INTERNET MARKETING
Be Consistent
As you’re adding your business to online directories like Yelp, BringFido.com, Rover.com and Thumbtack.com, make sure the company name, address and phone number information is uniform across all of them. Most SEO specialists agree that search engines consider your name-address-phone consistency across the web as a way to validate that your business is legitimate. “Google might show incorrect information or not show your business in its search results if your information is not consistent in the various places they appear online,” says Dawn Mentzer of internet marketing agency Straight North.
RECRUITING
Homecoming Hires
Finding talent in a small town can be difficult — after all, most of the best and brightest prospects have moved elsewhere to work. Marketer David Wolfe suggests this strategy to try to win some of them back: Advertise your openings during homecoming holidays. Thanksgiving is the biggest, but Easter, Memorial Day and Labor Day are other prime times to catch people visiting home.
OFFICE SUPPLIES
Peel Sticky Notes Right
For you sticky note to-do list keepers, apparently there’s a right and a wrong way to peel Post-It notes off the pack. Think side-to-side, not bottom-to-top. Peeling from the bottom makes the notes curl at the adhesive strip. Work coach Martin Schapendonk shares this tip on Whitehorses: Start at the left of the pad and pull the note to the right (or vice versa). Voilà, a flat-lying note. This way your notes will have a better chance of sticking to your wall, monitor, mirror or the fridge in the breakroom.
SALES
Improv Your Skills
Looking for something a little different to do this fall? Gary Ware at the Dumb Little Man blog suggests an improv class. It can make you a better listener, train you to think faster on your feet, and perhaps best of all, make you more comfortable with rejection. “Not all audiences appreciate or understand your humor and that’s fine. It doesn’t mean that you’re not good at what you’re doing. You learn to embrace the failure as much, if not more, than the success,” he writes on the blog. Real failure he notes, is not trying.
HIRING
Keep Looking
As you look out for new staff, keep in mind this reminder from Jim Collins, author of Good to Great: “When in doubt, keep looking.” (This is absolutely true of full-time staff … for temporary staff, you can always bend a little.)
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IN-STORE SIGNS
Creative Examples
We’re always telling you to get creative with your in-store signage. Here are two that have worked well for Paul Lewis of Bird Unlimited in Webster, NY.
ONLINE
Review Your Reviews
Schedule a session every Wednesday to review customer feedback on online review sites. Not only will this allow you to keep up with what people are saying about your business, but you’ll be able to “share any positive feedback you receive in your social networks and other communication avenues with your customers,” says retail blogger Nicole Leinbach-Reyhle writing on Forbes.com.” After all, strong reviews are earned so why not share them?” she says.
FOOTBALL ANALOGY
Player Stats
Salespeople love to keep score. So why not indulge their competitive nature with stat sheets à la the NFL. Post weekly reports showing total yards gained (dollar sales), touchdowns (sales closed), conversions (add-ons), turnovers, fumbles and so on. Offer small prizes to keep it fun and lighthearted. Too much rivalry can undercut sales floor cooperation.
