Autumn usually finds me trying to drum up work now that the kids are back at school. I love the time I have with them over the summer but it tends to lead to a bit of a slump. My marketing efforts drop off and when projects end, as they have this year, there isn’t a waiting list. Mainly because the people I work with have been away too.
Of course, there are plenty of industries where the summer is completely manic. The wonderful travel agents I know look after their customers while they’re away. Even if the work’s been done making the bookings the customer care doesn’t stop.
Autumn gives most of us the opportunity to get back to a bit of normality. That’s why it’s the perfect time to review your goals.
In my last blog post, I talked about the reasons why you should get to know your customers. If you missed it, you can catch up 
When you run your own business it’s easy to get bogged down in the day to day stuff. The work that needs doing for your customers, the next Facebook post or when you need to get your books off to the accountant.
Getting to know your customers is important regardless of your industry, but it’s especially important when you work in travel.
When your customers think about holidays they probably just need a break. They’ve been working hard and they want some rest and relaxation along with a change of scenery.
I know, it’s an odd question. Why would a sinking ship help you to reach more customers and sell them holidays? Surely the last thing you want to remind them of is death and disaster?
I know you’ve probably heard it a thousand times (at least). Video is an amazing marketing tool. Facebook loves video so you’re more likely to get into people’s news feeds. It gets you in front of your customers like nothing else. They can see you and hear your voice so they get to know you.
I always used to think that people who started their own business must be naturally confident. They must be natural entrepreneurs with the communication skills to match. I reasoned that anyone with the confidence to start their own business must have the confidence to talk to anyone.
We all have those times when we sit at a computer staring at a blank screen and wondering what to write. Even me. Or we write an opening sentence seventeen times because it doesn’t sound right. It’s tempting to just give up on the whole blogging thing altogether, right?
When I ask people what they struggle with when it comes to producing content for their business, I usually get one of two answers. Some people have ideas but when they put them down on paper it just sounds wrong. There is a solution to that, but that’s for another blog.