The embroidery business in today's marketplace ..

"Hello, yeah, it's been a while / Not much, how 'bout you
I'm not sure why I "blogged" / I guess I really just wanted to talk to you"

~ hmmm, that sounds familiar ..

OK OK .. I've taken some time off, but wedding plans are really eating up my free time ..
I long for the days where the girl and her family plans everything and the guy (me) just shows up and gets married.
Really, does that piece of cake taste ANY different than that last 14 pieces we tried??!!  My mom makes a great Texas sheet cake, she could easily make about 20 of them in 2 days, freeze them for "THE DAY" and everyone would be happy ..
The BEST part of these plans, then we'll move on, is me monogramming the wedding dress while my mom, her mom, sister and aunt HIDE it from me while I'm hooping and embroidering it !!!  Where was the camera then??!!  If it's straight, it will be a miracle.
* By the way, THE DAY is September 19 and I couldn't be more excited about anything in my life !!  Her name is Mary Kay and she is going to be a wonderful wife and mother .. I just know it ..

NOTICES: 
1. www.embdesignsnow.com is NOW functional
2. Digitizing lessons are still offered at my office in Florida, and look for our new ONLINE digitizing training set .. coming soon

EVENTS: 
1. ISS Chicago, IL .. if you plan on attending, please visit me at the Tajima/Hirsch booth
2. November 2009 / embroidery seminar in Phoenix and Los Angeles .. if you are interested, please email me: rmacali@inhousedigitizing.com

To business at hand ..

Every day, as an embroiderer, my clients come in and ask me to quote them on work.  After hours of doing costings and even more time worrying about whether other embroiderers are quoting them, I find myself just concentrating on breathing in-and-out as I must RELAX!!  I sometimes forget that NOT EVERY job is lost on price alone.  As a matter of fact, customer do not decide to buy from us because of our price; but, customers do decide NOT to buy because of price -- that is not the same thing.

Here is the Macali Top Ten (ok, 12) reason why customers will purchase from you even if your price is not the lowest:

1. Customer relationship:  Make life easy for your customer to do business with you.  They want what they want when they need it .. "it's very simple, Norman."

2. Reliable/Dependable:  Just as in your personal/family relationships, and, sometimes more because your family USUALLY loves you no matter what, customers like to know they can rely on you.  Plus, this just adds to YOU being THE go-to person

3. Predictability:  It becomes your reputation.  Customers keep a track record in their head.  How you treated them in the past is what they will expect in the future .. under promise and over deliver !!  Words to live by .. hey, that's how I got engaged !! Stick out tongue

4. React to THEIR needs:  All customers want to separate themselves from the rest of the pack.  I hear, "I want to be different than the other guy," all the time .. so, I tell them, "Good, the other guy's terms are 30 days, your terms are Due on Delivery!"  Seriously, treat each customer the same and YOU will benefit.

5. Delivery:  Again, under promise and over delivery .. if you can deliver sooner than quoted, you're a hero and you can charge what you want.

6. Value:  If you offer tangible items other than embroidery (screen printing, transfers, seamstress work, etc.) then you stand a much better chance to keep your customer under one roof.

7. Customer service:  We all like to be "babied."  None more than I.  I know I will pay a higher price for someone to take me from step one to the end without me having to do extra work .. not work, but EXTRA work

8. Customer problems:  There are times when my customers make a mistake .. I can more afford to "help" them if my prices are higher than lower.  Customers are more likely to pay a premium price to someone who can genuinely help them.

9. Pricing/Quoting:  Customers are more likely to sell YOUR services if your price list is easy to understand and follow.

10. WARNING:  Most importantly, if there is an issue with shipment from your vendor OR by you, let the customer know.  If the job is pulled from you to another vendor, there is a better chance they will be back for other work versus you don't say anything and they can't deliver at all.

Best regards,

Rick Macali / 407 566-1533
rmacali@inhousedigitizing.com

www.inhousedigitizing.com
www.embdesignsnow.com

yahoo messenger:  inhousedigitizing
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Comments (2) -

jalcumbrack 8/8/2009 7:28:12 AM

Hi Rick,


First let me say congrats on your upcoming marriage! Yet another great article for us to read, thanks for that. It is always nice to get tips about the business from folks that have been around the block on it. I too believe the customer comes first, it is how I was raised. My folks had a retail store for years and all of us kids had to work there.


I was just on your site, design now and I can't figure out how to sign up for it or the different levels of it, and the pricing. So I am thinking that it is not up to speed yet, I know you have been working on it. I am interested in the digitizing videos. Am I missing something on the site as to where to sign up for this??


At any rate, thanks again for another informative article.


Thank you, thank you ..


And, thanks for visiting www.embdesignsnow.com


To simply register:  http://embdesignsnow.com/Register.aspx">embdesignsnow.com/Register.aspx


We only have ONE level of membership available right now and that is a $25 yearly membership that does 2 things:  one, customers automatically receive 25% off their digitizing from www.inhousedigitizing.com and two, if you have a need for Corporate logos, you can search and place orders of those on the corporate end as well.  To register for that, please click here:  http://embdesignsnow.com/CorporateLogos.aspx">embdesignsnow.com/CorporateLogos.aspx


I hope this helps ..


Feel free to contact me personally for any information


Best regards,


Rick Macali / 407 566-1533


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