Tune in to this short 5 minute segment on the Small Business Association Radio Show where host Michael Rogers interviews me regarding the topic of Making Service Count in Your Business.
Part 6: Listen in as Small Business Association of MI radio show host Michael Rogers interviews Tom Borg on how to make the most of service to your clients.
http://www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/radio/2013/03/27/Business_Next_S6_Tom_Borg
Listen into part 3 of the Small Business Association of MI radio show where Michael Rogers interviews Tom Borg on how small business can turn customer service into a profit center.
There is wisdom a small business owner can derive from the title of Johnnie Taylor’s little known musical recording from the 1960’s entitled “It’s Cheaper to Keep Her”. 
One of the best ways to build your small business is to continually market to your present client base. It is cheaper to market to them and keep them, rather then, only focusing on trying to find new ones. Yet, with that said far too many businesses squander their marketing and advertising dollars only trying to attract new clients.
Studies show that it costs 6-7 times more to attract a new client than it does to keep the one you have. While it is important to constantly y be acquiring new clients, it is critical that a business spend the majority of it marketing dollars on its present client base. Jay Conrad Levinson, marketing guru, recommends that breaks down the marketing budget in this way.
10% to the universe
30% to a qualified prospect list
60% to present client base
So if you want to build your business the smart way, I suggest you focus the majority of your marketing dollars and time on your present client base.
How do you get a salesperson who will work 24/7/365? I tell you how in this article. 
www.magazine-agent.com/Selling-Power/Magazine
Avoid sending holiday cards at Christmas instead pick various holidays or days of significance ie. Groundhog Day or St. Patrick’s Day to send a greeting card. There are services like SendOutCards.com/CardsAndMore that can help you with this. 
Another approach is to assign someone in your office to make a list of clients to send cards to and pick several holidays or days of significance Here is a list of days of significance and holidays to choose from that can make you different than your competitors. For more ideas contact me at 734-404-5909 or visit my website at www.tomborgconsulting.com
Major 2013 Holidays Calendar
January
Here is a way to keep abreast of pertinent current news in your business area. It is called Google Alerts. I find it to be priceless in keeping current with the industries I want o learn about. How about you in your business. Are you current?
Google takes all the work out of it. And it is 100% FREE. Simplty click on the link below and follow the directions to get tuned in and focused on news you can use.
When it comes to your message on hold for your small business there are do’s and don’ts. Here is an excellent article that can give you some insight before you select a system. 
http://www.easyonhold.com/blog/no-apologies-necessary-in-message-on-hold/#
Five minute radio interview with Tom Borg discussing the red flags of sloppy customer service. 
http://www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/radio/2012/07/27/Business_Next_S3_Tom_Borg
Why do so many companies balk when it comes to investing in customer service and employee performance training? One reason is they do not see the immediate payoff for the money they spend. Since their sales do not immediately start going up, they rationalize that the dollars they invest in employee development isn’t worth it. Ironically, the budget for customer service and employee performance training is the first to be cut when the economy softens. This can begin a downward spiral that either stunts the company’s growth or leads to their ultimate demise.
It’s a lot like the analogy of a lumber harvest company not budgeting the time or the money to keep the lumberjack’s cutting tools sharpened because business is down. Eventually the quality and workmanship of their lumberjacks will suffer and this will lead to an increase in complaints from the end customer. If they get too many unresolved complaints, the customers will vote with their feet, and take their business to its’ competitors.
John Humphrey of the Forum Corporation suggested that part of the problem is that the management is not aware of how training really works. The results that come from implementing a training program follow a time-line. When you take a closer look at what actually happens when an organization develops its’ managers and employees, here is what you will find.
1. Training costs will immediately go up.
2. The number of customer complaints will come down.
3. Sales will go up.
4. Costs will come down.
5. Profits will go up.
The training and development of your greatest resource, your team of managers and employees, invariably does pay off. It just takes a little time, effort and money. When you are cognizant of the development process that a training initiative takes, it will give you the added insight you will need to create a continuous improvement strategy. It will give you the reserve power to answer the objections that could come from your management team and employees. Typically those managers and employees, who need it the most, will complain the loudest. However, by being firmly committed to and communicating a long term strategy to improve your company through training and development, you will eliminate the common malaise of groans and objections.
The companies that build their customer service and staff development skills will outpace their competitors, build their client base and grow their profits, and that is what you really want , isn’t it?.
Want to learn more? Visit our website at www.tomborgconsulting.com or call our office at 734-404-5909.