1-800-Keep-Up-With-the-Times

Their are vanity plates (you may have one), there are also vanity phone numbers. They are catchy and help people remember your number when they need it.
Did you know that with the new Smart Phones you can not easily do this.
If your number is 555-TIME most smart phones are not like the typical phone key pad as they are designed like a computer keyboard. If you are really smart and somewhat techie you can figure it out....however most of your potential clients will only get aggravated by trying to figure it out..... So what is a smart business owner like you to do???
Create a vanity or "Sticky" web address...no not the name of your business, that is boring and won't work as well....
Let's say you are a landscaper/hardscaper, the website you promote and people remember won't be www.acmelandscaper.com.... it should be something that speaks to what people want and speaks to your creative in your message... something like www.backyardmakeover.com www.outdoorvacation.com
You can still keep your existing website address, however you should go to www.godaddy.com and buy a Sticky website address for $10 and you can simply link your new Sticky website right to your current site (Ask your IT guy if you don't know) Remember...choose a web address that is based on the benefit of your product/service

You Want Bad News....

So the waiter comes to your table and says "is everything good" you automatically say yes, thanks! That is not what the chef wants to hear.

Nobody likes to say the food is bad because that is being rude....However if you have bad food, it could be that you are one of many that have had that same bad meal and will not come back, or worse tell others how bad it was.

As a business owner you want to find out the things that you did not do well. Questions like: what could be better, what wasn't a 10, what does my competitor do better, why would you not come back, if this was your place what would you do different.....getting answers to questions like this is much better than trying to boost your ego by all your customers doing the normal and saying things are good!

Tracking your advertising: When someone asks you to fill out a form about "what brought you into the store", do you take 100% effort??? Also if they asked you that same question, do you tell them "well, two years ago i saw a billboard, then i heard your radio spot about 15 months ago, then i saw you in the church bulletin, then i saw a commercial for you a few months ago, then i went to google and searched you and then i called you..... think about it, all your past and current marketing brands you then gets you in their mental "category" for your services, then when they are in the market for your services all the past marketing gets you a good chance at their business. Judge your marketing by the cash register, not someone saying "I'm here because your advertising was so strong it persuaded me to spend my heard earned money with you!"
Think about it: Nobody likes to say advertising worked on them...we are all too strong to have someone else influence us....right???