How Do You Gain Customer Trust?

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Customer trust and loyalty are pivotal in building a successful business. Establishing a solid long-term relationship with customers can help to scale your business. This is because customer retention is more cost-effective than constant client acquisition.

It costs five times as much to earn a new customer than to keep an existing one.

Also, a happy customer is more likely to recommend a brand they trust to others. So earning customer trust can help to keep customers and to earn new leads and sales through word of mouth.

Here are 4 strategies you can use to earn customer trust.

1. Offer Excellent Customer Service

The level of customer service you offer has a direct impact on customer trust and retention. So it's important to have a committed support staff and high standards for speed and quality of service.

Hire a trained team of support agents and make sure it's easy for your customers to get in touch. Have a set of guidelines that outline the right answers to common questions and make sure customer agents have the right tools to find solutions to complex inquiries.

But this doesn't mean you take the one-size-fits-all approach to serving your clients. Encourage your support agents to treat each customer as an individual. Train your agents to give the information each client needs and to make sure that customers' needs are always met.

2. Embrace Transparency

Do you want customers to trust you? Then you should be worthy of their trust. This means you should be honest and transparent about their expectations of your business.

Avoid deceptive sales copy and gimmicky marketing campaigns, and don't get your audience's attention using false claims about your products or services.

Be as clear as possible about what you offer and create accurate customer expectations from the beginning.

To achieve this, involve your salespeople. Be straightforward with pricing information, fees, and return and refund policies. Let every customer know what to expect before placing an order.

Ensuring customer satisfaction is more than just generating as many sales as possible. Giving your customers all the information they need to make the right decision will make them trust your team.

3. Ask for Feedback

Always encourage your customers to leave reviews about what you're offering. This will help you to improve your products or services according to customer requirements. Responding to customer reviews and feedback makes them feel heard and valued, which is a good way of earning customers' trust. Display the bad reviews along the good ones as this will show transparency. By giving value to clients' complaints and criticism, you'll earn their loyalty and trust.

4. Put Your Clients First

Putting your customers' needs first is an excellent way to earn their trust. You can achieve this by building a company-wide customer-centric culture.

Encourage all your employees to pay attention to your customers and strive to make a positive impact on customers in their roles. By encouraging your teams to consider how their decisions impact your clients, they're likely to make decisions your customers want.

When you produce products or services your customers want, it's easy to convince them you care.

Branding is important for small business owners as well as large ones. To learn more about how to make your customers trust your business and brand, download my free checklist, Branding For Small Businesses at https://jonallo.com/branding

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Make The Best Home Business Choices With This Advice

 

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A lot of people think that operating a home business is something that is hard to do, but it's actually something easy if you apply yourself and learn the information. Look at this article with a careful eye and see what information you can take and use towards your home business goals.

One of the reasons why many people decide to become involved in home business is so that they have more time to spend with their kids. However, as their business grows, they also easily find themselves in situations where their kids impede their ability to work effectively. Just because it is a home business however does not mean that a nanny, babysitter or daycare center is out of the question. Don't ignore these resources just because of the fact that it is a home business!

Study your competition carefully. Understand their pricing and know where you fit in. Never say negative things about your competition. Have your ever noticed that malls are full of clothing stores that all manage to keep doing business? Competition brings out the best in different businesses and every business has its own unique nuances that draw different customers. Talk up your own business, your products' features, and how they benefit your customers.

If you already have a degree in business management that is great, but you should still continue to read as much as possible. If you don't have a degree in this, don't worry, you will still be able to catch yourself up through self-teaching and even hands on experience. Many of the best business professionals never finished college.

Use an attention-grabbing name for your website domain. There are many different websites and you want to make sure that yours stands out from the rest. A catchy name can be the perfect thing to get traffic to your site, it will be easy for a potential customer to remember and easy for them to access.

Decide if you are going to be involved in every aspect of the business. When starting a new business, having a staff of full time employees might not be financially possible and many of those tasks have to be handled on your own. As the business grows and money flows in, you can think about hiring personnel to call customers, collect receivables and thousands of other tasks that a small business needs to get done.

You should try contacting a local radio station and making a deal with them to barter products for a small bit of airtime. They can use your products for prizes in contests or free giveaways and in turn, they can mention your business as the place where they got these products.

With all of the information you just learned you want to try to do the best of you ability to apply it towards your home business. The thing about being successful in home business is that you want to continue to expand your knowledge and apply it. You should see success in no time.

Kurt Tasche is an internet entrepreneur who writes articles on internet marketing tips, ways to make money online and personal development. You can read more articles like this on his blog at: https://www.kurttasche.com

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7 Keys to Good Health by Good Breathing

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A very common slogan among asthma sufferers is "When you can't breathe, nothing else matters", alluding to the desperateness of one who can't inhale the life-giving air. Is life-giving air the full story on breathing? This article takes common breathing advice and gives reasons for its efficacy. It goes further and provides essential elements in breathing technique for better health.

Breathing is perhaps one of the most centrally integrated autonomous behaviours that reach well beyond a simple filling of the lungs. Garcia AJ writes in 2011:

"Breathing emerges through complex network interactions involving neurons distributed throughout the nervous system. The respiratory rhythm generating network is composed of micro networks functioning within larger networks to generate distinct rhythms and patterns that characterize breathing."

The outworking of Garcia's study can best be observed when a person is affected by strong emotions like fear & anger.

Mainstream advice for breathing is to override the autonomous control and consciously inhale deeply through the nose and exhale through the mouth slowly with pursed lips.

Dr Carla Naumburg PhD of 'Ready, Set, Breathe' fame suggests breathing exercises bring mindfulness into daily life. By remembering to breathe, a space is created to restore calm and reduce blood pressure and stress hormones so creating opportunity of situation control.

Professor Konstantin Buteyko (Russia 1923-2003) is credited for a technique characterised by slow and reduced breathing combined with spaced pauses of no breathing allowing Carbon Dioxide to build up to bursting point.

Breathing is a relevant component of the practice of Yoga. Yoga breathing techniques typically accompany either different poses or some form of meditation. Thus it is difficult to separate and ascribe the result to the breathing, poses or the meditation.

Pandit JJ, in 2003 tested 3 breathing techniques for optimum Oxygen uptake, as follows:

1. Three (3) minutes of tidal breathing

2. Four (4) deep breaths taken within 30 seconds

3. Eight (8) deep breaths taken within 60 seconds

The Oxygen uptake was the same for Items 1. & 3 and a higher efficacy than for Item 2. His work illustrates that breathing technique is important.

Enter Nitric Oxide (NO), a colourless gas with a half-life of merely seconds. Nitric Oxide (NO) was named "molecule of the year" in 1994 by Science Magazine.

In 1998 the Karolinska Institute awarded the Nobel prize to US pharmacologists Robert F. Furchgott, PhD, Ferid Murad, MD, PhD, and Louis J. Ignarro, PhD for their discoveries of the role of Nitric Oxide (NO) as being a signalling molecule in the cardiovascular system.

NO relaxes the smooth muscle in arteries providing a larger flow area for blood, thus reducing blood pressure and bring more nutrients to where they are needed. The importance of NO in the human bodily functions cannot be overstated. Even though 1000's of research papers have been written, World research goes on. NO is implicated in heart health, lower blood pressure, better quality of sleep and even erectile dysfunction.

NO is produced in the sinuses, the biggest being the maxillary sinuses either side of the nose. They are closed chambers except for a small soft-tissue opening called the ossium which is open the olfactory airways.

There is no right or wrong way to breathe - the autonomous brain function sees to it that you get adequate oxygen into your system. However, there are ways to breathe to get maximum NO into your system. Here are 7 pointers to help get this amazing gas into your bloodstream.

1. BREATHE IN FAST THROUGH YOUR NOSE.

Nose hair and constricted nose ducting ensure there is a negative pressure in the airways. This partial vacuum causes the sinuses to deliver a small amount of NO-laden air into your inhaled breath. The harder you breathe in the more NO the sinuses will deliver.

2. BLOCK ONE NOSTRIL AND BREATHE IN.

Blocking one nostril and in turn the other nostril will increase the partial vacuum to cause NO-laden air to be injected into your inhaled breath.

3. BLOCK BOTH NOSTRILS AND TRY TO BREATHE IN.

Close both nostrils and try to inhale. This creates the greatest amount of vacuum in your respiratory system allowing NO-laden air to be sucked from the sinuses. Of course you can only do this for a short time before resuming normal breathing.

4. BREATHE OUT SLOWLY THROUGH YOUR MOUTH.

NO needs time to be absorbed into your bloodstream. Accordingly it is good to hold your breath for as long as it is convenient. Alternatively exhale slowly to allow the lungs time to absorb the NO.

5. HUM OR SING

Lundberg et al showed in 2003 that humming increases exhaled NO by 700%. Other researcher found an even greater increase in exhaled NO during humming. Problem is that it is difficult to inhale while humming. Thus the sequence suggested is to hum for 3 seconds then immediately inhale..

6. PRETEND TO SNORE

To overcome the problem of simultaneously humming and inhaling, it is suggested to pretend to snore, making the sound as if you were snoring. The snoring sound frequencies are in the range of the maxillary sinuses natural frequencies approximately 110 to 350 Hz. Allowing the maxillary sinuses to resonate will pulse NO-laden air into the inhaled breath volume. Because snoring is an inhaling manoeuvre the NO will reach the lungs in greater volume.

7. VALSALVA MANOEUVRE

During a descent procedure in an aeroplane headaches are often avoided by use of the Valsalva manoeuvre. This manoeuvre involves closing both nostrils while attempting to exhale until the ear drums 'pop'. This has the effect of pressurizing the sinuses which upon subsequent inhalation release the pressure and inject NO-laden air into the olfactory airways.

FAQ's

A. NO in the sinuses is a finite resource and can be depleted. How can it be replenished? Eat plenty of food rich in Nitrates eg Beetroot, Fenugreek, etc and give your body time to convert the Nitrates into NO.

B. Why not breathe in NO gas like they do for babies with pulmonary hypertension? The dosage of NO in a medical setting is carefully controlled. Exposure of animals to NO has caused drowsiness, unconsciousness and death.

C. Why not sit in a high traffic area and breathe in the NO produced by cars? Motor vehicle exhaust gases do contain NO. However, exhaust gases are a toxic cocktail of other gases such as Carbon Monoxide. The risk of poisoning far outweighs any benefits to be gained.

After about 5 years of buying women's wear from China, India, Thailand, Bangladesh and Indonesia we found a need to ensure supply is according to the following:

• No child labour

• No Azo dyes that cause cancer

• No harsh processing chemicals that hurt the environment.

• Fabric from renewable sources

• Natural fire retardant fabric

We went a little further, and asked ourselves the question:

What can we add to our range of clothing that enhances wellness in the wearer?

We came up with some surprising answers. Watch this space.

WELLNESS-WEAR (Reg TM)

[http://www.diana-ware.net]

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How to Find More Customers for Your Real Estate Brokerage Business

 

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The real estate brokerage business, like any other business, has its own ups and downs. At one point, the business will be booming and you will have more customers approaching you than you can handle. And then, there will be times when your schedule will not be as packed.

Instead of wasting your time waiting for customers to find you, experts recommend putting some effort to find new customers yourself. Being proactive and taking the necessary steps to find more customers will take you way ahead of your competition.

Finding more customers is never an easy task but it can be done with a strong game plan, pragmatic approach and persistence. Here are a few tips that can help you find more customers for your real estate brokerage agency.

Put Up a Website and Promote It:

If you do not a website, it is high time you get one. In fact, it must be on the top of your to-do list when you decide to find more customers. Having a website to represent your business online will help people looking at the web for real estate deals find you faster. If they like what they see on your site, they will be interested in availing your services.

Now the trick is to not just publish a website and plaster content all over it but to plan the website layout, design and content well to give you the results you want. Hire a digital marketing company to apply a few real estate SEO strategies to make your website show up in the search results for relevant search terms.

Invest Time in Social Media:

Social media is the typical hangout for people these days. You should use the power of social media by building your social media presence on a few platforms that are relevant to your industry. This will give you the opportunity to be a part of the conversation your potential customers are having on social media. Answering queries promptly, sharing relevant information on your profile and taking an active part in important conversations relevant to your field will help build trust. Provide value in your conversations so that your customers feel inclined to check out your services and get in touch with you.

Continue Making Cold Calls:

You must continue making cold calls since prospecting is an integral part of any real estate brokerage business. Your income is directly proportional to the number of active clients you have at any point during the year. This will also help cover for any slump in acquiring new clients during any part of the year. Asking for referrals from your current clients can also help acquire new clients. If you are doing good work, your current clients will bring in more clients through word-of-mouth publicity which is the best form of publicity, and on top of it, is absolutely free.

In addition, before we wind up, networking is one of the most important things for a brokerage business. Attend meetings, sign up for training seminars and take up courses to stay ahead of the competition. It always helps to go the extra mile since it allows you to stand out from the competition and makes your customers trust and value your services that much more.

We keep advising them to include good content on their site and adopt only white hat SEO practices - two things that have allowed us to rank companies right on the top of search results time and again. For more info visit http://www.ihusresearch.com

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The Keys to Successful Networking

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Throughout the many years since I first became a business owner in 1990, I have noticed the incredible value of having strong relationships with contacts. Networking with these contacts, or approaching someone new for networking purposes, is an important aspect of any marketing plan.

Personally, I've run a household management service company, helped manage a drum teaching and repair business, was a radio host, blogger and a writer in several fields (reviewing, blogging, freelance, published author). Many of the strong relationships we built in each of these industries over these 30 years are still valued contacts today.

Understanding what networking involves is vital, you need to know about and be prepared for the hidden behind-the-scenes activities that make it all happen. Before starting out on a campaign, reflect on how your communications need to reflect your company's image. This can include color scheme, design, logos, links and other intricacies that reflect your branding. Consider also the visual effect of your communications: whether it appears clean, concise, appealing and uncluttered. Clean, crisp and simple is the best way to go.

Networking means you need to have something to offer. Will you include their name in your ad? Can you feature some aspect of their business activities, policies or community projects on your customer e-bulletin? Are you able to partner with them for a special sale, or get your staff together for a volunteer activity? Can you offer them great resources, for no other reason than to just help them out? Will you refer customers to them? Perhaps you can be a mentor, provide advice, offer services, discounts to their staff, coupon exchanges. Networking campaigns will vary over the years and you may find that you have to come up with reasons to reach out and re-connect with those contacts (at least annually).

It is equally important to have a plan in place so that when someone reaches out and does something nice you can express your gratitude quickly and efficiently.

Keep a brief record of communications you have had with your networking group. It is easy to use a simple program like Excel to create a brief worksheet where you can enter names, contact and latest campaign project. Colour-code the worksheet so you can see at a glance who needs to be followed up with. Each time you reach out, be sure to offer something - a helpful link, a contest they might be interested in, a discounted product, a gift of some kind, a networking idea they may want to join in, or check to see if they need more content for their blog.

Finding new networking contacts is rarely an issue. Start with your current pile of business cards, your suppliers, employees, and customer lists. Don't forget your personal phone book where you have a list of people you already know. Drop each of them a quick note letting them know how much you appreciate them, what it is that you appreciate about them, and how you hope to work together in some way, or maybe you are reaching out just to let them know how you are doing and what you are up to.

Drop into local employment centres to learn about businesses in the area that compliment or compete with yours. Small business advice groups, workshops and events can be found through the local library and government offices. Don't forget to network with the staff while you are there - at least introduce yourself, invite them to reach out and give them your card. If you go to any events, have a ton of business cards on hand. Write on the back of your card (or theirs) a note about the conversation and what you promised to do, i.e. you may have said "I'll reach out to you tomorrow to let you know who my son's baseball coach is." and you've made a note of it on the card he gave you too. After the event, it is easy to glance through the collected cards remembering everyone you met and reach out, referring to the conversation and fulfilling your promise.

Watch for articles and interviews with people who specialize in a similar field as you - learn about steps they've taken, successes and mistakes they've experienced, resources they might recommend. Visit their websites and try to figure out why they chose that layout, the design, the images, etc. Reach out to them to let them know they have influenced you, that you liked their article or interview, or that you'd love to connect with them on social media. Search like-minded websites for resources, helpful links and articles. Check out their media pages to see where they've gotten exposure; perhaps the media listed there would be interested in you too.

Lillian and her husband Dave are the team behind Brummet Media Group, high-fiving cheerfully as they pass each other on the way from checking off one item or other from their long to-do list. Their business includes Dave's music studio and percussion accessory products and graphic design work as well as numerous award-winning non-fiction books and popular blogs. Today we help them celebrate their latest book release - From One Small Garden, with over 300 delicious, nutritious recipes! Visit the Brummets at BrummetMedia.ca

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