News (blog)

One of the things many of my clients tell me is that they have no time to market their business.

Well ... do you have 10 minutes?

You can do a LOT in 10 minutes!  Spend the first 10 minutes of your day brainstorming ideas, then the next day put the plan into action.

Here are some ideas to get you started ...

• Spend 10 minutes editing your website copy. Give people a reason to come back and visit your site! How about a "what's happening around town" column that tells people what shows are in town (and of course you can get them tickets). Or some tips on how to save time. Something to keep them coming back again and again
  
• Make 2 or 3 phone calls to market your business.
• Write a blog post or a short article and post it on your website. Then post it on someone else's. There are dozens of sites that accept them. Ezinearticles.com is one of the sites that I use, and there are dozens more where that came from.
• Call your Chamber of Commerce and ask when the next "meet and greet" reception is. Then mark it in your calendar and go!
  
• Call some radio stations and see if you can get an interview. Have a show idea all ready: 3 ways to save time during the holidays might be one example.
• Post something on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn!
  

See what I mean?  Spend 10 minutes each day doing one little thing and that's all you need!!!  You can even push it to 30 minutes if you have the time for it.

Until next time!

Katharine

1. Unless the service is really horrible, always leave something.
2. If the service is extraordinary, then show it by leaving them a little more!!!
3. Please remember to tip the maid in the room!!!!  The gratuity really depends on the size of the city you are in. Most people give a dollar or two a night and leave it on their pillow or somewhere the maid is sure to see it.
4. When traveling, don't forget to have dollar bills in your pocket. I find it much easier to pull a dollar out of my pocket than rummaging through my purse trying to find my wallet.
5. If you are traveling to a foreign country, make sure you find out what the guidelines are for that particular country before you go!  Everything I know about this topic, I learned from the book Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands. Here's their website... http://kissbowshakehands.com/.
6. NEVER place the "please make up my room" sign on the outside of your hotel door, it tells everyone in the hotel that you are not in your room.
7. Always put some food in your briefcase as airlines don't feed you any more, and the ones who do will charge you extra. I usually grab a few energy bars or some granola and throw it into my bag. I also buy a bottle of water when I get through security because as you all know liquids are not allowed to go through security.

Happy Traveling Everyone!

Katharine

Crazy title for a concierge blog right?

If you want to take your customer service to the next level, you can start by just changing a few words.

Here’s what I want you to say instead:

“It was my pleasure.”

Now why do I want you to do that?

Mostly because no one else does.

When is the last time you heard someone answer with an “it was my pleasure”? Most likely, you were at a five-star hotel or an expensive restaurant. These establish­ments completely understand that these small words will set them apart from all the rest. It gives them an edge. It’s a gracious response that is above and beyond normal words.

“It was absolutely my pleasure.”

Four simple words that will propel you above and beyond average ser­vice as it will set you apart from everyone else.

Being a concierge is who you are, not what you do.  It goes beyond manners and saying “please” and “thank you.” You need to speak in a language that everyone understands, while being warm, friendly, and approachable.

Until next time!

Katharine

I go and visit new ICLMA member websites every week, and I've noticed a common theme. That being said, I thought I would offer you the most common website mistakes that I'm seeing ...

1. Flashy websites

I completely understand you want a flashy website with all the bells and whistles. The down side is that it might just hurt your business as your visitors will be paying more attention to the flash than they will your copy. While they might remember what a great site it was, they probably won't remember what you're actually selling.

2. Test your site on several browsers

Don't assume. That's my top tip for everything in regards to business. Never assume anything. For example, don't assume that since your  website looks great on Explorer it will look great on Firefox as well. It might not. I suggest you load it into several browers. I also think you should make it "mobile" friendly so people can view it on their smart phones.

A reporter has left you a voice mail ... what do you do?

Answer the message immediately. In fact, you should answer it within the hour or sooner. Reporters always have a deadline they have to meet and often are calling you at the last possible second. I can't tell you how many reporters have called me saying "sorry this is so last minute, but my deadline is in an hour." Remember, the number one way to sell your business is through the media and it costs you nothing!

Second, nothing is ever "off the record" ... NOTHING.  So if you don't want it printed, don't say it. For example, a few years ago a reporter interviewed me for a story he was doing. After the interview was over, we chatted for a few minutes and out of the blue he asked me the following question …

“Mrs. Giovanni, I need your advice about something”

Since reporters generally don’t ask me that (combined with the fact that he had just told me he graduated from college the previous year and this was his first job) my radar was immediately up. So I answered “sure what’s up?”

He then told me a story …

He said that a few days ago he asked a concierge what the strangest thing they have ever done for a client was, and the concierge told them they owned a few limousines and could get their clients any recreational drug they wanted. They then told the reporter that “of course that’s off the record right?”

(and no ... it was not an ICLMA member I'm happy to report)

“So I have a problem. Technically, if you want it off the record you have to say it before the sentence, not after. So I could use that if I wanted to. I already told my boss about the interview and he wants to run it, but I don’t want to write it because it will hurt your industry. Plus, I really don’t want to give that guy any free press because he doesn't deserve it. What should I do?”

A reporter with ethics!  I immediately LOVED this kid!!!!  He was warm, friendly and genuinely wanted to help. So we chatted for about 20 minutes and I advised him to go with his heart. Of course, I also agreed that it would seriously hurt our industry if he ran the story.

For the next month I patiently waited for the story to come out. I went to his newspaper's website and ran searches to see if his article had come out. Nothing.  I’m pleased to report that he stood his ground and never printed it. 

So the moral of the story?  NOTHING is off the record. If you say it, there is a good chance they’ll print it so be careful! I would also only provide services that are legal, moral and ethical.

Lastly, most reporters will ask for your funniest concierge story. That's fine, just don't give your client's name. If it's a story about your client George Clooney, for example, tell the story and just say "a celebrity client of mine once asked me to...."  Confidentiality is the hallmark of the concierge industry and should never ever be broken.

Until next month!

Katharine

A client of mine told me a very interesting story a while back. Apparently, one of her family members had purchased a whole bunch of butterfly wings and was storing them in their attic.

Butterfly wings? Really?

(No, I do not make these things up.)

She told me that she has spent hours trying to convince them that they needed to figure out how they were going to sell the wings because they were starting to fill up the attic!  Her frustration was clearly evident as she vented about it to me.  I gave her some suggestions and we moved onto another topic.

Listen, if you are planning on starting a business, you really need a plan of action before you leap into something. Just like you need to know where you are going before you get into the car so you don't get lost. Once you know where you are going, then you can move forward.

It doesn’t have to be fancy and complicated. A simple plan of action will do just fine as it will help you figure out:

• Who your target market is
• How you are going to get their attention (so that they'll buy the product).
• How are you going to do this?  In a store? Online?
• Do you have any competition?
• What price will you sell them for?
• How much profit will you make on each sale?

You need to know these things before you start spending all kinds of money. It's like going out and renting a store without first knowing what you are going to sell in it.

Your action plan should clearly define the who, what, where, how and why's. This way you have a direction to go in. Then, once you've figured out the basic questions, you can put your new plan of action into a simple business plan.

So please look before you leap into something and spend a bunch of money. You really need to think it through first.

Until next time,

Katharine

As I sit here wondering what to write, my eyes are drawn to the calendar in front of me. I actually can't believe that it's December already! Where does the time go?  This year has been hard for many of us. The word “struggle” comes to mind as most of us struggle in one way or another. From health to money to relationships, we all seem to be struggling with something.

So how do you stop struggling?  You choose to stop. Seriously. Make the mental decision to stop. Start thinking about where you want your future to be and start walking that way. If your company is struggling, then start thinking of new products to offer and fresh ways to market because what worked last year will most likely not work this year.

So with that in mind, here are five ways you can start fresh …

Clean house

Clean your “house”. It’s time to move on from the past as it’s been holding some of you back. Cut those old cords and outdated ideas and free yourself so that you can accept change into your life. Good change!  Move on from that old nostalgia as it no longer serves you. It's like those old clothes in my closet that I'll never wear again. Why do I hold onto them?  Not sure, but I do know that once I get rid of them I'll have some extra room in my closet that I can fill with some great stuff!!! So clean your house ... forgive everyone, including yourself, and then move on.

Balance

Bring balance back into your life. I shouldn’t have to remind you all that you need to keep all aspects of your life in balance!  So eat well, stay healthy, exercise, and take time for yourself. I suspect that everyone reading this article already knows what part of their life is out of balance. Now is as good a time as any to fix it.

Accept Change

Although change is scary, it’s a necessary part of life.  To move on from your current life, you must be willing to change!  Open yourself up to the possibility that that brass ring is out there and waiting for you to just reach out, grab it and then accept it into your life.

Give

What you put out in the world, you’ll get back … an old saying that is actually true.

Take a chance

Take a chance to live your passion!  What have you got to lose? 

Time?  We’re given 24 new hours every morning to work with!

People?  People come and go in your life like the tide. Some are meant to be there forever, and some are there to teach you something (or for you to teach them) and then it’s time for them to leave. Your real friends will always stand by your side no matter what.

A place?  You can always get a new place just like you can always buy new things. 

Money?  Go deep within yourself and you’ll find the answer to your money question. Trust your intuition and take the guidance it’s giving you. So I’ll ask you again. What have you got to lose? Take the chance to do it … or to not do it. Just take the chance. 

Life is about taking chances. You can have everything you’ve ever dreamed of!  All you have to do is take the chance.

With the holidays fast approaching, I think it goes without saying that our stress levels are going to up.  With that in mind, here are three ways you can reduce some of that stress in your office …

STOP checking your email and texts every few minutes!!

Check your email when it fits your schedule and not the other way around. Read it at your own pace rather than the minute it arrives. You don't have to look at your phone the minute it makes that ding sound!!

Plus it goes without saying here that you should NEVER check your phone while driving. I can't tell you how many people I've seen on the road driving and texting at the same time.

Use your voice mail.

Let your voice mail answer the phone for a while. You can return the call later.  This way you can finish that report your working on! 

Take one thing at a time, one day at a time.

When you start to feel overwhelmed, try taking one thing at a time. Make a list of things you need to do and put the most urgent one at the top. Once you have completed it, cross it off and move on to the next one. Soon they’ll all be done!   That’s what I do … I run ICLMA and Triangle Concierge out of our office so to avoid getting overwhelmed by it all, I do one project at a time. Otherwise I would go nuts!!

Until next time!

 

An ICLMA member recently asked about television interviews and wanted a few tips.  Since I've had the pleasure of doing hundreds of interviews over the last 20 years, here are my top ten tips...

1.  Don’t look at the camera. Look at the person doing the interview.

2.  Don’t wear white on television or in photographs for newspapers and magazines. Navy blue and black are great. Absolutely dress for success, but remember to keep your clothing on the conservative side. Women should keep jewelry and makeup to a minimum as the interview should be about what you say, not how you look. You don't want them to get distracted.

3.  Don’t be a “talking head.” Talk in short sentences. Don’t be long winded! Give short bursts of information.

4.  Even if you are not talking, the camera might be on you, so make sure you control your facial expressions at all times. This also applies to what you say. Remember you still have a live microphone on you and they are listening to your every word both on and off camera. 

5.  Be positive and upbeat. Put yourself in a positive mood before the interview by thinking about the happiest moment in your life. Relive that moment in the minutes right before the interview so that you can go in there and be the happiest you've ever been!

6.  Nothing is ever “off the record,” so don’t even go there with a reporter.

7.  NEVER say that you don’t know, or that you can’t answer a question. Change to another topic, or just tell them that when you have an answer for that question, he or she will be the first one you call. If you can’t answer the question due to a legal problem, then tell them that.

8.  Don’t eat a heavy meal before an interview because it will make you tired. Also, don’t drink too much liquid I’m pretty sure I don’t have to tell you why.

9.  Follow up with everyone. No exceptions. Return e-mails and telephone calls within twenty-four hours or less. Again, no exceptions. If the press can’t get you to respond fast, they will simply move on to someone else and you’ll lose the interview.

10.  Believe in what you are doing! You can’t promote something if you don’t believe in it with all your heart. Speak with passion.

Good luck everyone!

Katharine C. Giovanni, CCS

 

Katharine is an award-winning author, motivational speaker and the world’s leading concierge trainer and consultant. She is ICLMA’s Founder as well as one of the founders of Triangle Concierge. Katharine is the author of several business and motivational books. Visit www.ICLMA.org; www.triangleconcierge, and www.katharinegiovanni.com for more information.

I noticed a new trend recently that I thought might interest you.

A huge number of my clients (from Triangle Concierge) are corporate burnouts all looking to leave that world and start their own company.

Incredible!  Makes you wonder about the state of the corporate world right?  Seems that they're burning out fast. Due to downsizing, many people are being forced to do the job of three people and the stress is killing them. One of my clients even told me that she spent a good part of the time crying in the bathroom at her last job.

Crying!

So how can we help? By offering the corporate world concierge services of course!  In fact, I think you should add this to the list of services on your website and in your brochures. 

You can help alleviate some of that horrible stress that they're feelings so they don't burn out!!!