How To Keep Your Business Growing During the Summer Months
Seek Ways to Create ‘Old School’ Real Time Interactions
With each emerging generation, face-to-face interactions – also referred to as relationship marketing, is becoming a “thing of the past”. But don’t let it!
As the great marketing guru – Simon Sinek says: “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” And that is SO true …people want to know the why behind the what, and a face to face can help you offer them that.
Create Face-to-Face Events
Although technology is an excellent tool for marketing your business and reaching a broad target audience, there is nothing more valuable than looking someone in the eyes and talking to them about how your product or service can help address their needs and/or enhance their lifestyle.
So get friendly! Consider creating face-to-face events such as…
- Customer appreciation day …to honour those who have helped you grow
- DIY in-store class …to help customers understand how to best use your products
- Charitable event …to give back to the community you serve
- Block party with like-minded business in the area …to collaborate fearlessly and show customers it “takes a village”
Seek Out Ways to Build Community Over Competition
Often times marketing companies will seek to “set you apart from your competition”. But there have been interesting outlooks on how competition can be beneficial for your business, as brilliantly displayed in these 10 Ways Competition Can Improve Your Business’ for instance, rather than seeing your competition as a rivalry, begin to see them as potential partnership to collaborate with on projects, research, events, and promotions.
Host a Gratitude Inspired Summer Party
Thinking outside the box will also pique the right kind of interest for your business, and possibly even garner you media coverage. Hosting a ‘customer appreciation day’ is one thing, but hosting a gratitude party? Now THAT’S something else altogether!
Hosting a gratitude inspired summer party could include inviting your customers, your business friends, supply companies, even your competitors …and so on.
Think in broad terms about who you can be grateful to for making your business a success and watch your business blossom from that vantage point. Taking the time to show others you care is what we need more of in this world, and it is what could turn the stale summer months of business, into a trend worth repeating!
Bring On the Summer Promotions
Who doesn’t like a great deal that enhances this season of choice?
Summer sales and special offers are a persuasive way to help prompt customers into making buying decisions. Regardless of if you provide products or services, summer is a great time to offer promotions, discounts or a “refer-a-friend” initiative to help generate business. Simple as that!
Don’t Pretend to Vacation – Disconnect FOR REAL!
This means your away message applies to, not just your clients, but YOU as well.
If you have to check email or phone messages… be disciplined! Set the days that you’ll be checking messages and stick to those days. As well…
- Turn off ALL your devices and put them out of sight so you are not tempted to cheat yourself out of your vacation
- Create your social media posts in advance and use an auto-scheduler to post them in your absence
- Create a post announcing about your vacation and where you’re going. Make it engaging and fun. Your vacation can actually be a great marketing opportunity and a chance to tag your customers!
Then, take your vacation time one step further…
- If you wear a watch, take it off and put it away
- Turn off all phone notifications so you can still utilize it for picture taking opportunities without work popping up on the screen
Take a Well-Deserved Break
Sometimes, business owners and corporate leaders just need a break. Getting away can help you recharge and bring fresh ideas and energy to your place of business, which staying local might impede.
Consider exploring a new country or just a new town. Lie on a beach and take in some Vitamin D. Get out in nature where there is no Wi-Fi coverage, so you’re forced to decompress. Try something new and you just may discover – it was exactly the decision that was needed for your business.
Albert Einstein once said: “creativity is intelligence having fun” …and sometimes, your intellect needs a break from thinking so inspired thoughts can come out and play!.
Let Summer Slide – Instead, Set Your Sights on the Year Ahead
Summer is the perfect time to revisit your business plan and goals for the year ahead, evaluating what has and hasn’t worked within your marketing agenda, catching up on paperwork that has been weighing you down, and/or taking the time to look into new products or processes that can help you better manage your business.
Need help in that area? Let’s create your customized solution together! We offer a full range of services that you can find HERE, some of which just might include…
- Helping you learn a new skill
- Assessing your staffing needs
- Tackling your lead generation strategy
- Revamping your website and refreshing your social media
- Organizing a motivational staff retreat
- …and more!
Work with a Qualified Business Coach
At myCEO.ca, we will work with you to explore new ideas, inspire creative thinking and build a plan that aligns with the goals and aspirations you envision for you and your business. Let’s chat about your vision and see how we can make it a reality!
Click to connect with us for your free 30-minute coaching conversation.
