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Lifetime Value - What Your Client is Really Worth

Posted by: Jeff Davis - 03/22/2016

I am still amazed at how many business owners are stumped when I ask them, "what is the lifetime value of your average client?" It seems like a basic management metric that everyone would know off the top of their head.

They may know the average monthly rate members pay, but thinking about the lifetime value of a client seems foreign to many. It shouldn't be. I promise your competitors are thinking about lifetime value. For many it is the driving force for fighting to convert your clients into their clients.
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Marketing Myopia

Posted by: Jeff Davis - 03/15/2016

Marketing Myopia by Theodore Levitt, first published in 1960 is still a great read. I found it (again) in an addition of the Harvard Business Review's 10 Must Reads over lunch today.

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Groupon And The Future Of Review Sites

Posted by: Brittany Norton - 11/26/2015

Reviews have always been extremely important to business owners and consumers alike. For business owners, they are a reflection of their customer service, their passion and their product. In the eyes of the consumer, it is a tell tale of whether or not its worth spending money on. 

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Meet Team Thrive: Emily Rippe

Posted by: Ian Hartten - 11/26/2015
Meet Emily Rippe! Our Social Media Specialist and Content Editor for Toledo.com. She loves all things Toledo including the people who live here and the places and institutions that make it a vibrant community. When she is not at Thrive/Toledo.com, you can find her playing trivia at various late-night establishments with her crew, The Settlers of Catan.
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5 Marketing Assumptions About Facebook

Posted by: Brittany Norton - 11/26/2015

There are plenty of assumptions that people and marketers alike have made about Facebook when it comes to connecting with customers. Some of these assumptions could be hurting a brand's marketing effort on social media. Facebook and Twitter are now places where customers gather to obtain information, vent about their concerns or problems with a brand, converse with friends and acquitances, and the list goes on. These platforms are of enormous opportunity to marketers. A constant, running forum of information that brands can use to better their products, company and employees. If you have any of the following assumptions about marketing on Facebook, or are skeptical on how well Facebook can really help your brand - we are here to help you take a different line of thinking and better your brand communication with customers.

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In Customer Service, Good is Not "Good" Enough

Posted by: James Harsh - 11/26/2015

I recently was emailing with one of our first YMCA clients, Lake County YMCA.  We have formed a great bond with their entire marketing team and have been able to learn a lot about their needs and wants with their YMCA website over the past year.

Fortunately, we have experienced mild success and growth in this vertical market.  This growth has caused us to re-evaluate our current process; sales, implementation, follow-up and communication to our most valuable asset, our YMCA customer.  I prefer to use words like partner or teammate but for now we will use customer.

This next line is copied and pasted from my email referencing our current Customer Service:

It's currently good, but good isn't "good" enough for us!

This should be your motto with Customer Service and, quite frankly every aspect of your business.  Let’s face it, many people and companies are good at what they do.  But, how many are great?  Great can be hard to quantify but for me, it revolves around effort and interest.

Are you really concerned about your client?  Do you care whether the client received the product or service they were expecting?  Are you on to the next sale and not “servicing the customer” on your previous sale?  Gary Vaynerchuk, aka @garyvee,  mentioned at Hubspot’s Inbound 2012 conference that Client Retention is the name of the game.  And, in order to maintain your client, exceptional and unexpected Customer Service is mandatory!

Do you take an interest in their business but more importantly their life.  I like to form friendships with my business associates.  You don’t have to be intrusive, just let it happen naturally.  Do they like football, do they have kids, do you share interests?  Before you know it, you will have a much deeper bond with your client and may become Facebook friends!  

I believe the phrase “good is not good enough” should apply to many facets of your life.  For your business to succeed in this social, ever-changing environment, you and your business must stand out from the rest.  Your Customer Service is the heartbeat of your success and you should wake up every morning thinking “Good is Not Good Enough!" 

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