Need some research data, but don’t think you can afford it?  Basic information isn’t as expensive as you think!  One of the simplest and most economical ways of generating research data is to conduct an in-house customer survey.

Customer surveys provide basic demographic data and allow your customers to provide limited but specific input on your products and services.  You can print up small survey cards at very little cost – even do it in the office, if you have a good printer – then give them to customers at checkout or tuck them into invoice mailings.

Or, instead of printed cards, you can do an on-line survey through your website, or send out email surveys using one of the many free services available online.

Either way, don’t forget to offer an incentive to participate, such as registration in a giveaway or a simple coupon freebie.

If you have questions about setting up an in-house research program, contact ClearPoint at info@clearpointmarketing.com or call 828-253-7255.

ClearPoint has just received an Award of Distinction from the Academy of the Visual Arts in its 16th Annual Communicator Awards program in the category of cover design, for Harrah’s Cherokee Casino & Hotel Community Report. Communicator Awards is a leading international awards program honoring creative excellence for communications professionals.

The American Advertising Federation of Asheville (AAFA), led by ClearPoint president Brenda Murphree, received a National Club Achievement Award for outstanding work in membership development at the national AAF Conference in Orlando earlier this month.  The national awards are presented annually to AAF clubs that display exceptional accomplishments in club operations, membership, public service, and other areas.  Congrats to Brenda and our WNC ad club!

There you sit.  You’ve got credit card in hand, visions of a new widget burning in your mind, and you can’t get anyone to answer the phone at the store where you’re trying to place your order.  Are you a bit annoyed?  Frustrated?  Downright angry?  Are you considering calling another store – or even forgetting the purchase altogether?

That’s how your customers feel when they call your business and don’t get an answer.

So, what do you do?

I’m glad you asked.  Let me share this story from a friend of mine who is a marketing consultant and then you decide.

A few months back a large auto parts company hired my friend to help them build sales in the weakening economy.  On his first visit to the flagship store, the general manager gave him the grand tour.  He showed my friend the neatly arranged shelves stacked with every part an ailing auto could ever need.  He introduced his “spit and polished” and highly trained staff.  And he proudly announced that he ran the best store in the company.

While my friend listened to the rather lengthy presentation, he said he couldn’t help but notice that the phone rang incessantly. In some cases, it would finally be answered after over a half-dozen rings.  Other times it would just stop ringing before anyone got to it.

At the end of the tour, my friend told the general manager that he would be providing a list of recommendations to the corporate office after visiting other stores.  But, he suggested that in the meantime, the general manager should have his staff answer all phone calls before the fourth ring.

After thirty days, my friend stopped by to see the general manager and asked how sales were going.  He was told that, as suggested, the staff had begun answering the phone before the fourth ring – and that the store had just had the best sales month in its history!

Now, I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that it’s worth a bit more effort to answer the phones if it can produce sales like that.  So take a look at your business.  If your staff is too busy to answer the phone, then hire someone to do it.  It’ll make all the difference to your sales numbers.  And, it’ll make your bottom line very happy.

1. Develop strategies for where your customers are hanging out – for example, niche blogs, Google groups, industry forum sites. Don’t allow yourself to become lazy and only rely on Twitter and Facebook.
2. Remember to make content the heart of your social media strategy. What stories are happening around your brand that make your company or products interesting to your prospects?
3. Finally, it’s crucial that you understand your role in social media. Is it to observe? To engage? To develop conversations? Or to develop relationships? Get clear on this, and your social media efforts will be much more productive.