Business Growth Strategies – If at first you don’t succeed – learning from business failure

May 15, 2012 By 2 Comments

As business owners there are many opportunities to learn from others, whether it be from successes or  failures, and in the dot com age there have been

Max Delivery a case study for business growth strategies

Max Delivery a case study for business growth strategies

many failures to learn from.  Kozmo was a high flying company that had grand dreams of   delivery of nearly any product you could want, sent to your home in one hour or less, the result, no delivery charge and small orders meant millions of dollars lost by growing the business too quickly and then unable to change the pricing structure. Chris Siragusa who was the former Kozmo Chief Technology Officer still held onto the dream and has now built up MaxDelivery.com and is succeeding in the same market that Kozmo failed, with a major difference. Chris is building his model with less speed and haste. This  is where the business growth strategies between the two companies has varied, calculated and steady (Max) or fast and uncontrolled (Kozmo).

 

 Business Growth Strategies – If at first you don’t succeed – learning from business failure [Read more…]

Filed Under: Small Business Growth, Why Small Businesses Fail

Customer Retention Strategies – ROCK your Customers – Book Review – customer loyalty and retention

May 14, 2012 By 3 Comments

Customer retention strategies are high on the list of what small business owners want and need to grow their businesses.  Customers can sometimes be a necessary evil, over time we can be worn down in the day to day grind trying to be calm, patient, listening and advising. So at times we  need a ‘pick me up’ or ‘recharge’ ourselves to regain our focus on customer service, and I have come to the conclusion that I need to change my mindset.  I have now re-found my The Hidden Power of Your Customerspassion for my customers. The source of this passion has steamed from a book I have started reading called The Hidden Power of Your Customers  by Becky Carroll. You and I know that existing customers should not be overlooked. You and I  know that  are know the it’s cheaper and more effective to sell to existing customers than to try and source new ones.  The customer retention strategies by Becky help to get us to a point we can move forward, and if you have been in business a while, renewed. Also this book will help those just starting out to learn great skills from the start and maybe avoid  some of the mistakes that are so easily to made when dealing with the public.

Beckys stategy uses a ROCK metaphore

  • Relevant marketing
  • Orchestrated customer experience
  • Customer focused
  • Killer customer service
to provide  a boost to your business by focusing on the current customer base.  As it’s the existing customers that can become champions for our businesses, even without them be aware they can spread the word on what sets our businesses apart from the others.

At the current price of $13.72 on Kindle or from & $18.00 hardcover this is a no brainer investment to make in your business.

 

Click this link to go to order in Amazon The Hidden Power of Your Customers: 4 Keys to Growing Your Business Through Existing Customers

 

Read more below:

 

Customer Retention Strategies – ROCK your Customers

 

From the Inside Flap

This book will change the way you think about your customers. Some companies are ahead of the game when it comes to customer retention. They’re doing so much right for their existing customers that they have a loyal following of brand evangelists. These are “Customers Rock!” companies that have built their businesses by unleashing the potential that’s hidden within their current customers.

But many other companies have a long way to go. Loyal customers get very little in return for their business. New customers get the sales and marketing attention, the cool social media outreach, and the best deals. Feeling unrecognized and neglected, once-loyal buyers seek better treatment elsewhere. Additionally, the onset of social media is driving a major change in customers’ behaviors, making it highly risky not to focus on existing customers. It’s time to get back to the basics. It’s time to return to the customer.

Through practical tips and real-world case studies, The Hidden Power of Your Customers offers four key strategies for retaining and achieving growth from existing customers.

 

Customer loyalty and retention book review

The following are reviews on the book from Amazon.com

 

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
 A must read for marketers February 23, 2012
Format:Hardcover
“The Hidden Power of Your Customers” is a revolutionary text for marketers. I use Becky’s book in my graduate level customer-focused marketing class at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, because it is a perfect example of the current state of marketing. The dynamics of marketing have dramatically shifted and Becky’s blueprint on what it takes to engage and establish loyal relationship strategies are gracefully put into context with sound examples. This book is a must for evolving marketers.
A MUST READ!!, March 26, 2012
Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)
This review is from: The Hidden Power of Your Customers: 4 Keys to Growing Your Business Through Existing Customers (Hardcover)
Bravo! I finished reading “The Hidden Power of Your Customers” the other night and I have to say that is it one of the best business books I have ever read. I really enjoyed Becky Carroll’s writing style and think that she was able to take a series of complex ideas and make them exceptionally easy to understand. Moreover, she provided highly relevant examples that reinforced her points. This is a must read book for all executives that want to remain competitive, and excel, in the age of social media and customer empowerment.Chuck Lisinski
Managing Director
OptiStrat Consulting

 Lots of yellow ink August 8, 2011

Format:Hardcover
In the introduction to “The Hidden Power of Your Customers”, Becky Carroll encourages readers to use a highlighter as they read. By the end of the book, I had more yellow highlighter throughout than untouched pages. The book is full of practical advice about unleashing the power of existing customers to: go from satisfied customers to ones with deep affinity, increase their LTV, spread word of mouth and drive referals. The book contains case studies, checklists, metrics and more. I particularly liked the core consept that brands spend the bulk of their marketing dollars on finding new customers and fail to unlock the value of existing customers. In this age when companies confuse followers or fans with true brand asdvocates, it is refreshing to read about a process that makes customers the focus. Not only do “Customers Rock” but so does this book.
Note the links on this page are affilate links to amazon.com and this site may receive renumeration

The Hidden Power of Your Customers: 4 Keys to Growing Your Business Through Existing Customers

Filed Under: Small Business Marketing Ideas and Tips, Small Business Personal Development Tagged With: , , ,
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