Business

Driving new business in the horse industry is not always about social media posts, video shorts, or using the right SEO keywords–although those things are all important. With the world of digital advertising being so competitive these days (we call it “saturated”), it is challenging to help your business grow by advertising alone. As consumers become saturated with online media, people are keen on visiting businesses IRL now.

Now that folks are recovered from the worst of the pandemic and doing things with their horses again, they are also ready to shop local again. It’s nice to have the convenience of the Internet, of course, but doing business online has been happening long enough that just about everyone has experienced the pros and cons of that dynamic. The cons, in particular, have proven powerful enough to drive a good chunk of foot traffic back into the doors of brick & mortar businesses. How many times can someone order breeches in what they think is their size, only to find that they don’t actually fit after Amazon drops them off at the door?

Good Service will Boost Your Bottom Line

One proven method of getting new (and repeat) business is to provide good customer service. The nice part about using good service as a strategy for business success, is that it costs so very little to implement. In fact, it is primarily dependent on two things: 1) Putting yourself in your customers’ shoes, and 2) How you train your employees.

A standard operating procedure (SOP) that includes customer service strategies should be in place for all professionals in the horse industry, whether you are an equine veterinarian, stable owner, tack shop owner, farrier, or trainer. Every call, every customer, every lead should be treated like royalty. If you imagine yourself in each customer’s shoes, try to think about what is important to them. Are they confused about which bit to buy and need clarity about which ones do what? Is a medical procedure you recommend too expensive for your client’s budget? Is the backyard barn owner lonely, in need of someone to chat with who understands their horse or their particular joy or dilemma? It doesn’t matter what the situation is. What matters is that you take a hot second to consider what is important to your customer. And when you have that lightbulb moment about them, knowing what to say or do to make them happy, comfortable, relieved, inspired, etc., becomes very clear.

When an interaction between a customer and your business leaves that customer feeling good, they will not just buy, they will spend more than they had planned. And, they will return. Leave a customer feeling good, and they will support your business time and time again.

Put a Service Training Plan Together

Our advice is to put a training plan together that addresses how your staff should handle common customer questions, requests, and conflicts. Make sure every one of your employees buys into it. Staffers can’t simply be informed of your service plan, they need to understand the difference between authentically helping a customer and just going through the motions of what they think good service should be.

Make this kind of training a part of your weekly staff meetings. You don’t need to harp on it or overwhelm your crew with the threat of fire and brimstone if they get it wrong. A few simple instructions and an explanation about why being helpful is good for everyone, and your team will catch on quickly.

Be Kind, Be Fair, Be Real

If we had to sum up good customer service in one sentence, it would be this: “Be kind, be fair, be real.”

Being kind requires empathy–putting yourself in your customers’ shoes. Being fair means pricing your goods appropriately, and don’t take advantage of someone’s naivete (we all know how common that is). Being real means being authentic and self-aware. You are not All That and a Bag o’ Chips, despite what you may hear in your TikTok echo chamber. Do not Photoshop your Instagram photos (yes, I just used a noun as a verb, don’t judge). Take the filters off your video settings. Authenticity breeds credibility and trust; those are the cornerstones to good business… and good horsemanship.

What are your thoughts or strategies for providing good service? Comments welcomed below!

How to write effective product descriptions that boost your sales.

One of the most important aspects of digital merchandising-heck, any retail merchandising-is understanding how to break into the very limited attention span of your customers.

The first thing to keep in mind is that you are selling real products to real people, this means you need to write your product descriptions for real people.

If you are selling online, don’t restrict product descriptions to cold facts and impersonal sentences. When you don’t have the benefit of charm, expertise, and good customer service that comes with the in-person shopping experience, you need to replicate that in digital form. As you, or your marketing person sits down to post a product to your e-commerce shop, you want to remember that there’s more to merchandising than a basic description of the product. Of course you need to tell the customer all about the fabric, fit, size, style and other important details, but since you are addressing real people, you need to do it in a way that they speak and understand.

Our suggestion is to throw the manufacturer’s product copy in the garbage bin and write a compelling story from scratch. This means you will need to understand a product’s benefits first. To do this, ask yourself these questions: “Why would your customer want to buy this product?” and, “What problem does this product solve?”

Your story does not have to be long or complicated, but it does need to be authentic. That is the secret to selling! You’re not pushing a product for the sake of pushing a product. You are instead helping a horse person just like you, solve a problem. Even if that problem is finding the perfect pair of blue breeches that match your sparkly new helmet. It may be a #fwep, but it’s a problem nonetheless, and if your product solves it, say so!

A good product description is an art that needs practice, yes, but your customers will appreciate – and buy – products that are relevant to their real life needs and wants.

Here’s an example of product copy for a time-saving gadget for equestrians:

Barn Life Just Got Easier with the H2Go Bag

Why didn’t we think of this?!

So smart, so handy, so many, many uses. Think barn, pasture, trailer, shows, clinics, gardening, camping… you will realize you need several of these.

The H2Go Bag is a super easy way to transport water. It holds 20 gallons of liquid and works with any wheeled contraption in your barn – especially a wheelbarrow.  Perfect for taking water out to the paddocks or for filling up buckets at shows. It includes an anti-slip mat to keep the bag from slipping out of the wheelbarrow, and two spout attachments.

Regular Price: $21.99,  Our Price: $15.99

With a casual tone and a little humor, this product copy gets the user thinking about all the ways the H2Go bag can make their life easier. More importantly, it considers the buyer and their needs. That kind of subtle message in your text can really connect with someone and generate real interest in the product.

Give it a try, or ask us for copywriting help.

Congratulations to Alicia Harlov of the Humble Hoof, on the purchase of her new hoofcare rehab farm in Massachusetts!

With the help of Stall and Stable, Alicia was able to leverage her success as a top-tier hoofcare provider to turn talent, dedication, and a dream into reality. Of course, it takes a great team to make dreams happen, and Alicia is the kind of professional–human being, actually, that attracts good people. She had a good team behind her in this endeavor.

Using the SBA’s 504 loan program, Alicia and her husband purchased a 20-acre farm in northeastern Massachusetts where the Humble Hoof will offer hoof rehab services using a paddock track system that encourages healing of the equine hoof.

To learn more about the Humble Hoof, go to: www.humblehoof.com.

If you have big plans for your equine business, book an appointment with Helena to get started.

Dear Horse Business Owners: Listen up. This is important.

If you have a website for your business, please make sure it works, is current, and that your customers can find what they need within it.

If you frustrate potential customers, you immediately compromise your brand.

If you frustrate your existing customers, you compromise your cash flow.

So, stop whatever it is that you’re doing right now and ask a friend or a client to click through your website. Give him or her a specific task and find out how easy or difficult it was for them to find what they were looking for. Then, take their feedback to your web manager and do something with it. Your website might not always be the squeaky wheel, and that silence can be dangerous to your business.

If you need help, call us. Otherwise, put this at the top of your priority list for this month. Don’t lose another customer to frustration.

For more information:

Web Usability: What is it and Why it’s Important