BUSINESS EDU
From DEMA Inspiration to Business Results by Cathryn Castle Garcia , Owner, ClearStoryCoach.com, The Azores
Y OU’RE HOME from DEMA. Your suitcase is un- packed, your inbox is overflowing, and somewhere in the pile on your desk are business cards, product brochures, and a list of ideas you couldn’t wait to implement. You’re equal parts exhilarated and ex- hausted. Now what?
I don’t want this to happen to you. Here are a few simple tips you can use to get the most from your investment as a DEMA attendee. Download the Best Ideas Before They Dis- appear
Before implementing any new plans, consider what your customers want to achieve and how the great idea you heard about at DEMA helps them get there. This is how you grow your business.
First of all, gather up all the business cards, brochures, and catalogs you collected, and put them in a box or file folder marked “DEMA Inspiration” or something like that. Keep it handy while you download your DEMA expe- rience into actionable goals for your business. Refer to it daily, any time you have a few mo- ments between tasks, and also during dedicated brainstorming sessions with your staff members. Ask yourself these questions:
For many dive professionals, the challenge isn’t finding good ideas. It’s finding the time and focus to put those ideas to work. The everyday demands of running a dive center can push those exciting discoveries to the bottom of the to-do list. The business cards and brochures start taking up space on your desk and risk getting tossed in the recycling bin before you act on them.
What did I learn that surprised me? ▪ What could solve a current business challenge? ▪ What is one thing I can put into action immediately? In ▪ a month? In six months? By pairing the challenges your business faces with the potential solutions you learned about at DEMA, you can create an action plan that will help you and your staff implement meaningful changes. Not Everything, One Thing It’s tempting to return from DEMA determined to overhaul your website, launch a new social media campaign, introduce new products, and completely rethink your customer experi- ence. The “everything at once” approach works if you’re an every- thing bagel, but you’re not, so identify one meaningful problem to address first. Are you struggling to attract new students? Do customers buy equipment but rarely return? Are you having difficulty filling trips? Rank your business goals, then focus on the biggest challenge right away. Keep the rest of your goals posted someplace where you’ll regularly see them, so your DEMA inspiration remains visible. If you’ve followed this column for any length of time, you know I preach about having a solid answer when your customer asks, “How will you, your product, or your service make my life better?” Every buying decision humans make is about “better.” Even if your customer isn’t asking the question outright, this question, and your solid answer to it, is at the
If your marketing message isn’t CLEAR, all you’re making
is NOISE. I can help. Hi, I’m Cathryn. I specialize in branding and marketing strategies for the scuba industry. Visit my website for a FREE Brand Messaging Guide. Email me at hello@clearstorycoach.com to schedule a call.
CLEARSTORYCOACH.COM
40 | SCUBA DIVING INDUSTRY
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker