Corban & Blair - Blog

The ideas outlined below by Maggie are things we at Corban & Blair spend time trying to keep a breast of.

Never underestimate the value of being ’detail-driven’ in creating and maintaining a positive impression with your customers. Meaning that, it’s the attention to the little things that people notice. In fact, if they ‘don’t notice’, that’s even better, as you can get on with business at hand.

I did some consultancy work for a firm that aspired to grow its client base to ‘high worth’ customers. They were a very smart, switched on group of people. However, there were ‘details’ that detracted from their overall business persona.

The big bill item was the fact that one senior staff member ran late for every appointment. There was always a good reason why this occurred, but, it happened frequently both with internal appointments and his customers. His business was the ‘apology business’.

Further, getting more ‘nitty gritty’, there was a certain general disorder in the ‘client accessible’ areas, such as outdated magazines (when will medical practices stop trundling out New Idea 2004!) scattered across the room, flowers in water that had started to grow slime, a receptionist that wore inappropriate business attire and greeted clients in a parochial and overly familiar manner.

For the most part we get ‘used to things’. The scuff marks on shoes, the pulled thread on a coat button, the untidy reception area, the boxes in the corridor, the stale water in a vase, the tardy employee.

However, the ‘total package’ whether of an individual or a company is constantly being scrutinised by those doing business with them. Take time out to do a ‘detail audit’ and enlist a fresh pair of eyes to check out the loose threads in your office.

To summarise

·   Punctuality conveys respect

·   Orderly environments suggest orderly business dealings

·   Friendly, though not familiar, interactions ensure professionalism

·   Personal presentation and grooming communicates self worth and value

Let me know if there are ‘details’ in your business that are devilish!

Maggie

videan@bigpond.net.au

http://www.parexcellence.net.au/maggies-blog/ www.parexcellence.net.au

Maggie’s business aims to assist you: Delight customers • Inspire leadership • Create powerhouse Executive Assistants • Wow audiences • Generate unbridled enthusiasm • Promote sales charisma

Last Friday I attended a workshop about on-line retail optimisation. The presenter was Martin Newman from the UK. Four hundred and fifty slides later I was amazed at the improvements we can now make to our website – a site I had thought was quite efficient.

We will add the strategies below as we upload our new product ranges for the Christmas selling season:

• feature our best sellers

• make sure our search function is obvious and is set up to assist customers. Check the key words we use- are those our customers look for

• colour code all action buttons

• ensure we have a call to action on each page

• make sure all images are clickable

• contact details on each page to ensure customers can call if they need information or help

• adding steps and explanation to the purchasing process to make it easy and clear for the customer. To create a customer experience which is easy, informative and inspiring

• shipping and returns information made clearer

• gift wrapping and cards- we do it but it does not specify we do

• understanding what, why and where we get cart abandonment

• using Google Analytics so that we get information was can act on

• having clearly understood calls to action

These are just a few things we can do that should assist customers to purchase from us. As we will be using Google Analytics more efficiently we should be able to see if these changes make a difference!

It was an inspiring day, leaving me with a lot of work, but with confidence that the effort will be worth it.

For further information see

Martin Newman – Practicology.com/mnblog

I went to this last year and learned a lot. I hope this year will be as useful. www.onlineretailer.net/reviews.

Has anyone further feedback, ideas or other places to learn and be inspired?

The Connectnow Conference held in Sydney 7-9th April was great. Paulette & I went from Corban & Blair. We found it informative thought provoking with broad implications across all the social media platforms we use and interact with.

Exceptionally interesting were Darren Rowse@problogger (Australian) and Gary Vaynerchuk@garyvee (American). They stood out (others we good also) for their ideas, tenacity, passion and generosity. Both are worth having a look at.

We took away things like- know what your purpose and goals are, LISTEN and know what is happening out there, learn from the success of others, be useful, build a community- extend your community onto further platforms, be personal, tell stories, be unique, leverage what you have, craft your content, be transparent, be consistent and prolific -just get out there learn, adapt and improve as you develop and achieve your goals. Authenticity matters if you want a “real” community, as does transparency and the equity you can build into your brand.

This was just a snippet of the conference offerings.

If you have suggestions of other conferences, blogs, books, people we should look into let us know. Like most other successful creative businesses we are learning and making it up as we go.

Any wisdom you have to share would great. Just put it in the comment box and we will respond

See Connectnow.net.au for information on the other speakers.

It Happened One Summer by Shahram Zadgan.

A photographic exhibition featuring a series of photographs shot with film, inspired by young lovers, washed up players and European natives. It was held at the China Heights Gallery in Surry Hills. Corban & Blair provided the black slim box frames that complemented the images.

For more information or to purchase the photographs contact www.chinaheights.com or bahar@rescu.com.au

For a treat visit Jason, Clare and staff at their new store,

Level 2 in the Queen Victoria Building.

Bristol & Brooks. Also have a store at Chifley Plaza, 2 Chifley Square Sydney NSW 2000

Browse or purchase on line www.bristolandbrooks.com.au

When you have a moment and want to be inspired visit http://www.ted.com/ to listen to short talks of about 10-12 minutes by remarkable people for FREE.

I occasionally dip into these when I want a different perspective on life and work.

I spent an afternoon this week listening to TED speakers on a range of subjects. One of these was recommended to my by Suzi Dafnis of the Australian Business Women’s Network and was presented by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the best selling novel Eat, Pray, Love. It was about creativity – cultivating it and respecting it.

If you are interested in creativity and want to be entertained you will enjoy it.