and bad reviews.

Although buyer's remorse can be the result of the consumer's actions or emotional triggers, the business can suffer the backlash.

Take my old man, Ryan and his recent car purchase for instance. Old Betsy, his 12 year old Kia Optima, has been on her last leg for a while. A week ago we found out she needed over $2,000 of repairs.
Instead of sinking more money into fixing Betsy, he decided to get a new-to-you car.

After all was said and done, he paid $100 more in monthly payments for a 4 year old Honda and they gave him less than $500 for Betsy. In addition, his car insurance increased $40 dollars.
Don’t get me wrong, the Honda is a sweet, sleek, sexy thang. It drives better than Old Betsy, it's safer, and has the latest tech features.

So is the Honda worth the extra $140.00 in monthly payments? Was it what Ryan intended on buying? Was he treated fairly?

All of these questions invaded my mind when Ryan brought the car home.
I wasn’t there when the wheeling and dealing went down and Ryan’s starting to display buyer's remorse behaviors.

Clearly he went over budget and that’s the core reason he’s feeling regretful.

So what is he doing about it?
For starters, Ryan’s renegotiating his insurance plan.  If it isn’t reduced, he‘ll search for a new insurance provider.
Secondly, he's driving in silence to listen for any unusual sounds in case there’s a slight chance he could return the Honda.

That's pretty much it.

If you’re wondering if my old man will make a second purchase from the dealership or refer someone, probably not.

He's more likely to give a negative review than refer someone and doesn’t even remember the salesperson's name he worked with.

Ryan’s scenario is so common in business that many entrepreneurs either try to avoid doing business with the "Ryans" in the world or cut ties from them after the purchase. Very few business owners would attempt to satisfy a remorseful customer.

Yet wise BOSS LADIES know customers like my old man have advocate potential. With a few tweaks in customer experience and support, clients like Ryan could be raving fans.

What can you do to avoid buyers remorse & build customer loyalty?

Loyalty begins in the sales cycle.
Educating clients on who you are and how you work is the first step in creating a transparent sales cycle. When you make the unfamiliar familiar for prospects, they know what to expect which builds the first stage of trust.

Putting the relationship before profit by doing right by  your client is another key element in building deep trust and staying top of mind. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should lose revenue serving your client. It does demand consideration when offering your solution.

For example, if the car salesman would have noticed Ryan’s uneasiness and reassured him of making a great decision or offered an alternative, Ryan would’ve came home excited about his hot new car. He would’ve also been appreciative of the salesman's thoughtfulness.
With one simple act of putting the relationship first, the car salesman could’ve become memorable, increased word of mouth buzz, and received a referral.

How does your business measure up?

What gets measured gets improved.
Do you know your client retention rate? Established companies that focus on customer retention will grow their business faster and more efficiently by tracking their customer retention rate. For a simple way of measuring your client retention rate, try this formula:
E=# of existing customers at the end of given period.
N= # of new customers during given period.
S= # of customers you had at start of period.
Customer Retention Rate(CRR)
CRR= ((L-A)/S) X 100

Knowing your client retention rate will take the guesswork out of growing your business.

THANKS FOR READING MY BLOG!
Are you looking for ways to stay top of mind?
Contact Us for your client engagement blueprint!
Or check us out on Facebook at TamaraBurkett

Churning Clients Off: How To Improve Client Retention

My sister recently had a horrible experience with an auto repair business. They quoted her one price and the next day, increased it by $60.00. She waited 4 hours for her car when they promised it would be ready when she arrived and the day after the repairs, my sister’s car wouldn’t start.

What a freakin’ waste of time and money! What lousy service!
Does this sound familiar?

All too often consumers feel victimized after their first purchase and the odds of them repurchasing is ZERO.

While the churn and burn method of doing business is still practiced, the success of your business relies on customer retention.

Smart entrepreneurs know the key to client retention is delivering great and consistent customer experience.

Here are 5 questions to ask yourself about the customer experience in your business.
1. Am I clear when setting expectations? Transparency is key to a satisfied customer. Be very clear on what you need from the client and what they can expect from you.
2. Do I speak to all my clients the same? Not all clients are motivated by the same thing. Many clients are turned off by feeling like just another number. Identifying the types of client you have and tailoring your message to fit your client types will improve engagement.

3. Do I follow-up after the purchase? Asking clients if their needs were met is essential to increasing repeat buying. The feedback received will help improve your business and is an opportunity to solve a new problem.

4. How do I handle dissatisfied clients? Being kind, professional, and helpful when handling dissatisfied customers opens the door to future purchases.

5. Do I demonstrate that I care? Clients want to know that you care about them and their problem. Beyond solving their issue, what support do you provide?

THANKS FOR READING MY BLOG!
Are you looking for ways to stay top of mind?
Contact Us for your client engagement blueprint!
Or check us out on Facebook at TamaraBurkett