January 2010, Issue 66

Online Lesson . . . Real Life!

The following is an article I posted in my weekly newsletter for the ShopHutchinsonMN.com website. There is an important lesson at the end.

Broken Dinner Plate Blues!

Duh! Ouch . . . Crud!   I am sure those are the words uttered as you watch the dinner plate slip from your hands and crash to the floor splintering into hundreds of sharpened pieces of shrapnel. Your favorite dinner set is no longer a full set.

As you carefully sweep the debris from the floor you think, "No problem, I will just pick up a new plate at the store." The thought doesn't cross your mind that the pattern may no longer be offered. Bummer!

Now in case you haven't guessed . . . I am talking from experience. Being web-savvy I thought I would find another store that sells the pattern and buy it online. Nope . . . nobody seems to carry it anymore.

OK. Now I really dug in and did some online research and found the manufacturer's website. Victory . . . was not mine to have. The pattern has been discontinued and is no longer being produced.

At this point many people would have simply given up, not me, I am way to stubborn.

An in-depth check of online auction websites, Craig's List and the like revealed that no-one was willing to give their own dinner set up for sale. Undaunted I discovered an online business called Replacements, Ltd. 

Good grief, they don't have any either! However . . . . they do offer a nice service where they notify you when pieces do become available! Small victory, but a victory none the less.

It didn't happen right away, 8 months later I received an email notification that the pattern was available. The set is now whole again.

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In case you missed it, this place has the audacity to collect information (provided voluntarily) so they can notify me when the dishes I am looking for are in stock . . . how dare they make my life easier to manage!

The moral of the story . . . Are you missing opportunities to use your website to satisfy your customers needs?

You may want to make it a New Years resolution to focus on your website and find unique ways to help your business stand out of the crowd.

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Tip of the Month!

Always be looking for unique, low-cost and effective ways to market your business.

There are many opportunities out there:

• Networking Groups: I belong to a great group called the Networking and Referral Group!
• Professional Organizations: Join the chamber and participate!
• Low cost, high traffic advertising. (Ask me about the Monitor Advertising at the Hutchinson Bowling Alley)
• Advertise within specialty directories . . . like ShopHutchinsonMN.com!

Obviously I have vested interests in some of my examples . . . but the idea is to be looking for low cost ways to get your name out in front of people.

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Don't Do That!

There is nothing more irritating to people than to be treated poorly. If you treat people like this, you should walk to the nearest corner and put yourself in timeout.

Really, what does it take!?

A business owner I know has been interested in providing an internship opportunity for a college they attended. This person is aware that internships are difficult for the college to secure and is always looking for opportunities.

He contacted the college in question last year and was passed from person to person within the college. No-one seemed to know who he needed to talk to.

Finally, it appeared he had found the correct person to speak with. He was unable, after several attempts, to connect on the phone. Several voice mail messages were left along with a few e-mail messages.

He never heard back.

Skip ahead a year. The business owner we speak of continues to hear about the colleges difficulty in arranging internships. He decides to give his alma mater another try.

This time he finds someone to talk to, they are glad to hear from him and confirm they are hungry for internship opportunities. This person promises to get back to him with more detailed information after talking to a couple of people.

A month has passed without any contact. Ten messages have gone un-answered . . . left in a black void again. This person can not believe how difficult it is proving to be to help someone who is begging for assistance!

No one is so busy that they can not return a phone call within a reasonable amount of time. That type of behavior screams . . .

• Rude
• Inconsiderate
• Lack of Appreciation
• Selfishness

The biggest message being delivered here is this, " I do not deserve your loyalty or attention." 

This happens more often than you would think. Do yourself a favor and don't destroy your good name by making such an obvious mistake as this.

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