Santa’s 6 Secrets to Success
December 12, 2011
Whether he meant to or not jolly old St. Nick created one of the most recognizable and beloved brands in the western world; one that children have adored and parents embraced for centuries. Santa Claus has endured wars, depressions, scrutiny (is he real or not??), imposters who tried to tarnish his image (ala The Grinch), and even opposition from certain religious groups. 
So how the heck did he do it? How did Santa Claus build such a phenomenon, despite the obstacles and challenges the world threw at him? And what lessons can businesses owners learn from him for building our own brands?
I’ve identified some key things that Santa does to solidify his brand, create raving fans, build trust and grow his Christmas Empire! Here they are, along with the lessons we can learn from his success:
Marketing Lessons from Santa
1. Santa is painstakingly reliable. Most of us awoke every Christmas morning, year after year, to find a plate sprinkled with cookie crumbs, an empty milk glass, and a bounty of presents; all bearing witness to Santa’s late night visit. Despite snow storms and freezing temperatures, or dad losing his job, moving to a new house, or fighting with our brothers too much, Santa never let us down. Santa is the epitome of reliability.
Business Lesson: How reliable is your business? Are you letting customers down? Like expectant children on Christmas mornings, our customers have high expectations and it’s our job to deliver – or risk losing them. Make it habit to ask customers if they’ve ever felt let down by your company, what areas you can improve upon, and what products or services they’d like you to offer. Being painstakingly reliable builds trust and people buy from companies they trust!
2. Santa surprises and delights us! Who doesn’t think of Santa and smile? Why is that? It’s because he always surprises and delights us! Whether it’s flashing a jovial smile and belting out a jolly “Ho Ho Ho”, delivering that Barbie doll we’d been obsessed with for months, or making a surprise appearance with a bag full of goodies at a holiday party, happiness and smiles follow Santa wherever he goes.
Business Lesson: Can you say the same about your brand? Does your business leave a lasting smile and happy thoughts? Do you surprise and delight? If not, study your competition and your industry, talk to people, and find out where others let customers down. Then do something that no one else in your industry does. Find that “something extra” can you add to your product or service. Customers love the unexpected, so what can you do to surprise – and delight them.
3. Santa encourages us to write. Everyone knows Santa loves getting our letters – and even reads every single one of them! And what does he ask of us? Nothing but a list all the presents we want him to deliver on Christmas morning!
Business Lesson: Imagine if our customers felt comfortable enough to send us a list of their wants, needs, and desires– don’t you think that would help us understand and serve them better? What can you do to encourage your customers to stay in touch with you? Since we don’t have our own North Pole address, I’d recommend things like suggestion boxes (on, or offline!), surveys, and service follow up calls.
4. Santa rewards good behavior. ”Have you been naughty or nice?” Your answer could mean the difference between that diamond necklace you’ve been eyeing or a big ole lump of coal!
Business Lesson: Businesses can build their brands by rewarding “good” behavior too! Did a customer buy more than usual? Reward them with a discount or an extra freebie. Did a customer refer you or leave a raving Yelp review? Send a special present or gift certificate to say “thank you.” Rewarding good behavior not only shows the customer your appreciation, it encourages them to do it again!
5. Santa has elves and 8 reindeer- Santa wouldn’t be Santa without his team. Do you think he’d be able to read all of our letters, be painstakingly reliable, or jolly and delightful if he didn’t have a team to help him all his Christmas responsibilities? Of course not, so then why do you expect to be able to take care of all of our business responsibilities yourself?
Business Lesson: If you don’t have the time to provide the level of service you want, surprise and delight customers – or market and build your business then it’s time to get your own team of elves and reindeer! No one ever built an empire alone… and it may be time for you to hire some help!
6. Santa is one-of-a-kind! Santa has an image like no one else: long gray beard, velvety red suit, and shiny black boots. Santa has a catch phrase, “Ho, Ho, Ho”. Santa knows his target market are children. Santa also knows these three things set him apart from the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and moms and dad - and he used that to build the Santa brand to be the unmistakable symbol it is today!
Business Lesson: Take a look at your business, what can you do to make your business stand out from the crowd? Do you have a unique image? A symbolic uniform? A bright red sleigh pulled by 8 tiny reindeer (Ok, a fleet of bright red trucks will do!)? A quirky catch phrase? Find your uniqueness and do something big to stand apart from the competition!
Summary:
The bottom line is this: Santa “gets” marketing – he built one of the most recognizable brands that ever existed by doing these 6 things. Sure, we may never be as popular as Santa but by following his example, we can certainly create our own little world of magic! Happy holidays! Ho, Ho, Ho!!!
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6 Ways Any Business Can Engage Customers and Increase Sales During the Holidays!
December 5, 2011
Tis the season for businesses across the world to see the bottom line of the P&L report go from red to black! It’s the time of year that can make or break a business. So what are you doing to make sure you stay in touch, stay top of mind, and stay on top of sales this holiday season?
Here are 6 ways any business can stay in touch and increase sales this holiday season!
- Offer special discounts to your best customers on the things they buy the most. Why not treat them to a holiday gift, from you to them? Offer amazing deals on the things they buy the most! It’s a great way to say Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, or Happy Kwanzaa to your most loyal customers!
- Offer Gift Certificates. Maybe you’re an automotive repair shop, or a hairdresser, or maid service, or a professional organizer, or a web developer – how do you gift those things?? With gift certificates, of course!!! We all know times have been tough for a few years, who wouldn’t love a free oil change and tire rotation, new hair style, or house cleaning!?! (I know I would, hint, hint) Or maybe you have tons of products and services and choosing one is too difficult! Give the gift of choice! Gift certificates are great stocking stuffers AND offer a great opportunity to cross sell (see #3!).
- Cross-sell! It’s a great time to suggest items to go with products or services they already purchase. Maybe they bought a beautiful set of earrings last year for mom, this year suggest the matching necklace. When you sell a spa package, offer the premium at-home spa kit to go with it as a carrier for the gift certificate! The hairdresser can cross sell a salon quality shampoo and conditioner set; the auto repair store can offer jumper cables or fix-a-flat canisters – all as nice little carriers for the gift certificates! Cross-selling is a great way to add value to the client – and to increase sales!!!
- Send gift ideas. How many times have you been stumped on a gift for that hard-to-buy for person on your list? We’ve all been there! So help your customers by sending an email full of gift ideas tailored to the people on their list with headings like: “gifts for mom”, “great gifts for co-workers, neighbors, or mail carriers”. What are your most popular items and who buys them? Share that info with the people on your mailing list and they’ll be grateful for it!
- Offer free wrapping or free delivery. Who doesn’t love a surprise?!? Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. What if that premium spa package and at-home spa kit were hand delivered with a bouquet of fresh flowers or a box of chocolates?? What if the oil change was done on-site at the recipient’s home? What if a gift basket with a few jars of local homemade jam and bakery-fresh scones were delivered fresh on a Saturday morning? Wouldn’t that make the gift extra special?
- Send cards and/or gifts to current and past clients- Maybe staying in touch and top of mind is as simple as wishing them a Happy Holiday and thanking them for their business! Customers love to know they’re appreciated. Send them a card or a special gift that has nothing to do with trying to sell them anything – they’ll love you for it!
Thank you Purple Cow Websites for responding to my Facebook post yesterday with this great idea for a blog!!
Want to share?? Please do! Leave your comments here.
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Give Better Gifts: Shop Local
November 22, 2011
A few Sundays ago I was heading out to run my errands. And I’ll admit, Walmart was on my “to-do” list.. As a small
business owner who works with small business owners, I try to support my local small businesses when I can and as I made my Walmart shopping list I wondered if I could fulfill it - on a Sunday – shopping at nothing but local independent stores. Sadly, the answer was “no, I couldn’t”.
That’s when I realized that learning to shop local would be more than just a minor shift in how we do things- it has to become a way of life. It probably means not only altering how, when, and where we buy – but WHAT we buy. 
Tis the season for us all to storm to the mall in droves to buy the same boring gifts as everyone else in the country. Or worse yet, spend hours browsing aisle after aisle and shelf after shelf, because we don’t know what to get Aunty Millie – because it all just seems so … impersonal!
This year be different! How about a few jars of yummy homemade low-sugar marionberry jam from a local farm with a dozen fresh muffins from a local bakery? Much better than that Yankee Candle set you were going to pick up at Costco, right? Or how about a gift certificate to a favorite local restaurant instead of a Macy’s scarf? Or some olive oil from your local olive grower, a handmade box of chocolates from a small local chocolatier , a car tune-up from a local mechanic, a car wash, a haircut, fresh flowers, dog grooming services, a round of golf for your husband and his buddies or bowling for the family, maid or landscaping services for that busy working couple, or bookkeeping or CPA services gift certificates for that small business owner? Make it a day of visiting local businesses to fulfill your holiday shopping list! And have fun- get out there, meet your neighbors!
Besides, doesn’t the effort put into choosing a gift count almost more than the gift itself? It’s much more special when you put thought into it – and even go out of your way a little for it.
Supporting our local small businesses isn’t just good for the people on your shopping list, it’s good for small business owners, our neighborhoods, and our communities! Here are some facts:
- For every $100 spent locally, $68 goes back to the community through payroll, taxes, and other expenditures. If you spend that at a national chain only $43 dollars stays here, and if you shop online nothing comes home. (Source: the 3/50 Project)
- Locally owned firms contribute more to local charities and fundraisers than their national counterparts. (Source: Anderson Study of Retail Economics, Chicago, IL, Oct. 2004)
- Small Business accounts for 75% of all new jobs*
- Locally owned businesses reinvest in the local economy at a 60% higher rate than chains and internet retailers*
- Small businesses create more than half of the non-farm gross domestic product (GDP)*
- Locally owned and operated businesses create higher paying jobs for you and your neighbors*
- More of your tax dollars are reinvested in your community to fund local schools, hire more police, and improve roads*
- *Sources: Sources: U.S. Chamber of Commerce – Small Business Nation; Civic Economics – Andersonville Study of Retail Economics; Civic Economics – San Francisco Report on Retail Diversity; U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of the Census.
Ok, so maybe you can’t get everything on that Christmas or shopping list from a locally owned retailer – and maybe it’s too much to ask to completely change our lifestyles to give up shopping national chains and buy only from local companies. But these stats show that shifting just 10% of our spend will have a huge impact. Not only on the local business owners and their families, and the families of the people they employ, but our local communities – and even our country.
Start NOW – show your support for local businesses by saving some of that holiday budget for small businesses and making a statement… This Saturday, November 26th is national “Small Business Saturday“- So instead of hitting the malls in droves, let’s hit our local small businesses in droves!!! Wouldn’t it be great to see a decline in sales at national retailers on Black Friday and an increase in local spending on Small Business Saturday??? That would be awesome!
For more information about shop local movements visit the 3/50 project and Small Business Saturday.
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+Carolyn Higgins, President of Fortune Marketing Company
- Carolyn Higgins, President of Fortune Marketing Company specializes in helping small to medium sized businesses get the customers they need to sell more, increase profits and achieve all of their business and personal goals. We do this by implementing and managing marketing systems based on data and strategy - there is no guess work. For more information visit us at: FortuneMarketingCompany.com. We'd be glad to help!
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