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๐ซ The AtFault Cult - Taking 100% of the blame shame.In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 187 - At Fault Cult, we admit it - you guys say we "run to the refund," ๐ฅ so if you want to sip the Kool-Aid, grab a glass because this pod is about joining the At-Fault Cult.
In all seriousness though, we wanted to explain the long-term benefits of the short-term losses "absorbing fault" can have on your bottom line. And here's the kicker - ๐ต we'll be talking about absorbing the fault that belongs to the client.
โ You see, "๐ฃ๏ธ he said / ๐ฃ๏ธ she said" arguments are all about assigning blame. How much culpability does either party have? ๐๐ What was each person's role in this business blunder?
But once blame is assigned, we now have a "baker vs. client" scenario - a fight to the de๐ฉธath. So really, who loses? ๐ It's always the baker - because even if you're right, you're still wrong because you lose the client long-term.
๐ค "But I also lose if I refund, right?"
Yeah - You do - ๐ค you lose a little. ๐ฎ But what you don't (or can't) see is the long-term "a lot more" loss of the lack of that client returning - ๐ or worse, that client going out of their way to un-recommend you.
Instead of our typical list format, ๐ฅบ I'm going to retell Corrie's podcast confession - a mistake she kinda made and the client kinda made, but she took 100% of the blame for it.
A few weeks ago, Corrie let Laurie (lol, ๐ they rhyme) bypass her form when Laurie reached out through email. "Eh, simple order, what's the harm," she figured.
๐ฃ๏ธ Narrator: "But there was much harm."
Laurie had specified three simple designs across three dozen cookies: ๐ a pill (because he was a doctor), ๐ a football (because he liked football), and โพ a baseball (because he liked baseball).
Easy right? ๐ง However, Corrie's form requires inspo photos - but reeeemember, the client bypassed the form. ๐ผ๏ธ There were no inspo photos to be referenced.
Lo, and behold, Corrie sends Laurie the pre-pickup picture to which Laurie replies with... dun dun duuun... ๐ฒ "Where are the sports team's logos??" Corrie scrambled to add a few logos, but there was absolutely no way to get the order up to the client's expectations in enough time.
But the client was to blame, right? Because...
๐ข Laurie was the one who circumvented the form when she saw her date was booked. All orders must go through the form!๐ข Laurie was the one who gave general descriptions of what she wanted leaving out the specific details about the logo. How was Corrie to know?!๐ข Laurie never sent inspo photos to help dictate her order requirements.๐ธ Laurie Laurie Laurie... was refunded 100% of the order and apologized to. Why? Because so what if Laurie was to blame even partially for the cookie miscommunication? What does Corrie win when Laurie loses?
Corrie wins the opportunity to get a bad review and loses all potential future orders from Laurie. By being the "at-fault party," Corrie let Laurie save face. And guess what Laurie did? โ She wouldn't accept the free order. She begged Corrie to at least let her pay half.
๐ค Her reasoning? ๐ "I want to be able to order from you again in the future, I loved this experience."
When you take the blame, even the blame that wasn't yours to bear, you make your clients feel like your business is a safe space to make mistakes.
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๐ช 5 Dโs of Disarming - Making Clients feel seen, heard, and understood.
In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 186 - The 5 D's of Disarming, we're back to business talking about the 5 D's of disarming upset clients. As we cruise through the "Sugar Cookie Super Bowl" that is October - December, we're more inclined to make mistakes - or to miss the client's cryptic order details amid the flurry of incoming requests and changes.Hey - we're human. They're human. It happens.
But disarming clients can make the different between disaster (in your review profiles) or domination (in your bottom line). So defining the steps to make sure you get your desired outcome is what we designed today's podcast on (can you see I'm forcing the whole "starts with the letter D" thing?).
The key to each of these approaches is to make the client feel that you've heard them and plan to make it right. Now how you go about making it right is subjective - but making it right? That's a business requirement.
๐ 1. Dispel their Worry.When people get the guts to reach out and tell you they have a problem, see that as being gracious. Because their other options were to either never order from you again (bad), or to leave you a bad review (worse). So when a client says, ๐ซฃ "Heeeey, I'm not 100% happy," they're choosing to be kind by giving you the chance to make it right. ๐ฅ I'm a HUGE fan of, "I'm sorry that the experience didn't meet your expectations." You can say sorry while also not agreeing with the client - but the client's feelings are 100% valid even if they're not right.
๐ 2. Deter Anger (before it starts).
Having a solid refund policy set up before you even touch the client's money can deter anger. ๐ฏ Corrie has a 100% satisfaction guarantee or you'll get a full refund. It signals to her clients that even in the worst-case scenario, they'll still be made whole. You can also accomplish this by getting good reviews - it tells future buyers that you're a green flag when it comes to solving issues.
๐ 3. Do NOT be Defensive!
๐ This is where I see most bakers make the left turn when they should have gone right. Defensiveness will only limit your options. Do NOT reply when you're angry!! I'm going to repeat it because so many folks make this mistake: โ DO NOT REPLY TO AN UPSET CLIENT WHEN YOU ARE ANGRY. Wait 24 hours then ask ChatGTP if your response to the client sounds amicable or defensive. Hey, the robots can even help you rewrite it.
๐ 4. Discharge Them Correctly.
It's understandable to be upset when the client "gets one over on ya" by getting a refund. Wrong business move. ๐ฅฒ Remember - the client that reached out was doing you a favor by letting you make it right. ๐ฅน So respect them when you roll them off your books. Just because someone got a refund does not mean they're an automatic โซblacklistedโซ client. Do your best to thank them for bringing up the issue to you and allowing your bakery to be better for it.
๐ 5. Do it like Chick-fil-A.
Does Chick-fil-A ever make mistakes? You bet. But you know why you don't hear about them as often? ๐ฎ Their HEARD policy to client issues. ๐ Hear, ๐ Empathize, ๐ Apologize, ๐ Resolve, and ๐ Delight is the approach that one of the largest, most successful fast-food restaurants takes when it comes to unhappy clients. And it works. A few months ago, Chick was backlogged and took about 10 minutes to fulfill my order. I didn't mind at all, but when they finally handed me my chicky-strips, they threw in a $5 gift card as an apology... for an issue I didn't even raise.
Talk about Delighted.
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๐ The Vendy Blendy Episode - Who's selling what and for how much off.
In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 185 - The Vendy Blendy Episode, it's the moooost wonderful tiiiiime of the yyeeeaarrr. It's the annual Vendy Blendy Episode!This is the one podcast where we cover all 77 Vendys, where they ship, what they sell and how much they'll sell it (not) for. As the hype builds for Black Friday, pre-shopping the Vendys on the podcast is always a fan favorite (or maybe it's a Heather and Corrie favorite and y'all just have to listen along).
There's too much data this year for me to copy and paste into this email, so I'll include the important links you'll need to pre-shop the VB:
๐ The Group (pend here): https://www.facebook.com/groups/vendyblendy๐ The List of Vendys + Websites + Discounts: http://thevendys.com๐ Corrie's Vendy Product Reviews: https://www.instagram.com/sugarcookiemarketing_Here are some facts that should get ya hyped for Novemby 29th:
๐ We have higher discount minimums than we've ever had (25% off this year compared to 20$ off last year). ๐ We have more door prizes this year than we did last year (10 Big Door Prizes + 71 Vendys are also offering Door Prizes).๐ We have MORE days 'til Black Friday than we've had last year (last year it was Nov 23, this year it's Nov 29th).
๐ We have more Vendys than we have ever had (77 this year compared to 72 last year).
Bigger, better, faster, stronger - this is shaping up to be a BLAST of a Vendy Blendy, and I am HERE for it!If you missed Heather's Facebook Lives on the Vendy, you can rewatch the replays here:
๐ Live 1 - Intro to the Vendy Blendy! ๐ ๐ Live 2 - Letโs Pre-Shop The Vendys! ๐ ๐ Live 3 - Secrets to Shopping the Vendy Blendy ๐ ๐ Live 4 - The Cookie College and the Vendy Blendy ๐
In today's podcast, Corrie covered some of her shop favs. We also cover shipping + door prizes + and discount codes. -
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๐ป Boo-urn Out - Staying in front of falling behind.In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 184 - Boo-urn Out, Corrie wanted to do our annual ๐ฉ "Ways to avoid getting burnt out during the baker's busy season" strategy sesh.
Hey - business ownership ain't for the weak. Additionally, baking businesses reach their ordering maximums during the Q4 months (๐ October, November, and December). ๐ค It's easy to fall prey to that green we've been laying the foundation for all year, ๐ฅ but it's always the fast pass to closing a business when we burn the Christmas candles at both ends. ๐ฅ
Summary: you can make the MOST money in the world, but if you close your business Jan 2025, was it even worth it? ๐ Sustainability is the ๐ k-e-y to success in the baking "Super Bowl."
1. Turn off your order form when you're booked.๐ Disabling your order form is a really definite way to say, "Don't come knockin' on my door, I'm too busy settin' up my Christmas tree. ๐" It's perfect for those of us who hate to see the look of disappointment on a client's face and struggle with saying no. ๐ซ I wrote a poem for ya - "If they can't hit submit, you won't witness the fit."
2. Set your order max now. DO NOT DEVIATE
You know what your limits are. ๐ฏ If you know 10 dozen will be the most you can handle without hating life, set your weekly max now - and when you hit that max, shut down that order form. You'll be tempted to get greedy when the order submissions are hittin' the Inbox and the DMs. ๐ Don't fall for the green goblin - if the limit you set was 10, 10 it shall be.
3. Schedule 2 posts per week.
Corrie's rule-of-posting-thumb is 2 posts per week. โ๏ธ We have, what, 8 weeks left in the year? That's 16 posts - something you can likely knock out in an hour tops. And the posts don't have to be earth-shatteringly good. ๐ A simple post can keep your page audience engaged while also removing that dreaded feeling of, "Oh darn, I forgot to post to socials. I'm falling behind" when we need more bandwidth to bake.
4. Schedule days off now. NO COMPROMISING
๐ Go right now, open your calendar app, and set the days you DO NOT want to work to "busy." And then absolutely do โNOTโ schedule anything on those days. That includes prep work, supply and ingredients shopping, baking, pick-ups, etc. THOSE ARE YOUR OFF DAYS - I'm yelling so you hear me loud and clear. ๐ When we get rushed and take on too many orders, we're tempted to give those days up. ๐ธ What's all the money in the world if we didn't get to stop and smell the roses... or in this case, the pine needles?
5. Shorten your FB Business Page Hours.
Facebook business pages work off of set hours (it affects how your page shows availability and how your auto-responders work). โฐ In busier months, shortening your "available hours" can signal to your clients that you're not sitting by your Messenger inbox twiddling your thumbs and waiting for their next reply. Setting your page hours to 3 hours a day makes sense when you're trying to limit order inquiries.
6. Elongate the funnel.
In the world of sales, ๐ค we want to shorten the funnel. In the world of "too many sales so we're feeling burnt out," โ elongating that funnel โ can subtly curtail orders. Just as a short funnel has the fewest amount of clicks to order (think: Amazon's one-click-to-buy option), โนโโ a long funnel that has clients jumping through hoops to place orders can be a nice bumper to slow down incoming inquiries. Don't add the order links to post, don't had the form link to your auto-response message, have your auto-responder say it'll take you 3 days to get back to someone, etc.
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๐ซ No - Falling in Love with Rejection.In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 183 - No, I wanted to cover the worst best word in the business English language: No.
In business (and in life), we gotta learn to fall madly in love with two little letters: N and O.
But we're trained our whole lives to reject rejection though. No one wants to be told "no" - ew gross, I almost even hate typing it. The thought of someone not wanting us would send shivers up most of our spines.
No is bad. No means you're wrong. No means you're not likable. No means someone chose someone over you. No means you lost money. No means you lost a sale. No means you lost an opportunity. No means sad. No means lonely.
No is bad.
But in a world of fighting for likes, attention, follows, friend requests, and "omg yaaas's," the smart business owner searches out the "no."
Here's my Tinder profile for the word No.
No means you've gotten your direct answer. You wasted no time flirting with the maybe, you got a defined path forward. And it wasn't that one you thought it was before the no.
No means you k(no)w where your weakness lies. It's like a map where X marks the spot to improve. And once you improve? You're more of a force to be reckoned with.
No means less wasted time. When you can get a client to their no as fast as possible, in a world where time = money, you've saved money through the time you can spend cultivating a new sale.
No is actually kind. Hear me out - when someone says, "No, I don't think you fit my budget," that's an act of kindness. If someone tells you no, they are treating you with respect.
Hearing no is hard. But saying no is also hard. Being adult enough to dish out a no - That's respectful (in a season where Caspers haunt our Business page inboxes all too often).
In business, I have to tell a lot of people no.
"No, we're not looking for podcast guests right now.""No, you're not a great fit for the Vendy Blendy.""No, I had to delete your comment because it violated a group rule.""No, that's not in your contract scope.""No, you're not allowed to post that.""No, you're not allowed to sell that."I witness far too often folks that take no waaaay too personally. They see no as an attack - to their character, to their business, to their ego.
Rejecting rejection is not the business approach that'll make you money. It will get your feelings hurt though.
The phrase is, "It's just business. Nothin' personal."
That's what no is. It's just business. It's not saying you're any less of a person. You cannot have a business without the word NO. It's not possible.
No is inevitable.
So the faster you fall in love with the "no" the better the business you will have. No is everywhere. No Is guaranteed. No is delicious. Hearing a no is just as amazing for your business as getting a yes. No is not bad. No is good business.
My challenge for you is to reframe how hearing NO impacts you mentally and emotionally. Stop taking NO personally.
Years ago I read about a workshop where the hosts challenged the attendees to get rejected 30 times in 30 days. It made the news when one person taking part in the rejection challenge asked a Krispy Kreme shop to make doughnuts in the shapes of the Olympic rings and the Krispy Kreme employee actually did it (lol).
But the challenge to seek out the word "no" stuck with me. How fantastic would life be if "no" didn't take us to our knees emotionally?!
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๐ชฃ Content Buckets DebunkedContent categories explained.
In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 182 - Content Buckets Debunked, the twins talk all things content buckets - an approach to content planning that guides our posting schedule.
What are content buckets? They're categories or themes that your content falls into. Think of them as the main pillars or sections of your blog or social media presence. Each bucket encompasses a specific area of content interest, helping you organize and categorize your content effectively.
Imagine a conversation like this:
๐ Me: Hey Corrie, how are you?๐ Corrie: Enjoying this cool, crisp fall weather! ๐ Me: Awesome - what are your plans this weekend?๐ Corrie: Enjoying this cool, crisp fall weather! ๐ Me: Enjoying the weather I see. How's Archer?๐ Corrie: Enjoying this cool, crisp fall weather! ๐ Me: Ooookay. This conversation is weird. ๐ Corrie: I agree, but I'm enjoying this cool, crisp fall weather!Like okaaay - we get it! You like this crisp, cool fall weather. Say something else! This is what your social media sounds like when all you post is sales and sets. It's boring and drives engagement away and thus reach goes down.
So let's come up with content buckets for a baker. Pulling from these buckets can help you create a more well-rounded content structure that not only target different audience demographics but drives up engagement as well.
Your content buckets don't have to be pulled from one at a time. There may be a bucket where you grab content from 3x a month, and another where you only snag content from 1x a quarter. It's up to you to build out the buckets you both enjoy consistently posting from and that your audience also resonates with.
Content buckets require testing repeatedly over time to see what works - ain't that marketing for ya?
๐ชฃ Memes
Always an easy bucket, memes are low-hanging content fruit, but the key is to either keep them baking-related or hyper-local related. You can check out a ton of baking-themed memes on the Sugar Cookie Marketing Page. Hyper-local memes can be memes about never-ending traffic on a popular road or a mention of the northern lights (like Corrie did here).
๐ซ Baking Related (check out the SCM page for free baking memes)๐ซ Locality Related (linked above)๐ชฃ Behind the Scenes
Behind-the-scenes content always performs really well while still keeping your page focused on baking. For example, Corrie's cutter storage photo garnered a lot of engagement, but still pushes the page's agenda: I sell sugar cookies. Letting folks into the back end of your baking business can add a bit of personality to your bakery - just keep in mind the cleanliness of your home (aka no cats on counters in these pics, my guys).
๐ซ Cutter Storage (linked above)๐ซ Large Bags of Dough / Flour (people like seeing this for some reason)๐ซ Large Orders - like 1000 cookies prepped for Christmas corporate orders๐ซ Pic of Class Attendees - any info you gathered about an attendee can be a great BTS feature๐ชฃ Get To Know Me
Pics of people simply perform well - no other way to describe it. Corrie used a photo of her kiddo's first day of school to thank folks who ordered from her because with their money she was able to enroll Archer in a safer learning environment.
๐ซ Pics of you and fam at a pumpkin patch๐ซ Kiddos first day of school๐ซ Thankful for Spouse -
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๐ Correlation & Causation - Looking at the full data picture.In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 181 - Correlation and Causation, we wanted to talk about the dangers of misassigned reasons why you think your marketing isn't working.
Let's define things before we jump in:
Correlation: a mutual relationship or connection between two or more things.Causation: the relationship between cause and effect.Coincidence: a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection.So here's the hot take: you must understand the correct cause of something before you make a correlation to its results.
๐ฟ For example, let's say it's raining and my cat, Frank, throws up. I could make the correlation that whenever it ๐ง๏ธ rains, Frank throws up, right? I mean - I watched it happen - pitter-patter of rain. Violent cough of gastrointestinal distressed cat.
Wrong - ๐ซ because yes, while those two events happened at the same time, they were unrelated (not correlated). They just happened to well... happen at the same time. Other than coincidences, they have absolutely zero relationship.
๐ Now let's look more closely at Franks' eating habits. Frank tends to upchuck (haven't used that word since I was in middle school, but here we are) when I feed him wet cat food. ๐ Every time I've ever attempted to feed my little furry friend a sauce-covered pate, he has regurgitated on my carpet a few hours later.
This has been proven 100% of the times I've attempted to feed him wet food. ๐ฏ I can now safely correlate the serving of wet foods to causing Frank to throw up.
Let's bring it back to marketing. Making the incorrect correlations in your marketing strategies can spell long-term disaster. ๐จ "My posts do better when there's a 70% chance of snow" is a feeling, but the data proves that despite Jack Frost's potential appearance, โ your Facebook post reach is more than likely related to the closing of local school systems forcing parents to stay home rather than frozen water falling from the sky. โ๏ธ
๐ซ Incorrection Correlation: "I posted an unstaged photo and my reach on Facebook increased. Thus, staged photography is not ideal."
โ Potential Questions to Find Correct Correlations:
โ Did you post when the algo was favoring your content? Algorithms giveth and taketh - post in a slow time? Welcome to better reach. Post on election day? Enjoy your new pet crickets.๐ซ Incorrection Correlation: "I sold nothing at a market I attended recently, but when I flash sold the unsold product from the market on my page, I sold a ton. Thus markets are not for me."
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๐ฏ Reach 4 Q4 - Gaining reach in a complex Q4.In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 180 - Reach 4 Q4, we cover reach in a hard-to-reach moment in time: Quarter 4 of the calendar year.
And not just any calendar year - it's a Q4 including an election, economic policy shifts, major weather disasters, global wars, port strikes, and black Friday.
๐๏ธ Talk about a reach ruckus! All of these major events competition for one really tiny phone screen? You're going to be in the trenches trying to get eyes on your cookie classes, platters, and customs. But rest assured - this is how marketing works. It's how it always has worked and will continue to work.
This is what separates the "marketing men" from the "marketing boys," and of course, we have some tips to guide your socials for the next three months.
A big part of this is adjusting expectations. Yes - your reach will look different. Yes, we'll still play ball with Meta. Yes, that will be frustrating. But yes, it's still our busy season and we may not even really notice as we're elbow-deep in dough. But having a strategy to guide us in confusing times is always a solid move.
๐๏ธ 1. Shift the type of content you're posting.
We're no longer posting "loved making this set - Happy second bday, Timmy" and expecting likes or reach. That won't cut it in this cut-throat algorithm of Q4. We're going to dig into hooks, emojis, copy formulas, better photography, MORE eye-catching images, selfies, behind-the-scenes... basically, we're going to be more interesting for the algo.
๐๏ธ 2. B-e D-i-r-e-c-t.
This feed is BANANAS - b-a-n-a-n-a-s! So don't make your already distracted audience jump through hoops to buy from you. Yes, in a perfect work, we as perfect sales-bakers are perfectly able to get someone into our sales funnel and land the coveted conversion. But baby, this is Q4! Rest is for the weary and time is fleeting! We only have their attention for 3 seconds, use that to your advantage. Posting the price in the caption - or maybe even in the photo - for DIY kits and classes and stop the back and forth-ers from sucking up time (and losing interest).
๐๏ธ 3. Be annoying.
Corrie's got a PhD in being annoying, so consider her a knowledge expert. But on that note - channel your inner Corrie and post consistently and frequently. Corrie suggests doubling your posting schedule. Remember - reach is DOWN, you're not being annoying, you're barely even reaching 2% as is. They're not seeing any of your posts. You're not being annoying, you're barely being noticed.
๐๏ธ 4. Contest / Gi-veaw-ays / Memes
This is low-hanging "content" fruit, but it does create increased reach. Use the increased reach to grow another medium (like email) that doesn't compete with crowded news feeds as much. Content buckets help diversify this type of content: meme, informative, sales, prompt, back to a meme, etc. I tend to hit up the meme bucket on "big event" days - more on that next. Note - please give the podcast on g-ive-a-ways a listen, there's some stuff to be cognizant of.
๐๏ธ 5. Follow big events and plan content accordingly.
For example, November 5th is ELECTION DAY. Your cookie content will perform extremely poorly this day. Don't launch your presale on that date. Frankly, don't launch your pre-sale from Nov 1 - Nov 8th. Let the political stuff die off a bit, then launch your Elfie on a Shelfie pre-orders. We have a lot of "big days" coming, be aware of what's going on and how it'll affect your content schedule.
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๐คน 2 Busy 2 Business - 10 ways to up communication in Sept.In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 179 - 2 Busy 2 Business, we wanted to talk about good communication (or the lack thereof... ahem... Bev).
Corrie led with a personal story where she left her client, Bev, in communication purgatory wondering when or if Corrie had gotten her inquiry. See, Bev was a referral from another client, Ashley, who loved a 4 day waiting period for cookie communication. But unlike Ash, Boss Bev needed a confirmation within 24 hours or not a happy camper she was.
And Bev was totally right in feeling like she got ghosted (too early for Halloween costumes, my twin sister). So thus we audited the 10 avenues we typically get bogged down with when we get too busy - and added some tips on how to sharpen up the communication skills ahead of Santa's sleigh.
(ps - do you know we have a Baking it Down Instagram that stores all these lil graphics for quick reference?)
A lot of this stuff we've covered in past podcasts, but the goal here is to optimize these communication channels for the busy season. ๐ฟ You know - where we're too busy to even shower let alone check our after-hours auto-responder. ๐ค The better the communication = the happier your clients. ๐ต The happier your clients = the deeper their pockets.
๐ Rule of thumb: good communication means more money. It's as simple as that (and much easier said than done, oh do we know).
๐คน 1. Autoresponders / Away Messages
๐ด Set a response window - setting an expectation of when you'll get back to someone buys you more time. Be liberal here, if you know it'll take you a while to reply, give yourself 48 hours. But ensure you're definitely getting back to them within the time frame or risk a bad review.๐ก Have your booking form in your auto-responder - Your auto-responses can include clickable links to your website or form that way you're spending less time "back and forthing" and more time making money while your website does the labor in the background.๐คน 2. Google Business Profile
๐ด Use Maps app to reply to questions / get profile updates - Google Business Profiles are hooked to Google Maps - so having the app on your phone can give you immediate notifications of communications and reviews.๐ก Remove phone numbers if you can't handle phone calls - if you simply don't communicate over phone calls, remove that from your GMB listing. While I'd like to think I'm good at answer the phone, it's just another avenue to potentially miss a lead, detail, or order change.๐คน 3. Website Forms
๐ด Ensure you gather all needed information in your form - audit your form. Are you gathering all the info you need there? Because if you're not, you're adding more back and forth which can be a stumbling block come busy season.๐คน 4. Facebook Messenger
๐ด Have in your notes app a readily available copy/paste for quicker response times - most smartphones have built-in notes apps. Use these to paste faster replies. I like to leave [BRACKETS] for info I can quickly replace to make my "copy pasta" seem more personable.๐คน 5. Social Media Comments
๐ด Replying to comments as soon as they're posted increases engagement - when someone comments on your posts, reply immediately, and ask questions. This gets people back to your post, replying to your question, and thus increasing engagement.๐คน 6. Reviews
๐ด Reply immediately to reviews - this shows you care about past clients and gives future clients a warm fuzzy feeling as well as -
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๐ฃ๏ธ Reading the Cookie Room - Tells your market's telling you.In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 178 - Reading the Cookie Room, ๐ฟ Corrie jumped in with the Tiktok flavored popcorn to tell us about a viral series of posts made this week by a wedding make-up artist who was guilty of not reading the room... er, well, cathedral.
What started as an innocent disclaimer in the contract that allowed the make-up artist to gather content for their social ballooned into an uninvited (and intrusive) extra guest to the wedding - complete with drama, tears, and an upset bridal party (did I mention a 3-series long TikTok vent sesh to boot?).
So we wanted to talk about "Reading the Cookie Room." Hey - whether we like it or not, our businesses put us face-to-face with clients daily. Knowing how to read subtle hints from body language and speech can allow us to be better salespeople - and just better people in general.
๐ We've come up with a list of conversational potential pitfalls and blind spots you might want to consider if you don't feel like you've got the gift of gab. ๐ PS - if you're looking for supporting reading material, check out the books "What Every Body Is Saying" and "How to Win Friends and Influence People."
Here's the takeaway: not all of these may apply to you. If only one does, you're probably reading the "cookie room" full of your clients just fine. But if you find yourself wincing at a lot of these - then take a minute to assess the situation and slowly learn what you can tweak. Blind spots are hard to see - that's why we call them blind spots. This podcast is just a hint towards lookin' over you conversation shoulder and making sure you're not missing the closing curtain.๐ Your bottom line (and your neighbors) will thank you.
๐ 1. Are you constantly having to find new customers?
Do you constantly find yourself running through clients (๐โโ churn is the buzzword here)? If so, you may be the one scaring them off (and just in time for spooky season too). Talking too much or too personally can run off clients, so ask yourself how often you see similar names comin' back to order.
๐ 2. Are your female clients sending husbands (to avoid conversation?)Oddly specific, but Corrie says she finds herself sending out her "husband of few words" to deal with the neighborhood's chatty Cathys. ๐งโโ If you find that your pick-ups are generally with wall flowers, consider that perhaps someone is avoiding long conversations with you. ๐จ Again - more of these have to apply to you than just one to be a blind spot - but it's worth mentioning the men (this can be either gender - the takeaway: if someone's sending the "quiet one" to pick-ups, it may be a tell).
๐ 3. Track the average length of pick-up conversations. Are they over 5 minutes?"Time just flies when you're playin' hostage." Do you keep your clients hostage on your porch? โฐ A "tell" is tracking how long conversations last. If you find them averaging over 2-minutes - maaaybe ask yourself if you're keepin' people past the normal length of porch-pickup courtesy convos.
๐ 4. Release the Cracken - are you giving people options to exit?Corrie's husband Nate has an affinity for ending conversations by saying "Welp, it's time I hit the ol' dirt road," ๐ฃ and while hilarious, we can all take notes (and wagon rides apparently). Adding "exits" to your conversations can help people pull the release ripcord. "Well, I don't want to keep you." "So, that's it on my end, any questions on your cookies?" "I can let you go - traffic is going to be bad for you in about an hour." ๐๐๐ These are all release points to let people out of conversations with you.
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๐ฅ When Marketing Isn't Working - What to think and what to do.๐ง This is an excerpt from this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 177 - When Marketing Isn't WorkingIn this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 177 - When Marketing Isn't Working, we wanted to talk about both mindset and methods to reboot a sluggish marketing season.
๐ง In the Diary of a CEO podcast on YouTube, brain doctor, Dr. Daniel Amen who has scanned 250,000 brains, says he was asked to scan the brain of author Noelle Nelson who was writing a book on The Power of Appreciation. ๐ค She wanted to see how positive thinking affected brain function.
The doctor then asked Noelle to return the next day after 24 hours of negative thinking to understand how the brain's baselines changed. ๐ฅ The results? ๐ Lower functioning in the pre-frontal cortex - the part of the brain responsible for decision-making, reasoning, personality expression, and other complex cognitive behaviors.
The takeaway:
โฌ๏ธ Negative thinking culls cognitive performance. โฌ๏ธ Inhibited cognitive performance creates more negative thinking. โฌ๏ธ Thus we're in the death spiral of bad news blues.๐ค "How does this apply to my marketing not working?"
Great question. You'll hate the answer. Marketing works because it just... works. The more people that know about a product to buy, the more people can buy said product. ๐ญ The how to get them to know there's a product to buy is marketing.
โ So the good news - your problem is fixable. โ The bad news? The problem is you. "No one is buying from me" dulls your strategic thinking. "Everything I post doesn't get any likes" is an easy way to never have to strategize why your posts are reaching your intended audience.
Shift your mindset by running through these cognitive questions:
๐ง Is your messaging confusing? Focus focus focus - switching product offerings too often can confuse your audience๐ง Are your goals dialed in? Too much of everything is nothing๐ง Do you have enough campaign runway? Think: run a campaign for at least 3 months to see if something works - yeah, that long.๐ง Are you being consistent over long term or only energetic in short spurts?But - if you're marketing truly isn't working and you're in no mood for brain games, Corrie and I came up with a list of six tasks you can implement this month - that, with the right attitude, should turn your marketing numbers around a bit.
โ๏ธ Work the campaigns backwards: here is launch date, so where is pre-sale end date / pre-sale launch date / photography date etc. Come up with three campaigns for the rest of the year.โ๏ธ Invest in better camera / photography gear and take one photography course (ahem - the Cookie College has a photography course) - plan photography days.โ๏ธ Start adding consistent posting in community groups - make 2 posts per week (non-sales) for 1 month.โ๏ธ Work on a local likes campaign. Grow your page numbers - you'll never reach 100% of your page likes, so increase the page likes to increase potential eyes on your content.โ๏ธ Audit your sales funnel - is something somewhere driving people to your competition.โ๏ธ Audit your competition - if you can handle not comparing yourself, competitor analysis is a great way to see where you're lacking.Try these 6 suggestions out. Hey - your marketing isn't working, you probably have a lot of spare time. What do ya have to lose? Except the yips that is.
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๐ฆด Cookie Crime Scene - Don't look back, look forward.
In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 176 - Cookie Crime Scene, Corrie wanted to talk more cognitively about approaching "bad experiences" in business.As a business owner, ๐ you will face difficult clients. ๐ข You will have someone demand a refund. ๐ข You will experience broken cookies, icing bleed, cookie spread, soap tastes, stale cookies - it's business.
๐ญ And you will also have to deal with clients who had a less-than-ideal experience with your business. BUT - you can harness the tools now to change that experience from a bad one to a ๐ "hey, it wasn't the best, but we made it right" one.
That's why this week's podcast is called "The Cookie Crime Scene" - because oftentimes the damage is already done before you run to the Sugar Cookie Marketing Group asking for validation. ๐ค "I told them to get lost in the woods, they have terrible taste in clothes let alone cookies! ๐ฅบ ...do you think I worded it okay?"
Uh - nope. ๐ซ No, ya didn't do okay on that one. But you responded with too much emotion too fast without considering the ramifications, and now you get to pick up the pieces (and those pieces are often in the form of bad reviews).
Ask yourself, "do I just want to be heard or do I want to be helped?" ๐ค Let me break that phrase down: when you want to be heard only, you want to rant and vent and be angry. ๐ You want people to lambast your client alongside you. You want bakers to validate your aggressive, dismissive response.
Why ask us? You already sent the email. ๐ชโ ๏ธ It's a cookie crime scene now.
But the baker who wants to be helped - they word their posts much differently. โ "Hey. I think I handled this run-in with my client poorly. I responded way too hastily. I may have limited my options for recourse here, but can anyone help me make this okay with this client?" Yeah - now that's someone who wants help.
Listen - we're going to respond poorly to clients eventually. โ We're humans. We run on emotion and coffee, and when coffee runs low, emotions run high (amiright?).
๐ซ Corrie told a story she experienced with our grandma, Ruth Ann, this morning. Ruth Ann dropped her favorite coffee cup shattering it into a million pieces. ๐ฅ "It's okay - let's clean it up! Can't unshatter it now. Can't be mad it's broken. Being mad doesn't fix the cup - but we can channel that energy into finding a replacement online."
You can't unshatter the cup. But you can work on being a better baker despite bad experiences with clients. ๐ญ You just have to accept that you're here to get help - not just be heard.
Quote of the week: "๐ Stop, Drop, Roll your eye before your reply"
๐ Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or your desktop) by searching for Baking it Down - Episode 176 - Cookie Crime Scene.
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๐ Wedding Expo Recap - Our eddie wedding vendor expo debrief.
In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 175 - Wedding Vendor Recap, Corrie signed us up for a Wedding Expo - and here's our tell-all - what we did right, what we did okay, and what we wouldn't do ever again.The event was complex, to say the least. Conceptually - it's genius. Execution - it's lacking. โ๏ธ The event was two days consisting of two "faux wedding receptions" - one upstairs (๐ชต earthy forest theme) and one downstairs (๐ผ retro theme).
So both themes had completely different vendor groups - meaning there were two photographers, two event planners, two florists, two bakers, two couple models... you get the point. All vendors were assigned a theme - the vendors didn't decide it.
1๏ธโฃ Day 1 was a photo shoot. All the vendors set up the two themes and the photographers and models got to work. This is where they got the photos of the faux receptions (one upstairs in the venue and one downstairs outside).
2๏ธโฃ Day 2 was a vendor expo, fashion runway, and after-party. This day was open to attendees - there was some ticketed component, but we never really figured out what that was exactly? More on that confusion later. But you get the idea of what this event looked like.
1. ๐ฐ Marketing Prep - Build the Funnel
So we needed to start the marketing prep to get Corrie's "funnel" dialed in. ๐ผ๏ธ Here's what she did in the week leading up to the Wedding Expo. Keep in mind - this is a wedding expo, ๐คตโโ so she'd want her content to be wedding-specific if we drove traffic to her socials during the event. Always think in terms of funneling people to a desired action (aka purchasing for their weddings).
๐ Getting socials ready (reposted / pin for new timestamp)๐ Posting wedding sets daily leading up to the event๐ All comments / reviews responded to๐ Matched energy on Instagram๐ Updated forms / website
We decided we'd take Eddie - the edible direct-to-food printer from Primera (also a podcast sponsor). ๐ค I asked myself, "What would get someone to stop at a cookie booth" and ๐จ the answer was "print them on a cookie - live - as they watch." So this meant we needed some specific supplies to make Eddie work.2. ๐ฐ Source Your Supplies
We haven't done a vendor expo for Corrie's company before, so I had to order all the custom printed things - which meant the start-up costs for this were high (ideally you'd repeat these events and bring the cost-per-use down considerably). ๐ช I needed a custom Tablecloth (TableCoversNow for $216.60), a Step and Repeat as a photo backdrop (VistaPrint for $338.14), and an A-frame sign (Best of Signs for $128.43). We borrowed a 6'x2.5' table from my mom. I had a Sony A7C mirrorless camera with a 24mm lens. Corrie brought her Dell XPS computer, and then we had Eddie (all already purchased a few years ago).
๐ Ordered custom tablecloth, custom circle a-frame sign, custom step & repeat๐ Purchased add-on carrying cases for easier transport๐ Pre-baked 45 Eddie blank cookies + 1 sleeve of Mom Pop pre-dipped cookies (for backup)๐ 50 QR Code printed cookies + business cards3. ๐ฐ Do a Setup Dry Run
I'm a planner - so a dry run for setup and workflow was a must if I wanted to get any sleep the night before. I build out the dimensions in an app called Whimsical. We were limited to a 6x6 event space, so lemme just say - it was gonna be tight.
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๐ง Know Newsletters - What to send to who and how often.
In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 174 - Know Newsletters, we talk everything you need to know about newsletters. These powerhouses in digital marketing are some of the most untouched real estate in the cottage world - and why? We're not sure - but if you capitalize on it now, you'll be cookin' (baking?) with fire come the busy season.Jumping straight into it - in the Onesday Wednesday newsletter, I included the 90-day line chart of our weekly newsletter (this is a Sendgrid report). It's sent on Wednesdays, and you can see I missed a Wednesday a few months ago (the dead zone where there's no peak) and again last week (fam stuff).
The big takeaway in this chart isn't the number of people receiving our emails. It's the consistency at which the newsletters are sent, how many emails reach an inbox (deliverability), how many get opened (open rate), and what gets clicked on (click-through rate).
So let's break down the making of solid bones for a newsletter. Before we jump into the content, we gotta actually have a list. So let's start there and build.๐จ 1. Creating an Email List
You've got to generate a list. Review the CAN-SPAM laws, but my take - you can email people who have purchased cookies from you in the past as long as you follow all the other rules. Ideally, your list is compromised of opt-in emails (people who intentionally signed up for your list). Newsletter senders often include free landing pages and sign-up forms to grow your list as well. Giveaways are a great incentive for quick sign-ups.
๐จ 2. Selecting a Sender.
You won't want to use your personal email to send out newsletters (CAN-SPAM laws require an unsubscribe button and an address), so selecting a newsletter sender is integral to a healthy newsletter campaign. Big names in the biz are Mailchimp, Flodesk, Square, Sendgrid, Constant Contact - there's about a million to choose from so find one that fits your needs, your budget, and your workflow.
๐จ 3. Preview ContentWhen you go to write your email - the preview content (the "from," the subject line, the preview text) will help you get that ever-coveted opened email. In the preview content, I like to attract attention with the subject line then draw them in with the supporting preview text. Imagine my Halloween email's subject line reading: "๐ป I've Got Something SCARY To Tell You" and the preview line is "๐The 10 closest pumpkin patches to Fairfax". Preview text isn't available in all inboxes, but always think about drawing folks to the "email open." That subject line is a lot more eye-catching than "September Offerings."
๐จ 4. Body-yody-yody-yody
The body of your newsletter - the meat and potatoes - is the content your readers are clicking to read. Corrie came up with a cute poem to guide you, "something for me, something for you, but no more than two." Basically - keep it short, sweet, and skim-able. Header tags, bolded fonts, and bulleted lists are your buddies here. Pictures are worth the thousand words you don't have to type out. An example of the "something for me, something for you" is a list of local cideries in your area + your back-to-school offerings. Another example is your January "Build a Snowman" cookie class + a list of local sledding hills the kids love. You get the point. Don't jam-pack a newsletter with a million different offerings, 4 CTAs (call-to-actions), and a billion photos - you're making that poor newsletter do too many things and thus it does nothing really. FOCUS on one initiative per email.
We cover more tips in this week's podcast like templates, how nested header tags work, an ideal schedule for someone getting
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๐ข Prep 4 Q4 - How to prepare for our busy season.In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 173 - Prep 4 Q4, we're preppin' for Q4 - the baker's "Super (mixing) Bowl." ๐ Right now, you should be feeling the tides of a lullish summer slowly begin to change as we creep into back-to-school territory.
๐ฌ๏ธ Add in the cooler weather blowing in (hey, we can hope, right?) and that signals the official kick-off for baking mayhem that will last until the week after New Year's (until Valentine's Day).
BUT - ๐ด we still have a few weeks of down-ish time (are bakers ever truly on vacation though??) to prep for Q4, because - if you remember last year, ๐ซ you ain't gonna have no time to do this when you're elbow deep in red and green royal icing.
๐ข Twin2 likens this part of the year to a roller coaster that's reached the peak of the initial drop... that point where you feel like the coaster has stopped at the highest point. It feels slow, but what's next is utter calendar chaos, hands in the air, screaming at the top of your lil' lungs. And here's what we think you could spend the next few weeks on so you're all prepped up for Game Day.
๐ข 1. InstagramLet's start with Instagram - even if it's not a big lead generator for you, keeping it up-to-date can help signal to your audience you're rearin' and ready to take holiday orders. It's easy to forget about the bio info, but that's an important jump point for people starting their ordering process with you. Here's what we'd focus on:
โ Update your auto-responderโ Refresh the pinned posts (You can have 3) - How to Order | Lead Time | Offeringsโ Update your bio - Location | Now Booking For [Month]โ Audit your bio links (see: Linktree)โ Use emojis and line breaks๐ข 2. FacebookSimilar to Instagram, but different - Facebook needs some cleaning up too. I prefer to update it on a desktop computer since the Meta Business Suite app doesn't always give you all the editing options. There's an about section and the more important "Intro" section - this intro section has had an extended character limit and can now feature hyperlinks - ya know, for your ordering form. Also updated those pinned posts so they reflect a 2024 timestamp (bonus if it's not January 1, 2024... ahem, Corrie).
โ Audit About section - check for old informationโ Retype up Intro bio + add a linkโ Refresh pinned posts (repost for 2024 timestamp)โ Check that your button still worksโ Update links + add social profile links if you haven'tโ Respond to all reviews - include a picture of their order!โ Add upcoming events to the Events tab for easy taggingโ Clean up your personal profile (I don't wanna see you arguing politics)๐ข Website | FormsMany clients discover us on social media but find themselves on our websites or forms to place an order. Clean up that web shop by archiving old products or products from past holidays.
Make the product options the ones you know you can knock out of the park quickly (mid-December is not the time to attempt to make your first cake pop). Adding an availability banner (or calendar) can signal that you're ready to bake for the holidays and increase conversions. Adding holiday-themed pictures is another signal that you're โจtheโจ holiday baker of their dreams.
โ Add an availability banner (Now Booking for [Month]โ Delete / archive old products or past holiday-themed productsโ Add a "Schedule" page for events like classes / vendor marketsโ Update pictures to feature upcoming holiday-themed items๐ข Google Business Profile ListingIf you'
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๐ซ Choc-A Lot - How to increase price by increasing value.
In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 172 - Choc-A Lot, my sisters and my mom partook in our annual "Christmas in July" gift exchange. For a family who loves gift-giving with birthdays from November - February, the rest of the year feels like a gifting desert. Ergo - Christmas in July for the fourth year running was born.The rules are simple: you must buy everyone a gift that is $50 each, and you must give everyone the same gift.
I'm still in my minimalist era, so I wanted to go with a consumable (something that won't live on the shelf collecting dust), and a new local chocolate shop opened at our favorite mall - Lรคderach (good luck pronouncing that).
Their claim to fame is giant chocolate slabs you can see walking past their pretty storefront (pic in the newsletter is from their Facebook page here). Yeah - definitely a head-turner for just about any "sweet treat" addict like myself. I ended up shellin' out $250 to meet the "Christmas in July" spending requirement (while also sweet-treatin' myself), and lemme tell ya - Y-U-M-M-O.
But cheap ain't luxury and luxury ain't cheap - so here are the 10 things we found that made the difference between Laderach and Dove chocolate (no hate to Dove, those are my go-to Saturday night sweet treats).๐ซ Packaging Packs a Punch.
I swear they had more packaging options than they had chocolate - and for good reason. This chocolate is meant to be gifted. Their store screamed "This is a perfect gift for the hard-to-buy-for" with so many selections for varying chocolate sizes and truffles combos - there was a gift box for every budget. If you were worried about presentation, worry no more - this brand was a packaging powerhouse.
Same with your packaging - the bigger, flashier, funnier, brighter, cuter - the better. We're not selling food. We're selling really delicious gifts - just like Laderach.
๐ซ Samples Sell.
I'll be honest - this chocolate shop has been fueling my mall powerwalks for months - there's always a person at the front door offering bits of broken chocolate slabs for the passersby to tempt themselves. They don't hard-pitch you on anything - just merely ask, "Would you like some chocolate?" That's one question you'll never hear me say no to. The fun fact is - they'd given me three samples before I finally reached into my chocolate change purse.
Same with samples at vendor markets. No, I don't think you're "giving away product for free" - I think you're building a returning customer base. Remember - it took me three completely free samples before I spent $250.
๐ซ Location Location Location.Laderach had one thing on lock - their location. Between a mall entrance and a high-foot-trafficked anchor store (Macy's), there were tons of people walking by (did we mention their all-glass storefront where you can drool... I mean... see the stacked slabs of delicious chocolate).
While your bakery may be at home, your location at vendor events can make all the difference. See if you can find a spot next to a popular vendor (stay away from direct competitors) and an entryway.
๐ซ Brand Fans.
If being decked out in branded aprons, crisp button-down white collared shirts, and fancy black slacks wasn't enough, the staff truly seemed to be fans of the brand they worked for. One staff member heard us struggling (see: slaughtering) pronunciation and chimed in not only with the easy way to remember the name but added some history about the brand. "That brother works in the kitchen developing some of the most unique chocolate pairings I've ever tasted - he's a chocolate genius."
Are you excited about your brand?
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๐ Say It, Donโt Spray It - How to ask for help in the groups.In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 171 - Say It - Don't, Spray It, we wanted to cover a topic to help us help you help us. Because it's how you ask questions in Facebook groups that dictate the kind of answers you'll get.
Depending on how you asked it, ๐คฉ you're either going to get really solid advice that moves your business forward, ๐ฎ or you'll end up with bottom-of-the-barrel, trash comments that do nothing other than get you even more worked up. ๐ก
๐ You hold the keys to your own post - ๐ whether your post gets locked or not is really up to you - the OP (original poster). And when you post in a way that garners good advice, it makes the group a better place.
๐ฟ And when you post spun content that makes your client look like the devil's stunt double, you give the mod team more work - ๐ because your thread will get locked by the mod team. It's our job to keep this space a resource for folks, not an echo chamber of the worthless comment, "๐โโ RUN."
๐ค Ask yourself: "What am I looking for with this post - advice or validation?" If you're looking for validation, reconsider posting altogether. ๐ฅ We aren't here to clean up a crime scene. If you want advice, we're your people. ๐ We can help prevent the cookie car accident altogether with the right strategy.
If you find somethin' in here that looks like what you've asked in the past - no hard feelings. Your thread is a learning lesson to everyone, and for that, I am thankful (now stop posting threads that get locked, mkaaaay).
๐ Example 1 - Unhappy Client Help
Let's start off with unhappy client help. It's a guarantee in business (and life) that you won't be able to please everyone. As such, dealing with upset clients is a business-ownership guarantee. How you handle that separates the proverbial "men from the boys" or should I say, "the business bakers from the business boo-ers."
๐ก Spun Bad Question:
"I took a last minute order, it was rushed, I fit her in - she begged! My icing wasn't perfect, but now she's upset about how they turned out. I wasn't even going to take the order and I let her know that it wouldn't be perfect, but she's saying the icing isn't the right color. I tell them in my terms that icing won't match, so she knew that going into it. I don't have time to rebake, and I will not refund her. What should I do? Any help?"๐ค Alternate Healthy Question:
"I took a last-minute order and in hindsight, I shouldn't have. I broke my own boundaries, and I acknowledge I have a hard time telling people no. The cookies that include piped names have bumpy icing - not my best work by far. What should I do in this situation? The client is unhappy with those cookies."๐ Example 2 - Pricing Wheelin' 'n Dealin'
Example 2 - a client who pushes back on price. It's a bummer when the client doesn't just pay the asking price but thinks there's room for bargain hunting. While likely there isn't much wiggle room, we can still play ball - in fact, that's likely what they expected you to do (remember - there are people who operate off the premise, "the answer to every unasked question is no, so ask").
๐ก Spun Bad Question:
"I secured a corporate recurring order and now they want to know if I can lower the price! They waited until after we nailed everything down and frankly, I don't want to work with them anymore anyway, but I want her to know I won't do business like that. How can I tell them they're being unfair?"๐ค Alternate Healthy Question:
"I secured a corporate order - and it would be a nice recurr -
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โ๏ธ Class Supplies - A "bake-down" of what we bring and why.
In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 170 - Class Supplies, (another) Heather (of One Smart Cookies and Crafts - also a returning Vendy this year) asked us to cover what cookie class supplies we bring and why.(๐คซ Pssst - if you're a Cookie Class Kits or Cookie College member, you get this list with every class drop). Let's go through our general "class supplies" list we use for every class we teach.
Yours may differ - we try to keep it pretty lean so we have less to pack, manage, and clean up. Hey - if time's money, the less time we spend packin' and preppin', the more money we keep in our apron pockets.
โ๏ธ 1. To-Go Boxes
Everyone always likes a box recommendation - so here's ours (keeping the direct links in the newsletter - the Zuck hates a 'Zon link on socials, so check your email for the hyperlinks).
Our to-go boxes we use for class attendees to take their bakes home in are the same ones we use for the DIY Kit boxes - but Corrie will grab a cheap pack of stickers from Hobby Lobby.
๐ฆ 9x9x2.5 Window Boxes (Amazon)โ๏ธ 2. Piping Bags
While we're not diehards for any one brand of piping bag, when we find one we like, we try to stick with it. I prefer a "middle of the road" micron count - too loose and you'll have a bag bursting. Too hard and you'll have a crunchy-sounding class.
๐ Piping Bags (10) (Busy Bakers Supplies) ๐ Bag Ties (200) (Amazon)Bring some extras - in the event of a bag bursting, it's nice to have these on hand. Plus, if you let your attendees cut their own bags (more on that in the #PodcastPoll below), and they get too clippy, you can rebag and save the flow (and the day).
โ๏ธ 3. Trays.
I love these trays. They really help "set an area" for each attendee. We use two different-sized trays per station - a large one where we display the cookies and a smaller one where we put their icing. Both are lined with parchment paper (links below) for easy clean up too.
๐ค Large Trays (9.5x13) (Webstaurant)๐ค Small Trays (6.5x9.5) (Webstaurant)Trays make it easy to designate the station for attendees, keep sprinkles from running free, and help us keep a better headcount. The ones we use aren't the cheapest, but we've been reusing them for 4.5 years now, so worth the investment. Amazon has cheaper alternatives though.
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๐ Corrie-tisol - Managing stress this summer.In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 169 - Corrie-tisol, Corrie said, "I want to talk about ways to manage stress." And for good reason - in 2022 she was admitted to the hospital because her kidneys were shutting down. The cause? Chronic, unmanaged stress.
So while this is a business podcast, the business of managing stress will keep you in business. ๐ซ Chronic stress is no good for the bottom line ๐ - it'll lead to burnout, and up until the day you throw the ol' "tea towel" in, you'll be cursin' the day you first picked up that piping bag.
It's M-I-S-E-R-A-B-L-E.
So - the solution? Well, as with everything - it's a plan of attack, not a single pill to solve all of our proverbial problems (๐ but wouldn't that be nice?!).
Here are 5 things Twin #2 did to cut down on the cortisol spikes.
โ 1. Manage Caffeine intake.
Caffeine - I love it, I love it, I want some more of it. But when it comes to cortisol, shelving the caffeine (or at least delaying it) may be the answer. ๐ฃ Instead of going cold turkey, try "baby-stepping" your way to a healthier relationship with the brown nectar.
๐ง๐ฆ Limit your first cup until later morning (letting your body catch up naturally to what the day holds).๐ง๐ฆ Try going "every other" with a ๐ซ glass of water in between caffeine-heavy sodas (where my diet coke lovers at?!).
๐ง 2. Identify Stressful Triggers.I spent 35 years strengthening my stressors, so it could take just as long to tear them down. Being able to identify what causes stress spikes is our key to developing new patterns in handling stress.
๐ง What are the things you can control in a stressful situation?๐ง What are the things outside of your control?Once you identify what you can change and what you can't, you can then channel your thoughts into finding solutions - not fretting about all the worst possible outcomes.
โA man who suffers before it is necessary suffers more than is necessary.โ - Seneca
๐๐ผโโ 3. Implement Relaxation Techniques.
Okay - we've identified what we can control, and we've let go of what we can't control. Now fill up that newly found free time with things you find relaxing. I got Corrie a Calmigo (heads up - I can't believe I spent that much money on something so basic - but hey, her kidneys were shutting down, seemed like a cheaper option than a hospital bill). Science says that deep, conscious breathing in and out can really have an immediate effect on cortisol spikes. Walking is a great way to lower stress hormones too.
๐ฎโ๐จ Breathing exercises (shortness of breath = high cortisol)๐ฎโ๐จ Low impact exercise routine can use up excess cortisol - so walking during a stressful situation ๐ฎโ๐จ Good sleep hygiene (be on time, sleep long enough, phones outta the room, cool dark room)๐๏ธ 4. Find a Non-Baking Hobby.
Unfortunately, most of us turned our baking hobbies into baking jobbies - they're no longer the stress relievers we intended them to be. The answer? Find a new hobby that lets you let down your guard for a bit. The more mindless, the better. They say not to move to your favorite vacation destination because it turns "a place where I can relax" into "a place where I have to mow and pay the HOA." Here are some mind-numbing ideas.
๐๏ธ Lettering / Calligraphy ๐๏ธ Sewing๐๏ธ Coloring Books / Paint Gems๐๏ธ Animal Crossing (Video Games) -
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๐ถโโ Alotta Parking Lots - Volume-based pricing versus high pricing.
In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 168 - Alotta Parking Lots, Corrie wanted to talk... well, parking lots.
๐ด We took off from the podcast last week to visit VA Beach (love that beach if you're passing through the great state of Virginny). There's a three-mile strip that runs along the oceanfront where hotels, restaurants, and shops are lined up as far as you can see (or walk). In between this sea of spending, there are parking lots for the endless number of cars driving to spend the day feasting and beaching.
๐๐๐ Some of the parking lots have better beach views (๐ you know - for when your car apparently wants to relax /s) than even some of the restaurants! And some parking lots felt like they were a 3-hour walk to the destination. Pricing for parking spots ranged from $5 - $30 depending on where the lots were and at what capacity they were at. Prices also went up the closer to the weekend it got (gotta love surge pricing). By Saturday Night, the boardwalk is absolutely packed with people (and their parking spots).
This begs the question - ๐ค how can all the parking lots be marketing money when some charged $50 and others charged $5? Are some parking lots working at a loss? Are some lots price gouging?? What gives??
Simple - ๐ช far-away parking lots are operating with razor-thin margins but working at higher sales volume, and featured parking lots charging a premium to cover all of their add-ons (and proximity) but serving fewer cars = higher margins and lower volume.
In essence - both parking lot pricing structures can result in profitable parking businesses. As long as the parking lots' costs are covered (electricity, asphalt upkeep, parking attendee, towing contract), both models produce a profit (a key when it comes to surviving in business).
๐ค "But why wouldn't the cheap lot just charge more? Sounds like people are willing to pay it."
๐ต The parking lot charging less often does so because it costs less to run it. ๐ธThink: ๐ hiring a parking attendee with 20 years of valet experience versus a college kid on summer break who doesn't know how to parallel park.
Same with parking lot lighting. ๐ก The high-end lot we ended up parking in (because it was the only one servicing our hotel) had automatic motion sensor lights in their covered multi-story garage whereas the cheap lots off the strip had next to no lighting at all. Security gates, parking passes, in-and-out privileges - it's easy to see the cost savings versus the cost splurging.
But here's the thing: all the parking lots were full. ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
The ones 4 blocks off the strip โจandโจ the ones right on the beach were all filled with their target demographic. And the overpriced lot we parked in? So full, in fact, they were sending folks to the cheaper lots and shuttling them over.
Same with bakeries.
As long as the costs are covered (math says you can't run a business at a loss), you have bakers who charge a little โจbutโจ make up for it with their high volume of orders, and bakers who charge a ton - which limits their leads - โจbutโจ they have such high margins built into each order, they're still profitable.
You pay the pied piper one way or another. Either working by baking more or working by marketing more. It's up to you, your personality, and your expertise as to which you prefer to be.
๐ An introvert may like to charge less per order if it means they don't have to speak at a chamber meeting. ๐ An extrovert may prefer giving a 10-minute presentation and raking in corporate leads if it means they don't have to be stuck in the kitchen for the next month. - Laat meer zien
