So last weekend I wandered through our local nursery dreaming of what to plant in the empty space. It was quite an ordeal. Planning a garden requires reflection on many levels.

First I had to consider what would grow well with direct sun from 10 am to 4 pm, not quite “full sun” but not really shade either.

Then I had to consider what would grow in clay soil, even though we added conditioning mulch to break up the solid chunks.

Also, I wanted beautiful, flowering plants and evergreens, so I had to find a way to create a color palette and textures that would give the garden depth and variety.

Two hours later, Scott and I left the nursery with a truck full of plants. The next day I used a pick axe to dig 18 holes for our colorful plants, then I mulched away.

At first everything looked beautiful. I realized it would take a couple years for it to fill in, but the plants looked great next to one another and I was pleased.

The next day temps hit 97 degrees, a rare phenomenon for the Bay Area in late August. I watered the plants and prayed they’d make it through the heat.

The following day it was a scorching 100 degrees. I watered again and prayed for the best. Everything looked okay.

The third day I noticed the coleus was changing color, from brilliant chartreuse to dull, pale yellow. The coral bell was shriveling up along the edges as though it had been burned by a fire.

Uh oh.

What was wrong?

Too much sun?

Not enough water?

Both?

Clay soil?

Some strange bug?

It could have been anything. I had no idea.

I’m not a master gardener. I just enjoy gardening. It’s a family tradition, passed down from my grandmother to my mother and on to me. But I’m just getting started and don’t always know how to make things grow. It’s a lot of research followed by trial and error.

So, faced with possible death of my new garden, I felt a twinge of sadness and hopelessness as I wondered what to do.

Growing lifework is like this.

You might start out by getting rid of something undesirable, like a worn out job, in order to make room for something new, like a venture into self-employment.

You prepare the way, sort through stored up dreams in search for a vision that might take root, wondering what you really want to grow versus what should just stay a fantasy.

Then you begin to cultivate ideas. Maybe you decide to grow a private practice, or a creative business.

Whatever it is, the beginning is filled with hope and inspiration, with a dash of nerves to make things interesting.

But then reality sets in.

After the initial stages of dreaming and getting started, there’s a readjustment period.

Like a plant, you might have a hard time adjusting to your new situation. Perhaps things don’t take root as quickly as you’d hoped, like a private practice that is slow to come to fruition.

At this point you need to ask, “Is something not working and if so what do I need to do to move forward? What adjustments can I make to ensure my work grows solid roots and juicy fruit?”

Is it simply a matter of time? Will patience get you where you need to go?

Have you been hiding out in the shade too much? Do you need more exposure, more human contact in order to attract more clients?

Do you need to fertilize your message and service packages, make them fertile, more irresistible so people value your assistance?

You may need to adjust your efforts, your message, or your services in order to create an abundant and fruitful practice just like you’d adjust the amount of water, sun and fertilizer to grow a healthy garden.

Sometimes knowing what to adjust requires research, trial and error. Other times you’ll benefit from a master gardener or mentor who can easily recognize what you need to grow.

Whatever you require, it can be useful to see your lifework as a garden that needs constant tending, everything from sun exposure to weeding and watering.

If you need a website you can get a “ground-up” design, or save some money or time by choosing from three unique Deliteful Designs.

If you choose a Deliteful Design we’ll work together to customize your design choice and carefully recolor it to reflect your needs.

We can add beautiful images, too, and anything else you want to include.

When we’re done you’ll have a beautiful new website that costs half that of a traditional “from-the-ground-up” website.

Despite the half-price value it will still look stunning.

And it will be easy to edit yourself.

Yet powerful enough to do anything the most expensive websites can do.

Like attract new clients with it.

Or give current clients a way to gather useful information.

Maybe have a calendar of workshops or events.

You can even show videos, photos, artwork, pretty much anything you
desire.

Here’s The Actual Peek

Below is an example of what I’m talking about. The top design is called Fresh Air and it’s a Deliteful Design template. It’s one of three designs currently available for customization.

Below Fresh Air is a website I customized for Laura D’Ambrosio, a client I’ve worked with on two websites, the first was a “ground-up” version and the other is what you see below, a Deliteful Design.

Laura is currently a blogger, but will be offering services in the future, and this design can easily grow with her. (The site isn’t finished yet, but almost.)

Laura’s design choice reflects her work, Simple Wholeness. The colors, images and fonts enhance the feel of “simple” and “wholeness” and as the site progresses she’ll be able to add pages and pretty much anything else she desires.

Anyway, over the next few days I’ll be taking my mock-up redesign and actually converting my current website to the new colors and content.

I’m excited and I can’t wait to show you when it’s done.

Until we meet again, here’s to growing somewhere great.

So imagine my delight when I stumbled upon Talbots. I tried on a pair of their pants and they fit perfectly. No gap. No bulk. Just clean lines and a sleek look.

That was in 2008. A few weeks ago, though, I ventured into Talbots and tried on several new styles. This time the hips were snug but the waists were about 3 or 4 inches too big (and I’m the same exact size I was in 2008).

What happened?

Apparently, Talbots got some complaints saying their pant waistlines were too narrow so they decided to make them bigger.

Bummer.

I wonder how many customers Talbots alienated with this decision.

How to successfully address customer (client) complaints

Whether you sell clothing like Talbots, or consulting services like I do, you’re bound to get criticism and feedback from your clients. What you do about it can make or break your business.

Last week I talked about the importance of addressing criticism quickly and gracefully. The trick, however, is to know what action to take to remedy the situation.

Dissatisfied customers (especially women) complain. Some become very vocal, writing letters or emails to let service providers know exactly how they feel and what they need to make things better.

Satisfied customers, on the other hand, send general compliments that aren’t as specific.

The result is that service providers can receive lopsided feedback.

For instance, if you have 100 customers and 10 don’t like your product but 90 do, you have a successful service or product.

However, if all 10 unsatisfied customers complain, but only 3 satisfied customers give thanks, you get an unclear picture of what’s really going on.

So imagine you’re Talbots with 90 satisfied customers and 10 who think your pant waistlines are too small. If you change your pant design to appease these 10 women you suddenly have 90 unsatisfied customers. (Just to be clear, I have no idea what the actual situation was with Talbots.)

What to do?

Don’t react. Respond.

All complaints and feedback need to be acknowledged. Sometimes a simple, “we hear you” will suffice.

But if you constantly react to complaints, changing your service or product to appease vocal people’s opinion, you may end up with more dissatisfied customers than satisfied ones.

In other words, if one person says, “I don’t like how you do this” that doesn’t mean it isn’t working for everyone else. You need more information to determine the bigger picture.  But how do you find the information you need?

You can conduct a survey and ask for feedback

Ask your former and current clients whether or not your services are helping them fulfill their needs.

Send a survey using Survey Monkey.

Look at the numbers

How many clients do you have? Do you have more or fewer clients than you did a year ago?

How much income are you generating? More or less than last year?

How much traffic does your website generate? Does it convert readers to clients?

Each piece of information informs the big picture. Get clear about what’s working and what isn’t, then create a plan of action to respond thoughtfully.

Weigh criticism carefully

Feedback can be invaluable, offering information you can use to create new services or product.

If you receive the same feedback from three different people chances are good people feel similarly. If the feedback is congruent with your goals, consider creating a new product or service that addresses their concerns.

Note: you may not need to change your current offer, especially if it’s successful. Adding a new one may solve the problem.

For instance, Nordstrom’s offers in-house tailoring. If your pants don’t fit off the shelf Nordstrom’s will alter them to fit your body-type. Problem solved.

Don’t try to appeal to everyone

Talbots can’t be all things to all people. Neither can you. If you try to be all things to all people you’ll quickly burn out. Instead, know who you want to serve and do everything you can to be a great service provider for those people.

It’s helpful to have a thorough understanding of what you offer and why. Then if someone has a complaint or criticism that doesn’t fit your goals you can gently let your critic know that your offer won’t meet their needs. In situations like this it’s useful to have a referral on hand. If you can point them in the direction of someone who can help them, your critic is likely to respect you and be grateful for your honesty and help. They may even refer other people to you in the future.

For example, Talbots might find it useful to send small-waisted customers to Nordstroms. It’s better to help people find satisfaction than to have dissatisfied customers who constantly complain about your work.

Summary

If people complain about your service or product:

1)      Respond quickly and thoughtfully.

2)      Determine if your current service or product is working for other people. If it is, leave it as is. If it isn’t, change it.

3)      Consider creating a new product or service to help the unsatisfied clients.

4)      Don’t try to appeal to everyone.

If you follow these simple steps when dealing with criticism your current customers will feel heard and respected and they’re likely to appreciate what you have to offer, even if it doesn’t fulfill their needs.

Although we couldn’t hear all of the details, my mom, step-dad and I got wide eyed and really quiet as we wondered who they were and what they were talking about. As the conversation became more colorful, we became more curious.

While it’s true that my grandfather is quite a character, most of what we heard was completely untrue.

Anyway, I wanted to get up and say something but I didn’t know what to say.

Instead, my 6’2″ dad got up, walked over to the table and said, “Hi. Small world. I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. I’m the son-in-law of the man you’re talking about and this is his daughter and granddaughter…And, everything you’re saying is completely untrue.”

I wish you could have seen the looks on their faces. But I digress…

So, my dad continued the conversation in a cordial tone. After a few minutes of clearing the air he said, “Oh, in a few weeks I’m having a book signing for my new book “Still Standing.” It’s about the remarkable healing journey of a soldier who lost his legs in Iraq. You’re welcome to come to the book signing if you’d like.”

I must say I was pretty proud of my step-dad. It takes guts to confront a situation like that.

Besides, he’d given me great material for my ezine. Here’s what made an impression on me:

Success Can Draw Criticism

It’s unfortunate, but true, that the more public (and successful) you become in your work the more likely you are to attract criticism and judgment, as well as the false accusations of jealous competitors or people who simply don’t like you.

So I shouldn’t have been too surprised when I heard someone criticizing my grandfather. He was a shrewd and well known businessman, and even though he was a character, he believed in excellence and his business succeeded as a result. Sometimes he drew criticism and judgments because of it.

But he’s not alone. Presidents Bush and Obama experience this. Deepak Chopra experiences this. Oprah experiences this.

And you might experience this too if you become (or are) a public figure. It’s a scary possibility, but the good news is that when you handle the circumstances with grace you may be able to balance out or neutralize what’s being said about you.

The Best Way to Handle Criticism

My step-dad could have gone over to the table behind me and yelled, “You have no idea what you’re talking about, you idiot!” But instead he was friendly and honest. He simply introduced himself to let the guy know he was a bit misinformed.

In other words, my step-dad didn’t ignore the situation and hope it went away. He confronted it head on, but he didn’t belittle the man or react in an unpleasant way. This method of confrontation spoke volumes about his character.

Criticism and judgments can get out of hand, quickly. Left unaddressed they can turn into rumors that build momentum and take on a life of their own.

Sometimes it’s important to address criticisms right away. If negative rumors start to spread about you or your work they can ruin your reputation and your ability to attract clients.

Of course, the way you address criticism says a lot about your character. If you handle the situation quickly and gracefully you’re more likely to turn a potentially damaging situation into a helpful situation, one that lets the world know you’re a smart service provider who cares about your work.

Shameless Self-Promotion

The most surprising part of the evening was when my step-dad invited the guy to his book signing party. Strangely, the invitation naturally flowed in the conversation.

Many of us could learn a thing or two from my step-dad. I call his marketing style “shameless self-promotion” because I sense he isn’t self-conscious about sharing about his new book, and it shows. Since I’ve been in Minnesota he’s secured several radio, TV and newspaper interviews.

How did he do it?

He tells every single person he comes into contact with about his book.

He’s done a few public speaking gigs and will do more, all focusing on the book.

He has a Facebook page and has posted videos and links to the interviews.

Essentially, he’s raised a lot of buzz and expectation about the book, and it’s working.

So those are three important things I noticed during that unusual evening. To summarize:

1. Criticism Happens

2. Handling it with grace is important

3. Practicing shameless self-promotion might just help you grow somewhere greater!

Until we meet again, here’s to growing somewhere great!

Give People a Taste & They’re Likely to Want More

Years ago, during a visit to New Mexico, a friend and I decided to take a day trip to an old mission church north of Taos. After touring the sacred site, my friend and I proceeded to walk past a dusty outdoor stand where a local man was selling dried chili peppers.

“Come over here.” said the man, motioning to us with his arms.

My friend, a light-hearted adventurer, never turned down an invitation. He immediately veered over to the left and headed toward the man.

I, on the other hand, knew the guy was going to try and sell us something and I wasn’t in the mood for a sales pitch. I followed my friend anyway and reluctantly approached the stand.

“Hi!” he said. “You have to try my chili peppers. Here. It’s better to eat it with pistachios ’cause it helps you get the full flavor of the spice.”

The guy handed us a few pistachios and then proceeded to use the pistachio shell to scoop up a tiny amount of red pepper flakes. He put the crushed pepper in his hand and demonstrated how to eat it by popping a few pistachios into his mouth along with the tiny red flakes.

My friend and I followed suit and sure enough, the chilies had a lovely flavor.

“Ok,” said the local man. “Now, that’s number one. Remember what number one tastes like. Now, you have to try number two.” He dipped a pistachio shell into bowl number two and repeated the tasting.

“Good, isn’t it.” It was a statement not a question. “It’s a bit spicier than number 1. OK. Do you remember number 1 and number 2?.”

“Yes,” we said.

“Now try 3.”

Again, the pistachio shell dipped into the flakes and extracted a tiny amount of red chili pepper. The three of us tried number 3 and agreed it was very good.

“Now what do you think? Which one do you like best?” The local asked.

All three of them tasted the same to me. My friend said he liked two best, but I suspected they all tasted the same to him too.

I liked this chili pepper man. His enthusiasm was catching. His friendliness was warm. And even though I knew he was giving us a sales pitch, I couldn’t help but want to buy his chili peppers.

But my friend beat me to it. “I’ll take a bag of number two,” he said.

The guy wrapped up a bag of number two and said, “Well, you’ll need some pistachios to go with it. They’re only $5 a bag.”

Of course we bought a bag of pistachios, too.

That chili pepper guy was a genius salesman.

Why? For many reasons, of which I’ll share three.

Invite People to Join You

We walked by the local man’s stand and saw his bright red chilies, but we wouldn’t have stopped if the guy hadn’t invited us.

Of course, the guy saw tourists all day so if we had said “no thanks” he would have simply approached the next couple who crossed his path.

But we didn’t say no. Instead, we walked to the stand and listed to the entire schpeel because it was engaging and entertaining.

Have Strangers Over for Dinner (aka give a free sample)

OK, it wasn’t really dinner, but we did eat. We shared a small meal with this man. He gave us something that proved the value of his product.

People are more likely to engage in your services if you give them something of value before they sign up. If they can experience you, your service or product firsthand, and they like what they receive, they will trust the value of your service or product. When this happens they’re more likely to buy from you. People buy from people they like.

A freebie can be an ezine that offers valuable advice or an ebook download with useful information. It can be a free 30-minute session or a free class at your local library.

Regardless, when you can offer a free sample people are more likely to immediately recognize whether or not they like you and your service. If they find value in what you do they will buy or return later for more information.

Have Three Options

Three is the magic number. Goldilocks had three options: too small, too big and just right.

The local chili pepper man had three options for the same reason.

Why?

If you have 3 options for people, like 3 levels of service packages, you give your prospective clients a choice that helps them find that “just right” fit.

Summary

The chili pepper man was a great sales man for many reasons. I could go on and on about what he did right.

But if you keep in mind the three points in this essay you connect more easily with prospective clients:

1. Invite people to join you (let them know about what you’re doing)

2. Give them something of value (freebies)

3. Have three options

What can you do to add or enhance these three steps in your work?