Action points with Foyne Jones

TAKE ACTION AND SAFEGUARD YOUR FUTURE

Peter Jones, Managing Director, Foyne Jones

So how can you stand out from the crowd as a self-employed business owner or subcontractor that's operating in a market that's as competitive as ever?

It has always been important for businesses to inspire and engage its customer base and if you’re considering a short-term marketing campaign, new consumer incentives or looking to grow your digital footprint, now is the time to take action and safeguard your future!

So how can you stand out from the crowd as a selfemployed business owner or subcontractor that´s operating in a market that’s as competitive as ever? Firstly, be honest with yourself about your business and accept that the onus is on you to make it happen, this means that if you’re not already making a digital statement to your customers online or raising your profile among your suppliers you won´t be getting noticed.

From customer focussed marketing campaigns that provide an attractive call to action and encourage your customers to use your services, through to live-action video ‘on the job’ or just being consistent with regular social posts of engaging content like company updates and practical help and advice, make sure you celebrate and make public your successes.

In doing so, you will be able to successfully differentiate yourself from the competition, communicate your business ideas direct to the consumer and offer transparency at a time when the changing commercial landscape is impacting product ordering, supply shortages, price increases and more recently, a spike in system maintenance and replacement demand.

With this in mind, you need to be real about what your business priorities are and then only promise what you can deliver. The fall-out of the pandemic should never be an excuse for poor service or failing to follow up on enquiries, resolve an issue or properly service a repeat customer. Recognise that fit and forget might just be a thing of the past and instead, be even more attentive to customers and aim to follow-up on every enquiry, good or bad, as you need to appreciate there is a potential in every business transaction.

Be clear and transparent about any delays to lead times so that you can manage expectations from the outset, as regular updates with your customers will allow you to control the narrative and ensure their perception of you is accurate and reliable, leaving no room for assumption. As the philosopher Eugene Lewis Fordsworthe, once said ‘assumption is the mother of all mistakes’ so make sure you set your customers up for success with some solid groundwork. In doing so, you will prevent potential disappointment all the while building a great reputation for your brand and business.

Some simple, quick fixes might be implementing an automated response for email enquiries so to your customers, you are responsive 24/7. The same goes for a professional mind set and sound corporate branding, as with any business, consistency is king and those who have spent a lot of time and effort perfecting their brand image, typically stand out more.

Interestingly Forbes is of the same view, as it has recently reported that businesses which present a brand consistently across all platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%: and this not only relates to your products and services, but also social media posts, website and promotional material.

Put simply, if you can ensure a uniform message about your brand identity and customer values, you are more likely to generate qualified leads for you and your business … what are you waiting for?