|
back to newsletter index
Must Reads from Jumpline.com
Co-Founder, Marc Hardgrove
8 tips for getting your biz in the holiday spirit
by Jeff Wuorio | http://www.microsoft.com
Stroll down Main Street or the main drag of your local mall
in mid-December.
Observe: Enough twinkling lights for an EEG. "The Little Drummer
Boy" in four languages and three distinct musical formats (gospel,
salsa and hip hop). Garlands that can reach from here to La Paz.
The message is simple — the holidays are everywhere. And,
for you, the small-business owner, that begs the question of
whether you absolutely must incorporate the holiday season into
your own business — no matter if that means tinsel on your
walls or trinkets for your best clients.
- The answer is a qualified yes. But here are eight elements that
can make that strategy all the more effective:
Find out what your customers want. A powerful rule no
matter the question or the season, but — whether through
word of mouth or formal surveys — know what your clientele
wants. Chances are good that most will opt for a holiday flair — decorations,
Christmas cookies, the whole fruitcake — but that's no
certainty. Indeed, if you're situated in an area awash with
holiday pomp, some customers may welcome an oasis: "It's always
essential to give your clientele what they want," says Marcia
Layton Turner, author of "How to Think Like the World's Greatest
Marketing Minds." "It
never hurts to ask them if they'd like you to skip decorating
and other things. Some may appreciate that you're the exception
rather than the rule."
- Know your customers' tastes. Make
certain you accessorize accordingly. That means, if you run
an occasionally noisy sports bar, your choice of decoration
and lighting can be — shall
we say — somewhat more liberal than a family-minded pet
store. On top of that, decorate demographically — don't
buy the same $1.25 plastic Santa headpiece that goes over the
grill at a burger joint for a restaurant that provides home-equity
loan applications with its entrees. "Decorate to the level
that your customers expect," Turner says. But spend your money
wisely too. If they expect a Santa Claus, and you can't afford
to hire one, you may consider recruiting a jolly old relative
or friend — or
do it yourself.
- Compartmentalize your holiday space, if you'd
prefer. There's
no Yuletide law that mandates that every inch of your business
has to smell like a pine-tree arboretum. Consider earmarking
only a portion of your business space for holiday-related accoutrements.
For instance, one business I know works up a holiday village
that occupies only three center aisles. The atmosphere is holiday-laden,
complete with music and ersatz snow drifting down. But the
rest of the store could be in Maui in July for all you could
tell. "It
can often be a great idea to keep things to one area," Turner
says. "Those
who want it can enjoy it. The rest of the world can ignore
it if they so choose."
- Be creative; consider new approaches. Even
the most ardent holiday decoration fan would admit that things
can start to look rather — ahem — uniform after a bit. After all, 12
successive stores all playing "The 12 Days of Christmas" can
really sap a tune's hum-ability. So, track down lesser-known
holiday music, look out for out-of-the-ordinary decorations
and think up holiday-tied programs your customers might appreciate.
Case in point: Turner knew of a store when she was young that
offered a holiday castle that was open only to children. In
they would go and, with the assistance of staff member, choose
a gift for their parents in complete privacy.
- Service businesses: This affects you too. The issues
of decoration and other visual concerns may seem less important
to you if your business is more of a service business. But
that doesn't mean that the holidays aren't just as important — rather,
the holiday season reinforces the importance of keeping in close
touch with your client base. Find other ways of doing so, such
as special promotions, event sponsorships or even charitable donations. "Business-to-business
doesn't have the same merchandising opportunities as retail does," Turner
says. "But the holidays do create a reason for communicating
with your clients."
- Don't sound monolithic or impersonal. One of the inadvertent
yuks I get out of the holidays is the corporate Christmas card
that's signed by the company — not the employees, but the
operation itself, as though someone had somehow taught this intangible
entity how to write ("Best wishes, from Monolith Co.") Don't make
the same snafu — if you're sending out cards, have them signed
personally (by you or members of your staff). If yours is a larger
business with employees delegated to certain functions, have the
most appropriate members of your staff sign the cards — say,
a sales rep who deals with a particular list of clients.
- Buy business gifts intelligently. You may be able
to save money on ribbon candy, but service businesses shouldn't
overlook the importance of buying gifts for their best clients.
But don't just run out and buy 100 chorizo and cheddar nibble
'n nosh boxes. Instead, research your top customers, find out
what they would really appreciate and hit that target (within
cost considerations, of course). If money's a concern, you
can always trim expenses by buying lesser clients less expensive
gifts. They're likely doing some belt-tightening this holiday
season as well.
- Make the good tidings go beyond the holidays. Even
the most generous client gift outlay can ring hollow if you
morph into Scrooge for the other 364 days. So, make certain
that, however you communicate with your clients during the
yuletide, it's part of a consistent, overall communications
program. "The holidays can be a great opportunity
for marketing," Turner says. "But remember it's not the opportunity
to communicate; it's another opportunity to communicate."
|
