It Must Be Love

It must be love……right? How do you know?
Well, if you don’t want to go to bed and if you can’t wait to leap out of bed in the morning then you love your business. So, you’re in deep, you’re thinking about your business every minute of every day but do you know how to love it the right way?
I founded a Facebook business and networking group which is facilitated by our business directory.
I receive messages via WhatsApp, text, email and Facebook every single day, sometimes up to 100 not withstanding the phone buzzing too. All the pings have been known to go off simultaneously and, sometimes, at the same time as the kettle boiling, the microwave and the washing machine bleeping and the delivery guy ringing the doorbell. It’s enough to make a lady throw herself into another’s arms.
Almost every question, without fail, is about the marketing of their business; how to market, where should they post, what should they post when they do post, what do I think about blogging, how annoyed they are because someone didn’t book their services when they said they would.

Only yesterday, somebody sent me an email, a text and phoned me in the space of a minute, so I told him, quite calmy, I’d have to call him back because I was right in the middle of sending an email, I just didn’t mention it was to him. A bit like not mentioning to my real love that the neighbour across the road recently asked me out for a drink. Neither needed to know.
The members have a huge platform to market and sell their services, we have a daily promotional pinned post for them to advertise their businesses, a group page where members can post unrestricted and ask business questions and a multitude of extras to help recommend, share and promote their services/products. They have the opportunity to interact and engage but so few do it unless it directly relates to them. Bit like only talking to your partner when you’re at a family gathering, you’re just not building relationships. Everyone, and I mean everyone, likes being noticed, considered and respected, just like your real life partner and just like you.

Well I’ve got the best tip of all, love your business like you love your partner. Think about what adds value for your customer, just like you’d think about making your partner’s favourite meal or choosing a beauty treatment for them, find the reason why they would choose your services and create content marketing posts around it, or write a blog to showcase more detail. Be nice, be charming and show your customer you are committed and that you care by being responsive when they contact you and patiently helping them through their questions. You’ve probably heard their question a hundred times before but that’s the nature of the game and if you start sighing down the phone or sounding impatient (oh yes, that does indeed happen) your customer will leave you as soon as they can. No-one ever walks out the door immediately, but resentment festers and they will leave you just as soon as they find a considered replacement.
No-one can love your business like you do, nobody will love your business like you do. Take moments, grab them during the day and think out loud, hear yourself selling your service or product and think about how it sounds. How you can improve your manner, your body language and keep smiling all the way through. And spare a thought for all those other members, pondering the exact same thoughts as you and give a little. Want your business relationships to blossom? Start talking, it’s all about give and take, that’s love.

For small business marketing advice including social media, blogs and business overview, email Laurel here and book your consultation.