Homemaker CEOGrowing Spiritually, Personally, and Professionally

Social Media Benefits with Jodi W. founder of Aim For Perfection Editing.

In my book, Good Enough to be a Homemaker and CEO, I wrote a chapter titled In the Business of Ministry. The point of the chapter was that though it is a business we may be running, in essence, if you are a believer, your business is a ministry.

 Last week while at a speaking engagement a friend, Holly Bellomy, with Dallas Real Estate Staging, was present. During our introductions to one another at the table Holly made a comment that should be eye opening to believers in business. She shared that she used to see her business as a simply that. One day it dawned on her that the Lord is using her business to minister to families who have to move from their homes and may not necessarily want to. Yes, she stages homes to help them sell and it sounds exciting but the other side is that moving is not always optional.

 How is the Lord using you to minister to others through your business? I heard a guy at our church a couple of weeks ago say that he is a wedding photographer and his reason  was that he had a passion for seeing marriages flourish.

 What is in your hand that God has given you to use for Him but you are not acknowledging it? Keri Oles with Living Divine Ministries challenged us to consider this last past Friday and I remind you of  it so you may start pondering it in your heart.

Your business card is a mini representation of you and your business.  Consider the following tips to make a great impression with your potential clients and to reinforce your brand.

 Include pertinent info

1. 1. Your name
   2. Phone number
   3. E-mail address: This should match your website, for example: holly@dallasrealestatestaging.com Use your name with your email address because you want people to remember it and don’t use your account at Verizon or Gmail because it isn’t professional (of course this is acceptable until you create your website).
   4.  Title (owner, director, professional, etc.)  Your clients want to know who they are working with.
   5. Website:  If you don’t have a website you need to get one.  You should at least have one page with your contact information so that your potential clients can find you.
   6. Fax number
   7. Address: your home, store front or PO Box (this is a great option) Make it easy for your potential clients to contact you by providing a variety of communication methods.

 Color

1. 1. Do a little research on color theory and the feelings that different colors evoke.  Then choose the color for your logo and text. What do you want your clients to “feel” about your business?  Choosing the right colors will emphasize your brand.  Keep in mind that light colors such as yellow and orange do not show up well and are difficult to read when used for text.
   2. Font
      1. If the font size is too small, your clients will not be able to read it and therefore won’t be able to contact you.  If the font is script or fancy it may also be difficult to read.  Choose a font represents your company and is easy to read.

 Photo

1. 1. Include a photo of yourself, a good photo, because you are selling yourself!
   2. When you are networking, it is much easier for people to remember you if they can see your picture.
   3. You can add a photo to the back of your card.  A black and white photo is acceptable and is cheaper to print that full color.

 Type of paper

1. 1. The type of paper you use says a lot about you.  Are you cheap (thin paper) or generous (thick paper)?  Glossy paper is great for colorful graphics

 Logo

1. 1. Branding-your logo should represent your business and reflect your brand:
   2. Should be easily reproducible
   3. Sets you apart from your competitors

 Vertical Vs. Horizontal

1. 1. Choose your style, but horizontal cards are easier to read when placed in business card sheets and rolodexes (yes, some people still use these!).

 Tag line/motto

1. 1. If your business name doesn’t say what your service or product is, consider adding a tag line.

 Back side of card

1. 1. Here is some additional space to list your services, more info, your client’s next appointment, a photo, or a call to action.

 This information is provided by Holly Bellomy, owner of Dallas Real Estate Staging

www.DallasRealEstateStaging.com                  cell: 214-532-9677

Kindness Builds Loyalty

2 Chronicles 10:2, 3 and 4-7

Jeroboam’s story is told in 1 Kings 11:26 – 14:20

 Notes:

• Rehoboam was King Solomon’s son
• King Solomon was one of the kings of Israel, also King David’s son
• Jeroboam was told by the Prophet Abijah per God’s instructions that he would rule ten of the twelve tribes of Israel. This upset King Solomon who tried to kill Jeroboam so he fled until King Solomon died and his son Rehoboam was to take the throne.

  ^1(A)Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.

  ³So they sent and summoned him. When Jeroboam and all Israel came, they spoke to Rehoboam, saying, ⁴“Your father made our ^(C)yoke hard; now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”

 ⁵He said to them, “Return to me again in three days.” So the people departed.

 ⁶Then King Rehoboam ^(D)consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, “How do you counsel me to answer this people?”

 ⁷They spoke to him, saying, “If you will be kind to this people and please them and ^(E)speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”

1. Regardless of whom we are dealing with whether clients or followers, friends etc we must be kind to earn their loyalty.
2. Though we may be the ones in the loyal position (owners of the business), we are to be kind instead of expecting our clients or employees to be kind to us. This means that if we have conflict with a customer, employee, or other, we should be encouraged to diffuse anger, offer them something that would be pleasing to them and removed the determination in your heart to be right.
3. Who or what situations have you found yourself in lately that you could have given them the loyal treatment with kindness and speaking good toward them? What can you do from this point on to remember that being the leader, king, or queen of your position, you are still required by God’s standards to be king, find ways to please others, and be encouraging by your words?

Mission: To encourage and mentor homemakers and CEOs to discover and develop their God-given, untapped abilities, skills, and self-esteem according to God’s revealed purpose for their lives spiritually, personally, and professionally. www.homemakerceo.com and www.teresalusk.com.

Copyright © 2010 Teresa G. Lusk

Most people you meet are potential clients. Many of them, I am sure, are
women just like you and me. As women and mothers we understand the balanceit takes to run a home, a business, friendships, marriage, etc. Because ofthat, I understand how easy it is to get comfortable with other women we
meet and want to do the mommy and business thing all at the same time.

This works for most while we are at home. We may be able to have a
business related phone call while our kids are at home if it is quiet,
send emails, schedule, appointments, etc. However, there are particular
times when business should be represented as such and we should strive to
represent ourselves as professionally as possible.

Yes, the rest of the world should know we are mom’s first and proud of it!
Yet, specifically when meeting with someone to talk business transactions
or introduce them to your products, and services, consider hiring a sitter
for that meeting/appointment time.

Whether your children are well behaved, or will sit quietly and read a
book as I have heard some say, it may still be unprofessional to the
person you are serving.

Our businesses exist because we are serving others, not ourselves. That
means, serve them in a way that you would want to be served. If you went
to purchase a service or product outside of your home, you too would like
a peaceful shopping/pampering experience.

Childcare is a high cost to run our business, however, that is not our
client’s issue to deal with, it is ours, and if you and I plan accordingly
and take those cots into consideration, we should be able to operate just
fine.

I hope this challenges you to take the next step and commit to represent
your business with absolute professionalism.

 Upping Your Professionalism Week 2

 Last week I challenged you to “Up Your Professionalism” by not taking your kids to meetings and work appointments. This week, I would like to challenge you with a bit more. If you take these steps and apply them, there is no reason why your business should not be affected in a positive way and see great results.  

The business presence you put out will determine if individuals will contact you for business transactions. I, as many others will not do business with someone who does not have a website. Cruel, I know. But, that is where our time and culture is now, and it is up to us to “up our professionalism” if we want our business to succeed.

 Along with the website it is important to have an email address with your domain name. For instance, I used homemakerceo.tlusk@sbcglobal.net for a long time. The proper thing to have done would have been to use speaking@homemakerceo.com or teresalusk@homemakerceo.com. Now I have speaking@teresalusk.com for my speaking business. You can get this done as soon as you get your website.

 For the March month workshop Holly Bellomy will teach on creating professional business cards. This is the third and most important thing. Many of us pick crazy, cool font that only we can read. We are not trying to impress ourselves, we actually want people to be able to read our business card, visit our website, and then take action in doing business with us. You can not represent a business without the three of these things and expect the public to take your business seriously.

 What are the three steps you will take for Upping Your Professionalism Week 2?

• Get a website
• Get an email address with your domain name
• Get a business card

Copyright © 2010 Teresa G. Lusk

Good customer service is important, but it will not necessarily bring repeat business or referrals – it is expected

 People don’t refer business to you because you meet their minimum expectations. They refer you because they expect you to do a good job which, in turn, enhances their relationship with the person they are referring

   1. Take their pulse. In this changing economy, it’s more important than ever to get ongoing feedback from your customers. Using inexpensive online surveys, you can quickly learn what your customers are thinking at any given moment. Ask how you can help them. This is powerful information you can use to make real-time adjustments to your business based on your customers’ current needs.

       2. Have a dialogue with your customers. Don’t just feed information to your customers and talk at them; invite them to engage in a conversation with you through your e-mail marketing newsletters. Do this by writing content that inspires your audience to talk back in a Q&A or a “stump the experts” section. Ask readers to submit their questions or concerns, and then publish answers and opinions. When you feature a conversation with customers, you demonstrate to your readers that you share their concerns and that you’re also dealing with the pressures of the economy. Providing timely, interesting and entertaining content shows off your expertise, while listening and responding show that you care.

ž      3. Co-host an event with another local business. Whether you’re a retail business with a Main Street shop, a professional service with an at-home office or an entrepreneur with a web presence, teaming up with a related business is a great way to cross-promote to likely customers.

Use your e-mail marketing tool to publicize these live events and leverage both your list and your co-host’s list. Always have an e-mail signup book readily available to collect new addresses from future customers.

ž      4. Do good and drive business to your business. Consumers are becoming more aware of social issues and their impact on the world around them. Tap into your customers’ desire to give back to the community. Team up with a local charity that will use your business as a drop-off location over the holidays, or make a donation in your customers’ name in a charity holiday gift drive as an incentive for them to do business with you.

Use e-mail marketing to inform customers about your involvement with the charity and invite them to join you in your support by offering their time, money, or ideas. You’ll be doing something great for the community while increasing awareness for your business.

ž      Touch base frequently. If they recently placed an order or you provided a service, ask them for feedback. Showing you care about their satisfaction level speaks volumes about your commitment to them. It can also provide you with an opportunity to gain insight on other products and services that you can offer to gain new business.

ž      If they have not done business with you in a while, check to see how you can help them. It may also serve as a reminder that they may need your product or service.

ž      2. Pick up the phone. If most of your communication takes place via e-mail, it’s still important to pick up the phone occasionally to touch base with your customers. Personal interaction is an important element in building a relationship

ž       Branch out. You may have a particular target market in mind, but to reach it doesn’t mean that you network with just that group. Find groups that don’t mirror your target market and build relationships with their members. That is the benefit of networking. People you meet know people who might be future customers.

ž      4. Become a resource. Stepping out to assist someone doesn’t always mean you’ll get an immediate return on your efforts. Refer a customer to them, help with an event or offer suggestions. When they, or someone they know, are looking for a product or service that you offer, you’re more likely to be foremost in their mind. The more you get to know them, the more you’ll be able to offer assistance by knowing their needs.

ž      5. Write a note. Adding the personal touch of a thank you note to show customers your appreciation for their business is priceless. For the best impact, send it immediately after the event.

ž      6. Tailor your approach. Your customers vary in work load, style of communication and desire to share information, so your approach should be just as diverse. If your customer doesn’t appreciate your just stopping in, then call in advance to set up a time or invite him or her out for coffee.

ž      But your approach needs to be genuine and within your comfort zone or it may backfire on you. If you aren’t comfortable with face-to-face interactions, you may want to start by picking up the phone.

ž      7. Be prompt with inquiries. It shows your commitment to a high level of service and establishes confidence in you and your company. Also, if an issue arises, take action and make it your priority to resolve it immediately. Sometimes errors and how we resolve them provide an exceptional opportunity to show our commitment to the customer–take a bad situation and make it a positive.

ž      8. Listen, listen, listen. Your customer may provide cues that might be your gateway to providing a personal touch. If they indicate that their child is heading off to their first year of college, or they are taking a long awaited vacation, jot these things down on a calendar so you can ask how things went when you do a follow-up call. Or they might state that it was their birthday last week. Put that on your calendar so the following year you can send a birthday greeting.

ž      Building any type of a relationship takes time, whether it’s a personal or business relationship. It’s an essential part of your business to help maintain and grow your customer base. As part of your daily to-do list, make a point to touch one customer every day. You may be surprised at the impact.

Other customer retention strategies include:

ž      Blogs

ž      CRM Systems

ž      Loyalty Programs

ž      Personal Touches

ž      Premiums and Gifts

ž      Questionnaires and Surveys

ž      Regular Reviews

ž      Social Media

Kristine Pharr is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Apex in McKinney.  Customer retention and satisfaction is very important to Kristine. www.kristinepharr.com.