Lessons Learned Archives - Page 68 of 78

Give it 48 hours

11.08.2012 by Elizabeth // Leave a Comment

The other day I met with a client who said she often gets distracted and spends a lot of time on the next “latest and greatest idea.” So she has videos on her website that people don’t watch, or a ton of social media networks that she’s not using. And her question was, “how do I know what to spend time on?” GREAT question!

As I have mentioned time and again, I am a TERRIBLE employee. So, when my previous bosses would come to me with “a great idea, you should get right on it” I usually give it 48 hours. With some of them, I made them “remind” me about it again. Why? Because it’s not always a great idea. I’m not going to drop everything to work on it and the next have them change their mind.

If you think you have a great idea, give it a couple of days. If you can’t stop thinking about it, that’s a great sign. If you’ve already forgotten about it, that may be an even better sign.

Thoughts on Referral Gifts

11.06.2012 by Elizabeth // Leave a Comment

I LOVE my dentist, he’s such a great guy, very friendly, a great doctor and a total dork (all important qualities to me). So, a few months ago when my neighbors said they needed a dentist, I told them they HAVE To go see my guy!
Fast Forward to Friday afternoon, I got a letter in the mail from my dentist. And inside that letter was $10. It was a formal typed letter thanking me for referring the neighbors and this was my referral gift.
Besides your grandma, when was the last time you got $10 in the mail? It was a fun surprise!

If a current client refers business to you how are you thanking them? No matter if you send a gift, cash, gift card, a free hour of work, whatever it might be, a hand written thank you note is the way to go. I know you have terrible hand writing and I won’t be able to read half of it, but it really is the thought that counts. I’m not writing this post to look a gift horse in the mouth (plus I already spent the $10!), but make a schedule and remind yourself, when you get a new client, make sure to take 5 minutes to send a note to the person who referred them and if you want to include a gift, do so. It’s not required, but it’s always a thoughtful gesture.

Do you DO the work?

10.25.2012 by Elizabeth // Leave a Comment

I received a referral out of the blue yesterday which was pretty great! After a fun and busy day with clients, coming home to a potential new client is always a wonderful thing. As we emailed back and forth to go over details, one question asked was, “Do you DO the work?” Of course the answer is YES! I’m not a big fan of giving you a plan and leaving you to deal with it all on your own. Let’s be honest, you won’t do it. If you were going to do it, you’d be doing it in some form or another already.

While I was surprised by the question, I guess I shouldn’t be. A lot of people tell you what to do and then leave you to figure it out on your own. Like my doctor. she always tells me to lose a couple pounds and exercise more. Sure, but is she going to come walk with me & Hank every morning and then count my calories for me? No? Fine, then I WILL eat that donut.

Make sure you know the expectations up front. Ask those questions when you’re meeting with someone you plan to PAY. There’s nothing worse than a plan that sits in a drawer unused.