Last week, our Founder, Alix Blum, and our Director of Customer Experience, Clarence McLeod, were featured on a webinar with J.D. Power. Entitled “The Smile Behind the Mask,” our discussion focused on the impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality sector—and revealed how businesses can alter their training initiatives, communications and client interactions to remain on their personal rebound roadmap.

Paired with data analysis from J.D. Power, this webinar offers valuable insights into the new customer service landscape and provides a silver lining for brands affected by the pandemic. To watch a recording of this event, click here.

Courting customers can feel the same as vying for a romantic interest’s affection: you desperately want another party’s approval, so you pull out all the stops to impress and delight them.

To ensure your feelings are reciprocated and create everlasting brand love, take the following steps when wooing consumers:

1. Ask about them.

To help romance bloom, you need to understand the other party’s preferences, desires, and history. This is essential to creating offerings that are in demand with your audience; it sows the seeds of trust and establishes a foundation for your relationship. For this reason, market research is absolutely essential. With well-timed surveys, reports, and some investigation, you can determine exactly what potential clients want—and how to deliver on it. 

2. Respond to their feedback.

Listening and responding to feedback—whether positive or negative—is an essential part of relationship-building. In the world of business, this creates a connection with consumers, demonstrates that your brand cares about their needs, and helps you learn how to best serve them.

While somewhat intimidating, negative feedback can provide insight into problems that can be addressed and resolved. Meanwhile, positive feedback provides a better understanding into what consumers value about your business. Regardless, all feedback provides an opportunity for growth.

3. Deliver more than you’ve promised.

Going above and beyond makes your target feel good—and makes you look good. Providing extras (such as discount codes or free samples) helps to foster a customer-to-brand relationship that will last a lifetime. Rewarding brand loyalty through freebies or discounts can also encourage customers to try different products or services, recommend your brand to others, and keep coming back for more.

4. Know where to find them.

To effectively engage your love interest, you need to know how to reach them. When it comes to potential customers, you need to understand where your messaging will be most prevalent. For instance, if your audience only uses Facebook and you advertise across Instagram, you will not effectively generate interest in your brand. 

5. Engage them with storytelling.

The ability to tell a great story allows you to make genuine connections with your audience. As such, heartfelt messaging can make your brand more memorable—and help consumers identify with your values. The ability to evoke emotions will help you stand out from the crowd and create irrational desire for your products and services.

6. Gussy yourself up!

Like swiping on lipstick or ironing your shirt, an attractive brand identity helps to create great first impressions. As such, your brand’s website, social media and marketing materials should be recognizable, eye-catching, and aesthetically pleasing. 47% of purchases are made based on a visual basis, so make your brand is the one that people are drawn to.

Need help romancing potential customers? Silver Lining’s matchmaking services will set you up for success. Contact us to get started!

Sources:

lucidpress.com

melotel.com

compukol.com

uxdesign.cc

agilitypr.com

The global pandemic has changed some things forever. This being said, it has also highlighted the true permanence of certain values—namely, the importance of friends and family, the significance of health and wellness, and the need to respect one another. In a society where everyone is intrinsically connected, the consideration of each other’s safety, comfort, and happiness have become paramount.

The key to navigating this changing world is simple: manners. This isn’t a new concept; the essential nature of etiquette has been understood for years. However, when interpersonal interactions are more fleeting than ever before, additional courtesy makes even greater first impressions. Because of this, manners aren’t just a nicety for children growing up during this time—they are crucial. As kids traverse an increasingly uncertain landscape, understanding how to carry themselves with poise and pride, show appreciation for others, and make a lasting impact on those around them is fundamental.

“As children maneuver through the upcoming back-to-school period, etiquette will be a must-have for social, academic and extracurricular success,” says Clarence McLeod, one of North America’s only Guilded Butlers, an internationally renowned expert in luxury hospitality, and our Director of Customer Experience. “Manners are timeless. They set a standard against which all other behaviours can be measured: they create a baseline of respect, kindness and appreciation that maintains order in what can feel like an unstable world. They make your children pleasantly unforgettable, allowing them to stand out in a positive manner.”

Simply put, manners do matter—something we know well. For this reason, We are excited to announce the launch of Manners Matter, a series of courses for ages 13–21. By teaching young adults to make excellent first impressions, these lessons set our future leaders up for success as they navigate school admissions, extracurricular activities (including elite sports teams) and job interviews.   

The program’s curriculum helps build self-confidence, self-motivation and independence by building unforgettable communication tactics—something that is now more critical than before. Manners Matter covers a variety of topics, from presentation and personal branding to table setting and perfecting the art of tying a tie. These activities have been carefully selected, and teach kids about themselves in addition to vital life skills. 

For more information and to enroll, click here.

This month, our Founder and President, Alix Blum, was featured on Tony Chapman’s Chatter That Matters Podcast. As part of Chapman’s #SmallBusinessMatters collaboration with RBC, this series focuses on the effects that COVID-19 could have on small business operators. Alix was brought in as an expert to help small business owners navigate these challenging times.

In Alix’s episode, discussion surrounded Joe O’Brien of O’Brien’s Boat Tours. This small independent tour company operates out of St. John’s, Newfoundland, and includes three boats, two restaurants, gift shops, and shuttle buses; its excursions show guests the natural beauty of Newfoundland and Labrador’s puffins, icebergs, and whales. However, with COVID-19 greatly affecting the tourism industry, a resulting economic storm could capsize Joe’s business. 

Alix’s advice, however, could help Joe right his ship. “My belief is there’s never been a better time in history to be a small independent tour operator,” she said. “One of the likely macroeconomic outcomes of COVID-19 is the narrowing of the borders: people will be more focused on regional economies, rather than the global market.”

Because of this, Alix suggested that Joe target the North American consumer vs. the global consumer. “They’re less expensive to reach, and a little easier to market to,” she explained. “The high-net worth Canadian consumer is likely to rebound first, and they want great experiences. With this, Joe has a great opportunity to ‘up his game’ in terms of his offerings on restaurant menus, collectibles in gift shops, and themed bucket-list tours.” By targeting this discerning consumer, Joe will be able to do more than just remain afloat—he’ll be chartering his business to economic success.

Alix also navigated Joe toward another lucrative market—schools and alumni associations.

“Joe has so much ‘cocktail currency’ and amazing content to educate consumers with. Alumni associations that are looking for great travel destinations in North America will love this,” she noted. “Post-COVID, it will be more difficult to convince parents to let their children go abroad for a gap year. But imagine ‘Professor Joe’ giving these kids the experience of a lifetime.” 

To listen to the full podcast, click here.

This month, Leesa appeared in a segment on Global TV’s The Morning Show with Silver Lining’s very own “Accidental Environmentalist,” Julia Grieve. The program featured products with a “green” twist, which Julia encouraged consumers to use for a more environmentally-friendly existence.

When speaking about Leesa, Julia touched on the importance of rest to sustainable living. “We need to be healthy in order to keep the planet healthy,” she noted. “And the number one way to achieve wellness is through a good night’s sleep.”

Beyond this contribution to global wellness, Leesa is also a certified B Corp. Companies that receive this designation show a repeated commitment to environmental sustainability, transparency, and accountability, using their profits and growth for the global good. With its mission to be a “Maker of Good,” Leesa embodies the spirit of the B Corp Certification; with its One-Ten commitment, the brand donates one mattress for every 10 sold, and has given away 36,000 of them to date.

We couldn’t be more excited by our client KANDL’s one-of-a-kind candle creation spaces. Before the holidays, KANDL founder William Cheng hosted an exclusive wine and candle night, where guests shared in conversation and vino—while also creating a unique candle, perfectly suited for their own individual personality. The event also showcased some of the parallels between quality wine and a quality candle, and how both can play a role in transforming the way you feel.

Cheng’s wine night perfectly showcased the KANDL lab, which is the only fully-customizable candle creation lab experience in North America. There, guests can choose, combine, and create custom fragrances for their own unique candle—even pouring and stirring their own wax.  

The Yorkville-based KANDL boutique hosts candle labs most days of the week, where guests can join with a friend or book a private party for a larger group. It’s a fabulous way to spend an evening, learn something new and walk away with a hand-crafted candle to enjoy in your own home.