by Carol Ritter
My friend just got an estimate for some remodeling done on his home. It came to about $22,000 for some routine work to be completed. He was not willing to pay that much, so he negotiated a better price and got the cost down to $12,000 – still more than he wanted to pay for the job. He called me and asked for a recommendation for a good contractor with affordable rates, so I gave him one. My guy was able to knock another $5,000 off of the project. By doing some homework, my friend was able to save $17,000. That sounds almost unbelievable, but it is true.
Which brings me to my point: your reputation is everything. It is not only your businesses’ reputation, but also your personal reputation. A word of mouth epidemic is when your business becomes the first on a potential client’s mind when they need certain products or services. Be the “go to” business for your community.
Five ways to become the go to:
- Referrals are a must. Always ask clients to refer you.
- Provide outstanding customer service.
- Get out and network, tell people what you do and how you can help them.
- Take advantage of as much free publicity as possible.
- Take your social media to another level. Use a professional to help you with your digital network, as it can take a lot of time out of your day.
When it comes to your reputation, don’t take it for granted. What others say about you is far more valuable than what you say about yourself.
Carol S. Ritter, past President of the National Speakers Association in Philadelphia, is an accomplished professional speaker, coach and educational consultant specializing in innovative leadership, outrageous fundraising, million-dollar marketing and building organizational alliances throughout the country. FMI on Carol’s creative leadership with bulletproof ideas for recruiting more members, more money and better leaders: www.caroltalks.com, 610-442-4545, tellkids@aol.com, “Like” Carol on Facebook at Caroltalks and CarolCoaches.
