Over sixty banks operate in the six community market of Southlake, Colleyville, Grapevine, Keller, Trophy Club and Westlake.

Here are the number of banks in descending order by community and a residents per bank ratio by community.  This data does not include stand-alone ATMs, credit unions nor banks under construction.

Community    No. of Banks    Rsdnts./Bank

Southlake                19                     1353

Keller                       15                     2513

Grapevine                13                     3504

Colleyville                 12                    1846

Trophy Club               3                     2483

Westlake                   0                       na 

Ten banks operate in this market with three or more locations.

• Four banks operate with two locations
• Nine banks have one location.    

Currently, Bank of America is the leader with nine locations. 

• Chase Bank and Compass Bank have six each. 
• Wells Fargo has five locations and Capital One has four. 
• Five banks operate with three locations: Bank of Texas, First Financial Bank, Frost Bank, Wachovia Bank and Washington Mutual. 
• Less than six locations are not stand-alone facilities.     

 This brief summary of the greater Southlake banking industry appeared in the June 2007 newsletter published by KGB Strategic Marketing Solutions.  If you would like to be added to our distribution list, please email Kate at kgbmarketing@hotmail.com. We will be more than happy to add you to our list!

  A professional’s business card is one of the first impressions given of both yourself and your business.  Here are design related factors to consider.

1. The quality of the paper (how thick, heavy or sturdy) tends to indicate the seriousness of your company.
2. Glossy cards can be very hard to write on; thus the recipient may not be able to jot down important notes from your conversation. 
3. Primary contact information is essential.  Phone numbers should have a consistent format and include the area code and an extension, if applicable. A physical address may not be needed if you do business exclusively online or by mail.  Website addresses can be listed with or without the http:// preceding the URL.
4. One expert notes the use of too many colors may give the look of indecisiveness.  At times, elaborate print can be hard to read.
5. Taglines are useful if the business name is somewhat ambiguous or doesn’t clearly convey the purpose of the business.
6. A logo or picture can play a major role in creating a professional’s or company’s identity.

   This brief article appeared in the July 2007 newsletter published by KGB Strategic Marketing Solutions.  If you would like to be added to the distribution list, please email Kate at kgbmarketing@hotmail.com.  We will be more than happy to add you to our list!

The following is the final section of a three-part article focusing on ways a small business can personalize their marketing efforts.  As previously mentioned, I’m not referring to personalizing mass produced printed materials, but am focusing on those little “human” touches that mean a lot to your best customers, prospects, industry allies and employees.  I refer to this group as your “focused contacts”.   The first part, posted on June 25, focused on handwritten notes, and the second part, posted on June 30, focused on customer appreciation. 

The third way to personalize your marketing efforts is to ensure your company is known for customer service.  I’ve segmented this approach into four categories.

• Customer expectations
• Employees
• Response time
• Value-added ideas.

In order to exceed customer expectations (and yes I know this term is over-used), think about your recent transactions at other establishments, whether positive or negative. 

When visiting a store, we appreciate the efforts made when employees walk you to the location of a product, answer your questions about product options, and then ask if you need additional assistance with another item.·         It’s hard to feel highly valued when you’re just told the aisle location and you’re unfamiliar with the store layout or are in a hurry.  And then again, do you get frustrated when checking out and am asked “did you find everything?” and when you tell them no, they show no concern for your input? It’s important to identify your customers’ priorities if you want them to be life-long customers.

• When I worked at American Airlines in the eighties, we studied how other businesses within the travel industry were responding to the influx of women business travelers and learned safety was the top concern.  As an example, women didn’t want their room number stated out loud at check-in.
• It’s a great feeling when a restaurant remembers your preferred seat or a hotel remembers your non-smoking room preference.

Furthermore, it is beneficial to ask your focused customers or allies how your product or service is performing.  Then, implement changes and advise them of these changes.

• You may find that people are willing to pay more if you spend more time listening to them (a selfish, but important factor).
• My July 2006 newsletter identified numerous ways of gathering information and listening to your customers.
• Remember to obtain information about different “time points”: purchase, delivery, service calls and after the customer actually uses your product for a period of time.
• Hiring a mystery shopper can provide first-hand qualitative input on how your customers are treated.

A second way to focus on customer service is to think about your employees.  If you respect, value and train your employees and recognize them as an important asset, these employees are more likely to pass along the same treatment to your customers.  Plus, you may have lower employee turnover. 

• Ask your employees for suggestions on ways they can offer outstanding customer service, such as learning more about products or your competitors.
• Modify or eliminate rules preventing employees from providing great service. 
• As your company provides training, offer employees opportunities to practice the new skills prior to interacting with customers and prospects.  New skills need time to become habits.

The third area is response time.  If you have a website, what is your response time to answer questions or comments? 

• What are your response rates when it comes to returning phone calls, shipping products, scheduling and completing service calls, or providing replacement parts?
• With so many people short on time, have a procedure for notifying your inability to keep an appointment.

The final area of customer service that can be personalized is value-added services.  What procedure do you have in place when an item is out of stock? 

• I was quite surprised when a high-end local grocer had no record of my request for a special product I was seeking.  At the time I left my contact information, I mentioned the two special trips made to their store for this item.  Since that experience, I’ve reduced the number of visits to that establishment. 

Do you mail out postcards or make a phone call when the product is re-stocked?  How do you keep customers informed of special purchases?

• Just they other day I received a call from the service department of my car dealership reminding me that I haven’t been in for service in some time.  Personally, I value that reminder since our lives get busy and it’s not convenient or fun when the car needs servicing!

Do your technicians solve an immediate problem that’s likely to repeat itself OR do they find a long term solution so it doesn’t repeat itself?  This easily applies to appliance, computer and cable service repairs.

• Perhaps you’ve come across a problem with a piece of equipment and you make the effort to contact customers who purchased that item.

Do you notify focused contacts of your busiest time of the day or week so they can avoid long lines and delays?

• Wouldn’t it be great if the local post office could tell you when they have the most agents working?

Please don’t hesitate to share your comments and thoughts about these three methods for personalizing your marketing efforts.  It’s a topic that never loses relevancy. 

The following is the second section of a three-part article focusing on ways a small business can personalize their marketing efforts.  As mentioned in the first post, I’m not referring to personalizing mass produced printed materials. 

Instead, I’m focusing on those little “human” touches that mean a lot to your best customers, prospects, industry allies and employees.  I refer to this group as your “focused contacts.”  The first part, posted on June 25, addressed handwritten messages.

The second way to personalize your marketing efforts is to demonstrate how much you appreciate your customers. 

First are on-going methods such as

1. acknowledging customers by name
2. offering a place for customers to display a stack of their business cards so others may take one
3. touching base with a prospect about some other need they mentioned during your presentation or discussion 
4. providing a simple way for contacts to opt out of receiving your company’s routinely distributed promotional materials
5. organizing free workshops in which you partner with related professionals to offer meaningful information   
6. sending a testimonial from an existing customer to a prospect
7. writing thank you notes and placing phone calls as previously discussed
8. establishing a client or customer board of the month featured at your office, retail store, newsletter or website.

Financially, you may

1. offer discounts if they bring in a postcard or mention your notice about customer appreciation day or week
2. hold a monthly drawing for FREE use of a chauffeur, prepared meals, financial check-up, golf packages, etc.   
3. donate to your focused contact’s favorite charity in his or her name
4. invite focused contacts to try a new product or service at no charge or at minimal cost, dependent upon the product or regulations  
5. establish a frequent purchase program (yes, this does require you to keep track of all customer purchases) to provide rewards.  Use this opportunity to have some fun and select meaningful items or services.
6. inform customers of special sales involving their frequently purchased items (here again, don’t forget the usefulness of a customer database), or if you have a top-selling item that your best customers frequently purchase
7. publish a picture in the local paper, perhaps quarterly, of an important customer, employee or ally
8. host an event where you don’t talk business such as a picnic, BBQ or softball tournament.

  The final part of this series will focus on personalizing customer service.

What are three great reasons to provide outstanding customer service?

1. Repeat customers spend more than new customers.
2. Referrals from repeat customers are greater than new customers.
3. It costs less to sell an item to an existing customer than a prospect.

So how do we make great customer service a daily occurrence?  Focus on the various interactions you have with your customers before, during and after their purchase.

1. How easy is it to find your location, phone number or website?  Include this information on as many of your company materials as possible.
2. During the sale, do you offer helpful assistance, practical packaging, and payment options?  Make sure your staff has the training and knowledge they need.
3. After the sale, are delivery and installation convenient?   Will your product be more useful with training?  Is your automated phone system customer-friendly?  Are your return and warrant policies reasonable?  A positive experience at this phase can significantly impact the number of customer referrals!

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to publish a few brief articles on ways a small business can personalize their marketing efforts.  And just so you know, I’m not referring to personalizing mass produced brochures, newsletters, catalogs, and emails.  Instead, I’m encouraging you to focus on those little “human” touches that mean a lot to your best customers, prospects, industry allies and employees.  I’ll refer to this group as your “focused contacts”. 

In this process, I’m also advocating greater utilization of your contact and/or customer database.  I suggest either upgrading it to include contact specific information, or referring to it on a more regular basis.  Some examples of personal information include: how you met, where a person went to college, how many children they have, where he/she grew up, what are their favorite vacations, which competitors or suppliers they use, who they report to, etc.   

Beyond the basic contact information, customer specific information might be what are their preferred products and payment or delivery methods.  As an example, a pest control service could maintain information on whether or not residential customers have outside pets and thus always make phone contact prior to scheduling service.   

Before we get into methods, I’ll briefly list some of the potential goals of these personalization efforts: 

1. building loyalty so you and your business are more likely to be remembered
2. keeping your name in front of your customers in a non-sales, impromptu manner
3. building relationships and trust
4. making your focused contacts feel valued and appreciated.  Your note might motivate, encourage or uplift the receiver, either personally or professionally.

The three broad categories I’m going to discuss include

1. handwritten notes
2. customer appreciation
3. customer service.

As you read each idea, evaluate it to see if it’s something that fits your budget, your schedule and your personal style. 

One of the most personal methods is to send a handwritten note.  Stop and think about it: don’t you almost always open the personally addressed mail first?  So what are meaningful reasons for a personal note?

1. appreciation for being your customer, prompt payment or a referral
2. acknowledgement for special achievement
3. acknowledgement for a mistake made by you or your staff
4. expression of sympathy or concern
5. comments accompanying an article highlighting their business or industry
6. anniversary with your company
7. important contact met at a networking event
8. inquiry to simply find out how they’re doing, you’re thinking about them or to highlight an important personal matter
9. his or her birthday.  I’m going to add a word of caution as I feel this can be overdone as in the case of a P&C insurance agent sending birthday cards to the children of customers. 

Perhaps you want to acknowledge your focused contacts during small business week, save your vision week (optometrists and eyewear stores), national family week (if you business provides relevant products and services), or their alma mater scored a major academic or athletic victory.  For more fun ideas look under the Strategy category of this website for the article titled “Adding some clean fun to your promotional activities.” 

I recommend maintaining an ample supply of pre-printed stationery that fits your style, whether note paper, note cards or postcards.  The pre-printed information could include your name, title or business, phone and address.  You’ll note I’ve omitted fax number, email address and website, as this information may be crossing over the line into more of a sales message.  The rest of the card should have ample space for your short, brief message of three or four sentences.  Some people tend to find it easier to hand write something more personal then when emailing or typing a note.  Pre-printing your return address is a time saver!   

If you feel you’re better on the phone, make the effort to speak with your customers, prospects, allies and employees.  They will more than likely appreciate your personal touch! 

Two examples of professionals who have benefited from this approach are accountants and financial planners.  In the case of the financial planner, he practiced for fifteen years before adopting this tactic.  He stated that within six months, he gained extensive new referral business that significantly exceeded all other previous marketing efforts!

The next posted article will provide ideas for personalizing customer appreciation efforts.

Networking, whether to directly find new customers or to increase your visibility in the marketplace, is an important activity for small businesses.  Here’s insight based on my experience after completing over ten months participation in a referral / leads networking group in which only one member per profession is allowed.   

These concepts and issues are relevant for other business-based networking opportunities such as a chamber of commerce and civic groups.  Please note there are many other valid reasons for networking, but this article is strictly focused on business networking. 

Business and Marketing Considerations 

1)    Visit other similar groups or chapters if they’re nearby.

a)    Use this opportunity to speak with members who are professionals from your industry.  Ask about both time and money commitment and whether they’ve benefited financially and/or professionally. 

2)    Analyze the membership in terms of your target market.

a)    As an example, does the group consist of more business-to-consumer entities or more business-to-business entities?

i)      In my case, there were certain businesses I was never able to refer to such as home security.  We’ve lived in the same community and house for over ten years, and I tend to recommend businesses I personally know or use.

ii)    What is an acceptable amount of time to spend meeting with people outside of your target market at this stage of your business? 

b)    If you have a geographic target market, where do members live and work?  Additionally, a business may target customers based on other factors such income, age or lifestyle.  And of course, B2B markets will utilize different criteria.

3)    Consider your sales cycle.

a)    Members with short sales cycles (carpet cleaning, clothing alterations, hairstylists) will usually gain business immediately.  Industries such as financial planning and consulting can be involved for six or more months without receiving any referrals.

b)    Be prepared to remain in the group for at least six months to one year.  As with any promotional effort, make the commitment and think of this opportunity as a long term investment in building relationships and developing trust.

c)     If your business is young, this opportunity can be invaluable for testing ideas.

4)    Examine the group in terms of the quality of members.

a)    You have to balance what time you have for this marketing activity versus how much you may need to give to make the group highly valuable (inviting potential members or your industry allies, one-on-one meetings, etc.)

b)    It can be uncomfortable to recommend a person based on a few meetings if you haven’t seen or experienced their work.  Plus due to human nature, there are bound to be certain people with whom you don’t click.  When it comes to referrals, your reputation is on the line! 

Personal Considerations 

1)    Focus on the time of the meeting as your personal situation may work better for lunch meetings than morning or evening meetings, or vice versa.

a)    Interestingly, I’m continually hearing about a greater number of networking groups meeting bi-weekly or monthly. 

 2)    Find out what meetings are required outside of your regularly scheduled meeting. 

a)    We were expected to meet at least once a week with another member and to meet with every member.

b)    While the group is sold as only requiring ninety minutes each week, the time commitment was realistically three to four hours each week. 

3)    If considering a leadership position, ask questions about how much time it takes, does the member feel the extra commitment has paid off, and what type of training is available. 

a)    As incentive, the top three leaders of our group obtain additional months of membership for their service.

b)    In our group, training always required some type of fee (under $20) and was not necessarily geographically convenient.  For my particular position, limited free materials were provided, but the majority of materials required a purchase. 

Group Considerations 

1)    Learn about membership retention rates and try to gauge the priority of the group.

a)    Our group was very young. 

i)      Thus, many members felt our top priority was to recruit new members.  This can lead to projects requiring additional time and money.

ii)    Leadership stability can be important.  We had three different group leaders (i.e., president, director) and two second-in-command leaders in 10.5 months.

iii) During those months, twenty-six members left the group for various reasons.  At the time I joined, the group had roughly thirty members.  At the time I left, the group had twenty and at one point was under 15.

b)    Learn about the types of businesses that have remained in the group if it’s older than two years.

2)    Ask about membership policies.

a)    You may be required to invite a certain number of potential members involving letters, phone calls, etc.

i)      These numbers can be substantial.

b)    Ask about financial commitment. 

 i)      We paid an initial registration fee, annual fee and monthly dues to cover our breakfast and meeting facility; these fees totaled over $870 for twelve months. I’m aware of some groups having monthly dues of $50 to $60 if meeting for lunch.

c)     What type of training is available?

i)      In our case, a basic required course offered useful suggestions for maximizing your participation.  These ideas were applicable to other networking situations.

d)    Make sure you fully understand attendance policies, such as whether a substitute is or is not expected.

i)      Of the forty plus meetings I attended, we always had at least one member absent.  In some cases, we had seven or more absent out of 20 or 25 members.  When members are absent, it detracts from the value of the group.

e)    If more than one person from a profession applies, how is the member selected?

f)      How are non-productive members handled?

g)    If the group tracks referrals and business, how are they calculated?  Different groups within the same organization may use different methods.

h)    A mentoring program is great but again requires additional time.

i)      If the group has a website, spend adequate time researching it.

3)    Visit as many times as permissible to observe the flow of the meeting. 

a)    Our group leader received formal training on how to run the meeting, and thus each one generally followed the recommended format.  I’ve been told not all groups do so. 

b)    Are the members friendly to visitors?  Are the members actively speaking with one another?

c)     Try to learn about the quality of direction given by paid personal if the group has a formal management organization. 

i)      Will the organization offer any type of discount for providing poor management from the paid/staff level?   If this group is run as a for-profit business, you’ll have an idea if gaining new members is significantly more important than providing customer service to existing members. 

d)    If there are terms you don’t understand, ask for explanation.  Just like any industry, these groups have their own terminology! 

What I learned and experienced in a nutshell.

1. Business-wise, since I have a geographic target market and primarily focus on clients in the B2B market, I would likely generate greater benefits by establishing my own networking group of small B2B businesses serving my geographic area and relating to my field.
2. I obtained enough business to pay for all fees and expenses but the time commitment was extensive.
3. I will maintain contact over the long-term with a handful of professionals from the group who I can either refer to or receive referrals.  Plus, some have become personal friends.
4. Professionally, since I’m a home-based business, it was great incentive to dress in formal work clothes, get out of the house, and sharpen my speaking skills through a leadership position.  Other home-based members and those who have recently relocated to our area share my sentiment! 
5. I highly recommend business networking for professionals who’ve been out of the work force for a period of time and will benefit from the structure and leadership opportunities as it’s easier to get back into the professional mode.
6. Overall, my participation in this group helped more with professional growth than business growth.   

Whether you’ve had positive or negative networking experiences, or want to share comments, please don’t hesitate to email me at kgbmarketing@hotmail.com.

  Westlake is the smallest of the six communities with an estimated Jan. 2006 population  of 700. 

• This growth equates to a 314 percent increase from the 2000 Census.
• The daytime population swells to 12,500 due to major corporate firms located in Westlake.
• The three largest employers are Fidelity Investments (planning a major expansion of up to 1500 employees), Daimler Chrysler and First American. 

For the seven year period 2000-2006, the Town of Westlake permitted just over 200 new homes with an average permit value of $973,983.

• The three most active home builders for that period were W B Texas Resorts, Dale Clark Associates and Simmons Estate Homes.

Westlake, incorporated in 1956 and encompassing 7 square miles, is a master planned community.

• Residents do not pay property taxes.
• City government is funded by sales tax revenue, franchise fees and development fees.  

In my May 2007 newsletter, I briefly spoke about the collection of printed marketing materials gathered at our home in just one week.  I’ve been reading that the average American consumer receives anywhere from 600 to 3500 plus marketing messages each day, so this was my personal test. 

I was astonished to learn the collection weighs over 20 pounds and measures 14 inches by 10 inches by 12 inches. 

The collection includes:

• Seven issues of The Dallas Morning News including all circulars (we are subscribers)
• Two Southlake weekly newspapers and circulars
• Eleven monthly glossy magazines targeting our area ranging from Baylor Health, Clipper Magazine, Distinctive Homes, Northeast Tarrant Edition of Living magazine to Society Life.  My collection excludes magazines to which we subscribe!
• Four letters within envelopes which is lower than average.  I’ve excluded inserts within personally addressed invoices and mailings such as our checking account and utility statements, letters from charities we support and solicitations for my home-based business.
• Twenty-two catalogs, with three representing companies I routinely patronize.  The majority are from retailers from whom I’ve never made a purchase.
• Four door hangers and one food drive collection sack
• Six postcards of various sizes which appears lower than average, as some days we’ll receive at least three.

Since reviewing the collection, I must add that we didn’t receive any cellophane packaged or half-sheet circular sets such as Money Mailer or RSVP.  This week alone, we’ve received three sets!  On average, we receive at least three items from realtors every week.  The count also excludes all the promotional pieces sent home by the school district.  I’m going to undertake another collection next week just focusing on postcards and letters and will keep you posted on the results. 

So what does this all mean for the local small business trying to reach consumers?  Unless you have unlimited dollars for promotional efforts, a small business will benefit from target marketing.  This process starts by studying your existing customers.  Important questions include where do they live, what are their demographics (gender, income, age, household type, etc.), and what are their interests (outdoor activities, children’s sports, travelers, professional or college sports enthusiasts, etc.)?  What benefit or benefits do they receive from purchasing your products or services?  How do your customers find you and how do they shop? What efforts have been the most successful in recent attempts?  How do your competitors reach your target market? 

If you would like to know more about target marketing, please send an email to kgbmarketing@hotmail.com or contact us at 817-488-2761.   

What a better day than the Friday of a three day weekend to discuss fun and/or lighthearted ways to keep your name in front of your customers, prospects and industry allies.  Keeping in mind that any type of humor first of all must be appropriate for your small business’ industry or line of work, the use of it may make your promotional efforts striking and less forgettable.       

Some specific uses include direct marketing materials to create interest and response dependent upon a person’s stage within the sales cycle; personal notes or postcards for those whom you know personally and want to recognize such as veterans, nurses or teachers; or events to offer interaction such as customer appreciation day or week.  Two other ideas may be a sales promotion tied to a special product or service, such as Bicycle Safety Day, or the desire to tell your target audience about your selection of a local charity.  As mentioned in prior articles, creating and using a contact or customer database is essential for your marketing activities. 

I’ve included a few ideas for each month and applicable businesses or professions for these events.  If I didn’t mention your industry, sources for other holidays and celebrations are listed at the end.  To my knowledge, some of these dates change from year to year.   

January

Jan. 13 – Make Your Dreams Come True Day, financial planner, insurance agency or interior designer

Jan. 23 – National Handwriting Day, stationery retailer 

February

Feb. 13 – Bicycle Safety Day, bicycle store

Feb. 17 – Random Acts of Kindness Day, non-profit

Feb. 21 – Love Your Pet Day, pet store or veterinarian

Feb. 25 – Quiet Day, bookstore 

March

Mar. 3 – Employee Appreciation Day, any business

Mar. 8 – International Women’s Day, any business catering to women

Mar. 27 – Photography Day, camera store or photographer

Mar. 30 – Doctor’s Day, physicians 

April

Apr 5 – Read a Road Map Day, travel agency or tour operator

Apr. 7 – World Health Day, businesses in the health care profession

Apr. 22 – Earth Day, businesses in the landscape industry 

May

May 6 – Nurses Day, health care industry

May 10 – Peace Day, non-profits

May 15 – International Day of Families, water park

May 31 – National Save Your Hearing Day, ear specialist 

June

June 1 – International Children’s Day, day care business

June 5 – World Environment Day, organic landscaping business or retailers accepting trade-ins

June 23 – birth date of Johannes Gutenberg, 1400, printing business 

July

July 2 – halfway point of the year, accountants and bookkeepers

July 30 – Comedy Day, comedy club 

August

Friendship Day – first Sunday of August every year, greeting card store

Aug. 9 – International Art Appreciation Day, art gallery

Aug. 13 – International Left-Handers Day, for someone your personally know

Aug. 22 – Tooth Fairy Day, pediatric dentist 

September

Sept. 17 – Constitution Day, attorneys

Sept. 20 – International Student Day, educational consultants or tutors 

October

Oct. 9 – World Post Day, postal / mailing centers

Oct. 20 – National Fruit Day, health food store

Oct. 27 – Make a Difference Day, non-profits 

November

Nov. 11 – Veteran’s Day, thank customers who are veterans

Nov. 15 –America Recycles Day, business offering recycling of printer cartridges 

December

Dec. 4 – National Cookie Day, bakery

Dec. 5 – International Volunteer Day, thank customers who you know are active community volunteers

Dec. 15 – Game of Basketball invented in 1891, sporting goods store

Dec. 17 – Orville and Wilbur Wright made first successful flight in 1903, travel agency 

Sources: www.enchantedlearning.com/activitycalendars and Linda Bean, owner of Be In Touch, www.beintouchday.com  

As you can see, there are numerous events and methods to consider based on your industry, personality and budget.  The good news is with a little planning and creativity a method can be tailored to fit your situation.