Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from McCord Web Services - our family to yours.
Merry Christmas from McCord Web Services – our family to yours.

The staff at McCord Web Services wishes you a Merry Christmas today.

May you day be filled with laughter, good food, great company, and good friends.

We are closed today, but will be open tomorrow.

How to Get Clients to Value Your Time

Nancy McCord is a Google and Bing Partner
Nancy McCord is a Google and Bing Partner

Can you teach others to value your time? Yes, you sure can. I have been in business since 2001 and over time my business and client load and demand for my services have grown significantly.

As a business professional who makes a living off of time billing, I have learned a few things about helping clients learn to value my time.

Use Calendly
I use an appointment calendaring app called Calendly. I started out with the free version of Calendly but now use the premium paid version. This app moved me from one to six emails (for each client) to schedule a mutually available time for client strategy calls to now one email with a link and the client self-selects a time and even gets automated reminders.

I even use Calendly for pre-paid consulting appointments, linking the notifications in the app to my billing page to get payment before I even get in the car.

Rarely Talk on the Phone Except by Appointment
Most of my correspondence is done by email. I have voice mail messages letting clients and prospects know the best and fastest way to get me is by email. I typically send all my phone calls to voice mail. This puts me in charge of my day and time allowing me to be highly productive.

Set Email Auto Responder Messages
If I am super busy and not available to react immediately to an email, I set up a “vacation” notice that I am super busy that day and list the times I will be checking email. I will always respond that same day, but sometimes am tied up on a code issue, SEO problem, or AdWords program set up. Interruptions on some of these projects kill the thought continuum and are serious  distractions. When I am working on a project I have a laser-beam focus and operate at a high level of efficiency and competency. Calls distract from that focus.

By communicating when I will respond, I assure clients that I will touch base back. I do however perform triage. If there is a disaster happening – I will stop my project to help. I do have a strong sense of urgency when it comes to assuring that your site is up and fully functional or that a real time sensitive problem is addressed quickly.

Set Limits on Free Services
Although I am willing to freely share my thoughts and time with prospects, I do limit the time I will spend without moving into a paid client category. I do clock all my time chatting with a prospect. Typically at the end of 30 minutes I will go and then followup by email with a request to move to a paying client category. I have been burned a number of times and now I do value my own time. The most important thing I have found is if you do not value your own time, clients will not value it either.

That being said, you do not have to be rude, pretentious, or full of yourself by setting limits and guiding customers on how best to use your services effectively. I always try to be helpful yet focused.

In all I do, I work hard to provide value for clients and work to save them time and money. If you are looking for an expert to help with your SEO, content strategy, or Internet Marketing Program using Google AdWords, contact my by email at nancy@mccordweb.com.

 

Whopping Big Email Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make

Don't Make Any of These Whopping Big Email Mistakes
Don’t Make Any of These Whopping Big Email Mistakes

Email mistakes, we all make them, but whopping big mistakes shouldn’t be made too often.

I’ll never forget a frantic phone call I got from a client who asked how to get  back an email she just sent to a customer, but had meant to only send to her sister. In the email she  she trashed a customer and really got personal in a very mean way. The now past-customer was insulted and very angry as she should have been.

The best way to prevent big email whoppers is to set a delay send in your Gmail account (if you use it) and smartphone email accounts. I set my delay to 8 to 10 seconds giving me time to undo something if I need to with one click.

I’ll bet my client who got lambasted for being catty and sending the email to the customer and not her sister, wished she’d had that enabled.

Other big whopping email mistakes include, but are not limited to, asking employees, paid far less than you to pay, to pay  for spilling something on your clothes; mentioning to others that you are intimate with a person they know too (but maybe did not know you were hooked up); clicking reply all when you really should just be talking personal to one in the chain not everyone (especially if you are venting or are angry); and mocking of others or employees in an email.

You can never take back something you sent too quickly, so take a moment to see if your own email application allows for delayed sending, just to keep you from making your own whopping big email mistake.

 

What to Do When You Get a Credit Card Decline for Your Services

Nancy McCord
“Just Nancy” – My Point of View for Today.

Credit card decline! Those are words that any business owner hates to hear, but it happens to all of us. When you get a credit card decline for your services here are some tips to quickly resolve the problem.

Be Nice – Always
I have found that sometimes a credit card decline is due to a security issue. Maybe the card was lost or compromised and the customer did not remember to advise you. Be open to the fact that it may be a very simple issue to resolve.

I always send a nice positive note with a request for a new card for my services. Typically if you hear back from the client within a day it is typically something that will be quickly resolved.

Deal with the Problems – Quickly
It is the clients that will not return a note or phone call that typically has run into a cash flow issue. For my firm, we stop services when we do not get a response, as the debt can grow quickly and end up as a write off. You have the most leverage to resolve a problem when an issue is handled quickly.

Make sure that if you have a contract that you cover what happens when a client does not pay. I have learned from experience that if you continue services on a payment promise that your write off will typically end up much bigger.

Change Terms – For Problem Payers
In our agreement for services, we spell out what happens when a client has a credit card decline, resolves, it and continues buying. We move clients like this to a prepayment basis or retainer. Some services we provide are not impacted significantly with a delay in payment, but other services are hugely impacted. Know your own needs and cover the situations in your agreement that all clients must sign to start your services.

Is It Worth It?
In some cases when you receive multiple declines, and it is clear that there is a cash flow problem,  you must take time to evaluate if you would like to continue to work with a client.  Each business situation is different. Just know that trying to collect on a debt is very, very difficult. Suing is not a realistic option and using a debt collector will cost a percentage of the debt and may never be collectible.

We all hate to lose a client, but a poor paying or non-paying client is typically more trouble than it is worth in the long run.

 

Amazon Echo – I Love You Alexa

Gotta Love the Amazon Echo
Gotta Love that Amazon Echo

I got an Amazon Echo a week ago and I want to say that I love you Alexa!

Not only am I a huge fan of Amazon and an Amazon Prime Member, but I love technology and the Amazon Echo embraces all of these items very nicely. Plus it has made my life easier.

Here’s what I like best about Amazon Echo

Shopping Lists
No one in my family has an excuse any more for not putting something on our shopping list. Just say “Alexa, add provolone cheese to the shopping list.” The item appear instantly in my smartphone Alexa app and I can tick off items as I buy them. Even things added at home by my kids appear while I am at the grocery store. This solves the problem of my kids forgetting to put milk or toilet paper on the list!

Music and Sounds
I have a stressful day and so I love to start my day out with bird sounds. I don’t need to think about getting a bird anymore, just apply the skill for Ambient Noise Bird Sounds and then say “Alexa, play bird sounds.” My kids even tell me that they like waking up to the sounds in the morning.

Prime Music
Not sure you want to buy a track or CD? Just play free Prime Music through Alexa and you can be jamming out! Love the track, buy it right then with Alexa.

I have to say, that getting the Amazon Echo was one of the coolest things that I have done recently that has improved my life. Got to Love Technology! Thanks Amazon.

P.S. I was not paid by Amazon for this blog post. I bought the Echo and loved it and wanted to share why with you.

SMS Scheduler Reviewed

Girl holding iPhone 6 Space Gray with service Pinterest
Use SMS Scheduler to be more productive in your day and stay in touch.

SMS Scheduler is an Android app that I am using to schedule text messages to my team and now family. You can download it yourself in the Google Play store.

First, I am not being paid for this review, I just found the app and love it.

Here’s how I am using SMS Scheduler

Create Repeat Reminder Messages for Employees

I use SMS Scheduler to create and send out messages to my team:

  • to remind them of weekly deadlines
  • to remind them of the weeks they will be paid
  • to encourage them to update TeamUp with their work status

Create Repeat Messages to Uplift My Kids

I use SMS Scheduler to create and send out messages to my kids and family.

  • send uplifting personal notes, quotes, and reminders to call
  • remind kids to check bank statements in family Google Drive
  • to let them know my personal travel schedule

Not only does the app send out messages in bulk to multiple people easily at one time, but you can set these messages up to send once, or to repeat weekly, monthly or yearly.

I just recently sent a message to all of my kids to remind them of their big brother’s birthday and to make sure to send him a Happy Birthday note.

Inside the app, I like that I can see a history of my sends and even repeat a message from the history. Personally for me, with family members, I set up weekly notes, but then once a week change them up and let them to go out on the original schedule, that way my kids don’t even know I am using an app to stay in touch with them on a regular basis.

I have even used the app to send myself text reminders of important things I need to do or see.

SMS Scheduler – an app that has become part of my productivity arsenal.