by I’m going to break a cardinal rule here and ‘assume’ (to assume makes an ass out of you and me) that you have a marketing budget; following that, I’m going to assume you have some extra spend left in your pocket.
Still with me? I guess you do then! Great!
So here’s what you should do with it…
Bond with your sales people.
Treat them (and not ‘mean to keep them keen’). There’s often a bit of friction between sales and marketing in businesses and although the gap is closing more and more… they still need a little bit of lovin’. Organise a lunch and throw in a decent bonus or even simply a small gift. Remember, they have a tough gig, and a morale boost from you will in turn boost their productivity…and your bank balance!
Invest in Professional Development
Whether it’s for your staff or yourself, investing in your education is one of the most important things for both your personal and business development. As Erica Bearman once said ‘if you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room’.
Celebrate the Year
That Christmas Party won’t pay for itself and no-one likes a scrooge! Of course, it’s important not to go crazy with your budget, but do ensure that you thank your employees for the hard work they’ve done.
And on that note – Thank Your Customers
Why not create some personal thank you cards for your loyal customers? Just get the team together and take a group photo which can be customized into a festive holidays/thank you card! It’s a lovely personal touch and will make a valuable impression on your customers.
Did you see a theme there? Yep – it’s all about people. Here’s the thing, your people are your business and you need to invest in them and in yourself if you want to be successful. This is something that’s too often forgotten when trying to keep a business afloat – which is understandable, but not acceptable. Loyalty breeds loyalty so remember to invest in your people, invest in your customers and invest in yourself… And you’ll reap the benefits in 2015.