Virtual Assistant, People Buy People, RedRite, Leeds

People buy People – Be Nice!

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Majority of sales talks you will go to will teach you that ‘people buy people’ and therefore you must work on your interactions with people and the way you represent yourself.

But it is not just how you present yourself just to potential customer but also how you interact with other business owners, competitor or not.

I recently commented on a public post requesting rough idea of prices for a website. For me web design is a secondary income and therefore I do not charge the full amount many other web designs do charge, and I do not include the additional services such as a custom-made theme, logo design or any other such additional services. I literally help business owners create a basic website presence for search engines at a price that many start-ups can afford. This however resulted in not just myself but other low priced offers being ‘told off’. There was another designer who felt we were insulting her, upsetting the designing community and making it hard for her to create a living. I politely retracted my offer and apologised to her, stressing that I offered my price for personal reasons and not to insult her or others.

At this point many people would have left it be or even just accepted my apology… not this lady. She continued to go on about how rubbish work is from those that offer low fees, how she would end up having to fix the mess made by subpar work and how even though it was not my intention it is what I was doing anyway. I was supported by others in that the prices we charge is our own personal choice and not to insult others, yet it did not satisfy this individual. For me as the consumer it would personally put me off to see someone, who is part of a supportive network of people, insulting other business owners and even after being apologised to continue ‘telling them off’ for their choice in pricing.

I would love to hear your opinions; would it leave a bad taste in your mouth if you saw someone insulting other business owners just because they have a different pricing structure to them?

people buy people, business support

I fully understand that for a working relationship to work you need to feel you can trust each other, that you get along and your personalities don’t ‘rub each other the wrong way’. This is why if, after an initial conversation, I feel I cannot comfortably and successfully assist someone I will suggest someone else I feel they will work with better. Some business owners, especially those starting out, cannot afford expensive outlay and will want a cheaper option. Others will have money to spare and happy to invest in more expensive services. For this purpose, there is a spread in cost for services it all depends on a business owner’s personal choice on what they charge, and to be insulting them over their choice is not good practise.

So remember it is not just your consumer audience that you need to sell yourself to but to other businesses too. If a business owner sees you being polite, helpful and just generally nice to other people, even if they haven’t experienced your services they are more likely to suggest you as a possible referral for a project then they are if you are sat insulting other business owners, and putting them down, no matter how great your services are.

I love referring business to other people and always keeping an eye out for new businesses to refer, either to my clients or to individuals in the groups I am a part of. So, I take note of interactions not just with possible consumers but with other business owners as well, something I am sure a lot of others do too.

Something I was taught as a kid was – If you have nothing nice to say don’t say anything – and to this day I do believe it. If you don’t like someone else has undercut your prices don’t insult them publicly, private message the original poster and expand on your price, make a personal connection with them and win business that way.

People buy People, so be a person someone wants to work with and can trust.

Interact with me on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn and let me know how you feel about people buy people.

 

Facebook Etiquette, RedRite, Leeds, Virtual Assistant

Top tips of Facebook Etiquette of Business

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Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms with 1.71 billion active users as of the second quarter of 2016. That is 1.71 billion people who have logged in within the past 30 days and who could potentially see your business. But how do you use Facebook correctly for business and avoid Facebook jail?

Let’s first look at how to get your business on Facebook. The best, and safest way, to place your business on Facebook is either through a Page or a Group.

Pages

Facebook dislikes people using their personal profiles to advertise business, so creating a Page linked to your personal profile is specifically created for that reason. On a Page you can choose a category as well as up to 3 sub-categories in which to advertise your Page, the sub categories are determined by the main category so make sure you choose the most relevant to your business. If you add your business address you can also place a map in the sidebar so that others can locate you as well as if there is any parking available on site, perfect for location based businesses. Other details such as opening hours, price range and contact details are also added so consumers know all they need to about you.

A Page can then be used just like a personal profile, the difference being the Page is public and used for business posts rather than what you had for dinner. The occasional personal post can allow consumers to see the person they are buying, just make sure you use details you are willing to go public.

Groups

If you want to limit what the audience sees or maybe want to create a small community around your business, then Groups could be for you. Groups can be publicly available to all, closed – public can only see members or secret – were public cannot see anything but the Group name and type. Members can be free to add other members, however if you want to limit your audience you can control who is actually allowed to join once members refer a friend. Choosing the relevant type of group – such as Club, Support, Study group, Team or travel to name just a few – can help identify to potential audiences what your Group is about. There is also a Buy and Sell type which adds the option to list things for sale within the Group, many local communities start up Groups like this for locals to sell second hand items. If you wish for only certain posts to be allowed, or limit the days in which certain posts can be posted, such as Promo Thursdays, then you can adjust settings to require post approval required.

I have found some of the best groups are those that offer support and networking, with numerous members posting issues they are having with their business and other members offering their support and advice.

What are some etiquette points for interacting on Facebook for business

People buy from people and if they see you being rude, offensive, even just plain ignorant to those posting on your wall or commenting in your Group then it can put them off actually purchasing from you. Although many users are not on Facebook to buy, through the correct and polite methods you can slowly build up a relationship with your audience. This relationship can encourage people to return to your business for their purchasing needs, either a product or a service you may offer.

The biggest NO NO of all time is spamming. Posting adverts for your business within groups is perfectly fine (as long as it doesn’t break the Group rules) as long as it is done tastefully. Respect that there is not just you in the Group and spread your posts out over a period of time. Some groups, such as my networking group, only allow business advertising posts once every 48 hours. While others only allow promotional posts on specific days and posts such as a Promo Thursday post. Abiding by these rules put you in people’s good graces, ignoring the rules and you will find yourself blocked from the Group as well as seen in bad light by others within the Group. Be polite, friendly, chatty and respectful of other group members or those on your Page.

The same goes for replying to comments and messages, sometimes even just a simple thank you can make the difference for your business. Facebook places a little icon on your Page for those that are fast to respond to messages including the length of time it can take you to reply to messages. Ignoring messages altogether can have you coming across rude and consumers will go look elsewhere for their purchasing needs.

Keep your content fresh, if you use a Page for your business it is necessary to post regularly to a degree. If you post once every few weeks, make sure the content is valuable! Consumers like to see what a business is up to and the more you post, the more you will be seen in their newsfeed. If you do not post, you do not get seen.

Sticking to these basic rules of Facebook for business and you will avoid ending up in Facebook Jail and can successfully grow your business.

Business Networking, Leeds, RedRite, Virtual Assistant

Business Networking and the Benefits

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I previously wrote about the benefits of networking using the social platform, Twitter. However, this time I want to expand on that and discuss the benefit of networking as a whole.

What is networking?

Wikipedia classes business networking as – “Networking is a socioeconomic business activity by which business people and entrepreneurs meet to form business relationships and to recognize, create, or act upon business opportunities, share information and seek potential partners for ventures.”

Many think of business network marketing as Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) companies, such as Juice plus, Forever Living and Arbonne, however network marketing works for everyone. It is the process in which you use networking situations to market your business and can be beneficial particularly to business to business (B2B) companies who are looking for other business owners to market to.

What is the benefit of networking for a business?

Being a business owner can sometimes be a lonely experience. Yes, you have staff and yes you family but to the staff you are the boss and not all family are interested in talking about business. So who do you turn to when you want to chat about business without being formal? That is where the benefit of networking comes in to play, whether it is face to face networking or even just a member of a Facebook/LinkedIn group. Having access to people in similar position as you to talk to when needed eases the responsibilities of being a business owner as well as open avenues of business you might not have considered.

Through networking you can create a close knit network of individuals that you can go to for advice, do skill swaps with in order to complete projects on a budget or to attend conferences with. The connections made through networking can also provide collaboration possibilities. Regularly meeting and communicating with other owners about your business it can effortlessly spread the word about what you have to offer, without the expense of a marketing campaign or keeping track of what posts went in to which Facebook group. In this way it is one of the cheapest ways of building your audience, keeping people aware of your business and, when giving advice, it is also a way to show your expertise in your industry.

Top Tip: Always carry business cards with you to networking meets, every person you come in contact with is a potential new customer and providing them with a business card means they can find you again after the meeting.

My experience with Networking.

I personally am a member of several groups and run two of my own face to face networking groups. Through these groups I have met so many new people and even obtained several new clients, clients I would not have met any other way. A plus to these groups is when I want to vent about a situation, or dying for advice I can turn to them, provide a little detail and receive feedback that clears up the situation for me.

These networking groups and those on Facebook also offer me an audience to provide market research and it’s a guarantee they are the correct market to help me. I have offered to complete market research for other individuals as well as provide advice in regards to what actions a person should take, particularly in a situation they may not have experienced before. Answering questions put to the groups has helped my show that I do know what I am talking about, I can do what I advertise and in turn has built my client list. I have created a level of authority in my industry by a simple comment on a post.

Is Networking suitable for my business?

Yes! Networking is perfect for any business, whether you sell a physical product or provide virtual services. Finding a group of individuals that can offer you support and open more avenues for sales is one of the easiest and most effective techniques to running a business.

How do I find a local face to face group?

Local business networking groups are everywhere, some of the best ways to find a local group is to post in local Facebook groups or search on local ad pages such as Craigslist or Gumtree. Websites such as Meetups.com or Eventbrite.co.uk are specific sites created to advertise networking events, simply enter in your postcode and choose a search area. If you know another local business owner why not attend together if you are nervous about attending.

If you are local to North Leeds and want to know more about networking groups pop us an email across and I can share my local groups. I also have a list of some networking groups in the West Yorkshire area, just send me a message and I will share a copy.

Buy Yorkshire 2016, Leeds, RedRite, Virtual Assistant

#BuyYorkshire – What an event!!

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We attended the #BuyYorkshire 2016 event this week and can not wait to share what we learnt.

The 17th and the 18th of May saw me at the #BuyYorkshire exhibition and seminars in The Royal Armouries, Leeds alongside hundreds of other business owners and personnel. There was hundreds of stalls advertising the services and wares of companies, from digital marketers to local Universities and everything in between. I had fun meeting a variety of people from these companies and making new connections. I learnt about their services and how they assist other businesses expand and grow. I will be happy to forward on details of anyone I met to those needing support within your business, just email me your requirements and I will see who I have in my contacts list.

#BuyYorkshire is run by the Yorkshire Mafia who also run Leeds Biz Week in October (another event I will be attending), The Yorkshire Sportive, Yorkshire Mafia cycling club and many more networking events throughout the year.

The Yorkshire Mafia are:

  • The Yorkshire Mafia is a new model of business support.
  • It’s a thriving ecosystem of thousands of business across the Yorkshire region and beyond
  • It’s big society for business.
  • It’s an army of thousands of business people
  • It’s a dynamic and highly active group where members freely and gladly assist other members

What they do is:

  • It plugs the gaps following the decline of the regional development agencies and Business Link advice network.
  • It makes a stand for Yorkshire and Yorkshire business.
  • It facilitates the building of business relationships for thousands of businesses across Yorkshire
  • It brings businesses together to share, learn, support each other and ultimately, where appropriate, trade.
  • It enables members to support and guide each other in meaningful numbers and in meaningful ways through sharing wisdom and expertise both on-line and offline.
  • Offline, we meet in various guises from small round-tables sharing best practice and expertise to larger more social events for over 500 people to our mighty annual conference (over 2000 expected).

(Source: www.TheYorkshireMafia.com)

I was lucky enough to take part in some amazing seminars teaching us about digital marketing, never giving up and embracing change within business, all given by some amazing speakers and even some famous faces. Over the next few days I will be posting blog posts about the seminars I was lucky enough to partake in and sharing the advice I have taken away from them. These will start with a delightful seminar from Jessica Zeun, from Vodafone who discussed digital marketing and the impact it has on business.

I hope you will enjoy the following blog posts and if you were there I would love to hear your experiences and what you enjoyed the most!

Twitter networking, Business, RedRite, Leeds

Networking on Twitter

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Getting noticed is a big step in getting customers for your business but the problem is getting noticed in the first place. One way that has become very popular and effective is using a #twitterhour hashtag.

The traditional methods of networking usually consist in getting together in a designated location, talking with like-minded business men/women and exchanging business information. You then leave such events and keep your fingers crossed to hear from those businesses again, which is not always a guarantee. With Twitter hours however you get to interact and chat to other business owners, exchange information and gather new followers, you can then keep on top of communicating with these new followers keeping your business fore front in their minds. There are over 300 #twitterhour hashtags currently circulating around twitter containing both local and category hashtags these can be found here – #TwitterHours

The aim of these hours are to chat with other business owners, retweet tweets and help not only your business but their businesses get noticed by a larger audience of people. You are expected to be polite, friendly and supportive in your comments, creating an effective community of businesses all supporting one another. The large the community the more chance the hashtag has of trending and getting noticed even further.

Although this does not guarantee you extra customer it does provide you with extra leads and the possibility of turning those leads in to customers, it all depends how you tweet. Be careful as to what you tweet, check that it does not cause discomfort with your followers or insults anyone. If you use any other hashtag double check its relevance also.

Follow our Twitter account to see some of these Hashtags in use and we mention all new followers.

Happy Networking.

Twitterhour

 

Hashtag guide, RedRite, Leeds

Hashtags… What not to do

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Hashtags… a useful aspect of language, but can also have disastrous effects when done wrong

What started out as an identifier for address mode in computer language back in 1970 has now become one of the most used symbols in international languages on Social Media platforms. The hash-tag (#) was once just a basic symbol very rarely used by those outside of the computer programming network but back in 2007 when Chris Messina proposed to use hash-tags to identify groups on twitter it changed the use of hash tag completely. Although it had been used in Internet Relay Chat (IRC) networks previously to label groups and topics it wasn’t until it was introduced on Twitter that it fully developed in to everyday use. Hash-tags have become especially useful for business owners on Twitter to get their business notice, using trending hashtags to make people more aware of their business and in turn lead to new customers.

However there is a downside to the hashtag phenomenon and that is picking the wrong hashtag. There are documented incidents where companies have not researched the use of a hashtag correctly and tweeted very damaging messages to their followers. For example the #McDStories, where Macdonald’s had hopes of people sharing their good stories about Macdonald’s and was connected to their #meetthefarmer campaign of tracking the story behind the supply chain of their products. The McDStories however was shut down 2 hours after release when people used it to relate stories on how they had been disappointed in the service or had become ill because of the food. This is a fail that is still seen today. Another example is the numerous Q&A hashtags that have popped up and very quickly disappeared again, from figures such as J P Morgan and Dr Mehmet OZ, who when opening themselves up to Q&As ended up with ridiculous questions unrelated to their business or related yet complete jokes.

When planning on using a hashtag for your company it is best to research first, keep an eye on international news as sometimes if disaster has struck and you hashtag that area your tweet can become an offensive remark. Like the Celeb Boutique who mistook the hashtag #Aurora trending to be regarding their new Kim K inspired Aurora dress. The truth was that the hashtag was in relation to the mass shooting in a movie theatre in Aurora, this came off as very insensitive and upsetting.

So when looking for a hashtag don’t just pick a random one hoping it will be effective, or pick one that’s trending without knowing why. Something as simple as a hashtag can cause great problems for a company no matter how big and impact how your customers see you. If you are not sure if it will be beneficial to your company then get a second opinion or just do not use it at all. If you use a scheduling software to schedule your tweets remember what it is you have picked as well so you do not automatically tweet something that has become insensitive or is no longer relevant.