BRANDINGShow Your Vanity Plate
One fast, inexpensive way to increase your community visibility is with a personalized license plate. Don’t be shy: 9.7 million other American cars have personalized plates. Your plate can make a basic statement of enthusiasm like MILHI or DOOBIEZ or ISIT420, or emphasize your cannabis-related product with OUIDJNTS, CBDGUMZ or FLWRPWR. Have fun with it. It’s a simple way to be recognized wherever you travel around town—especially when coupled with a distinctive vehicle. (Note that we said “distinctive” — not “expensive”.)
GOOD HABITSList Your To-Don’ts
OK, just about everybody regularly creates “to-do” or “start doing” lists. But Jim Collins, author of Good To Great, wonders whether you have a “stop doing” list. Think of all the harmful, unproductive (or even less productive) behaviors you engage in … and put them on your list. Let your “stop doing” list help you focus on the things you need to do to make your business great.
WEBSITEPublicize Your Hours
Challenge: Call a friend and ask them to go to your website and see how quickly they can find your business hours. Did it take 10 seconds? Awesome, you’re doing great. Around 20 seconds? OK, not bad, but you might improve visiblity of this important information. Thirty seconds or more? You should definitely make a change in your design to ensure that business hours (and key contact information) are super-easy to find. Because that’s one of the key things that people are looking for when they visit your website.
Advertisement
CUSTOMER SERVICEYessify Your Yesses
There is always a better answer than a mere “yes,” says Dale Dauten, author of The Gifted Boss. He gives the example of asking a number of auto repair shops if they repair Lotuses. Most say “no,” a few say “yes,” but then one says, “Absolutely, we specialize in imports and the shop’s owner drives a Lotus.” Who do you think got the business? So the next time somebody asks you if you carry CBD tinctures, find a better answer than just “yes”.
TECHNOLOGYSneak an Ad
If your free wi-fi network isn’t already called “acme-cannabis” or “ten-percent-off-acme-prerolls,” it ought to be.
HR & STAFFINGServe up a Sandwich
You may have already heard of the concept of giving “sandwich” criticisms to employees. (Short version: Say something nice, make your criticism, end with something nice.) One other thing to watch out for, according to T.J. Schier, author of Send Flowers to the Living, is using the word “but” as part of the sandwich. That one small word can ruin the taste of the whole sandwich. Instead, use “and,” as in the following example: “Jane, normally you are my best employee, and it’s critical you are here on time so you can do that awesome job of client service. Now get out there and make it happen.”
PROMOTIONSTake It to the Streets
Your biggest sale of the year is here, and you want to make sure that you’re jam-packed with customers. You’ve spent big on advertising and done heavy direct mailing. What else can you do? On the day of the sale, hire people to wear sandwich boards promoting the sale in big red letters. (“50% Off! Today Only!”) Have them stand at major intersections within a mile radius of your business.
MARKETINGEschew Surplusage
Pro copywriters avoid bogging down their marketing messages with overly long sentences. But how long is too long? Exactly 17 words, says author Rudolf Flesch in The Art of Plain Talk. And be sure to mix things up with shorter five- to 10-word sentences.
Advertisement
