BES Xtras Plus

Relationships have always been an important part of our lives, including our professional lives.   Relationships are a big part of operating a successful center.  Establishing positive business relationships with employees, colleagues, vendors, customers and everyone else that contributes to the survival and well-being of the center can have a huge impact on the business.  Everyone strives for great relationships with friends and families and the feeling of having a personal relationship with someone is fulfilling and those friends or family can often turn even the worst of days around. 

Covid-19 has caused many changes in people but it didn’t change the value of relationships and friends.  In fact, it caused the very opposite reaction.  Today we cherish relationships and friendships more than ever. 

Have you ever thought of growing your business by looking at is as growing your circle of friends?   Consider each guest as a potential new friend or family member and strive to become “friends”.  People want to feel special, to feel appreciated, to feel like they matter, to feel like their feelings are considered, to feel like their well-being is important and true friends do all of this.  This builds trust and loyalty.  Friends are forgiving, considerate, helpful, kind, respectful, giving and strive to value and respect others beliefs and concerns.

Establish friendships within your network of vendors, other local businesses, non-profit organizations, chamber members, schools and basically your community.  These friendships will result in your business growing.   People will naturally patronize businesses where there are personal connections. 

For many centers, league bowlers were some of the first customers to return to the center.  Yes, for a few it was because they couldn’t cope with being away from the game and the thrill of competition.  However, for most, it was to get back to the center and be with the people they had grown to care about and trust.  To get back to help the center get back on their feet.  To be around their friends again.  This loyalty and bond is more important now than ever before as centers begin to rebound from the pandemic.

Often times when we work with centers through the Virtual Marketing Manager program, they share the struggle of finding the right team members for “Sales”.  Our first step is to shift the mindset away from a “sales” person.  The ideal candidate is actually a “people” person.  One that can build relationships and friendships.  When relationships are built, trust and loyalty are formed and it makes “selling” much easier.

Small businesses are being kept afloat during this extended pandemic by loyal customers.  So strive to build new friendships and relationships and make 2021 the best year ever.  Show the community you appreciate their support and give back by participating in community events.  Give your time or encourage employees to participate in events.  Help load food into cars for the local food drive or provide vouchers for citizens that are receiving their COVID vaccines.  Volunteer to deliver blankets to the homeless or offer the center as a site for COVID testing.  Involvement in the community will continue to reinforce friendships and will show everyone that you appreciate the community that you serve.

So take a lesson from the pandemic and make it a point to surround yourself and your center with a circle of friends. 

Showing appreciation is a big part of friendship.  Show the customers that are supporting the center and other local small businesses how much you appreciate them by posting on social media, picking up the phone and calling them, sending an email, taking time out to tell them when they are in the center, display a thank you message on the monitors and any other way in which you usually tell a friend you care! 

PERSONAL FRIENDS

• Help you through difficult time
• Boost happiness and reduce stress
• Improve self-confidence and self-worth
• Prevent loneliness
• Good for your health

BUSINESS FRIENDS

• Helps brand the center.  If you are kind, courteous and attentive to your customers, employees, vendors and you will establish a good reputation for the center.  People will deem you and your center as trustworthy and caring and will want to become part of the center brand.
• Helps promote the center.  Friends become marketing agents.  They will introduce the center to their friends and relatives.  And remember, when recommended by a friend, the doubt is removed.
• Improved teamwork.  By treating employees with respect and showing appreciation they are more productive and committed to their jobs and want to contribute to growing the business.
• Increased customer satisfaction. Even when things go wrong, they will be more understanding and forgiving.
• Keep the center moving – even during a pandemic! When times are financially tough, and little business is to be done, they choose to do it with their friends. 
• Build even more relationships. Friends will introduce the center to friends and more relationships/friendships will be developed.

Thanks for being a part of the QubicaAMF family!  Click on the images below to download the free MMS Ads so you can get started telling your “friends” how much you appreciate them!