Module 29

Customers, partners and the weekly rhythm

16 lessons, 59 stepsOne instruction at a time, each with the result to expect. Tick steps as you go; Helix remembers.

Outcome: you write in your customers' own words and get new buyers through referrals, partner brands and other people's audiences. You send a weekly email people look forward to. You run the business on a few early-warning numbers and a short weekly meeting. You have written playbooks, clear owners and a 90-day plan.

Related: Module 4 Brand and content, Module 10 Email, SMS and messaging, Module 16 Founder rhythm, team and resilience, Module 28 Team, creators and money

In plain words

Stage: Mixed. Lessons 29.2 to 29.6 are Attract, 29.1, 29.7 and 29.8 are Convert, and 29.9 to 29.16 are Grow. See Attract, Convert, Grow.

What it is: The habits that grow a store without more ad spend. Customer words, referrals, partners, a weekly email, and a simple way to run the week.

Why it matters: Ads get harder every year. Stores that keep growing have customers who bring friends and partners who send buyers. The owner runs the business on a weekly rhythm instead of in a rush.

Do this:

  1. Build a bank of real customer phrases and use them in your ads, pages and emails.
  2. Ask happy customers to refer a friend, and line up two partner brands.
  3. Choose five to seven numbers, review them every week in 30 minutes, and plan in 90-day blocks.

Words to know:

  • Referral: A new customer sent to you by an existing one. Usually both get a reward.
  • Leading number: A number that moves before sales do, like add-to-cart rate or email sign-ups. It lets you act early.
  • Playbook: A short written how-to for a task. Anyone on the team can then do it the same way.
  • Owner (of a number): The one person who watches a number and acts when it slips.

All words are explained in the glossary.

Lesson 29.1: Collect your customers' own wordsConvert

In short

People buy when they read their own thoughts back.

Do this now

Step 1: Open a blank document called "Customer words".

Why this matters

People buy when they read their own thoughts back. Copy written in your customers' words beats copy written in yours, in ads, on product pages and in emails.

Step 1 of 40 of 4 done

Open a blank document called "Customer words". Copy in 30 phrases from your 5-star reviews and your 1 to 3-star reviews. Add phrases from customer emails and any rival reviews on Amazon or Google.

Expected result

You have 30 real phrases, each with where it came from.

Lesson 29.2: Find the worry behind the purchaseAttract

In short

Most stores talk about the problem everyone already mentions.

Do this now

Step 1: Write the obvious problem your product solves in one line, for example "my dog pulls on the lead".

Why this matters

Most stores talk about the problem everyone already mentions. The worry people feel but rarely say makes a message feel personal and stops the scroll. It might be looking silly, wasting money or letting someone down.

Step 1 of 40 of 4 done

Write the obvious problem your product solves in one line, for example "my dog pulls on the lead".

Expected result

One plain line describing the obvious problem.

Lesson 29.3: Turn one piece of content into tenAttract

In short

Making new content every day burns owners out.

Do this now

Step 1: Pick one piece that already did well: your best video, a popular post, or a customer story.

Why this matters

Making new content every day burns owners out. One good piece, cut and reshaped for each channel, gives you a week of posts, emails and ad ideas.

Step 1 of 40 of 4 done

Pick one piece that already did well: your best video, a popular post, or a customer story. Check your Instagram or TikTok insights for the top post of the last 90 days.

Expected result

One proven piece is chosen.

Tips

Lesson 29.4: Ask happy customers to refer a friendAttract

In short

A friend's recommendation is the cheapest, most trusted way to win a customer.

Do this now

Step 1: Choose a two-sided reward you can afford from your numbers.

Why this matters

A friend's recommendation is the cheapest, most trusted way to win a customer. Most stores never ask, or ask at the wrong time.

Step 1 of 40 of 4 done

Choose a two-sided reward you can afford from your numbers. For example: $15 off for the friend and $15 credit for the customer. Check it stays under your break-even CPA (Lesson 1.5).

Expected result

A reward that both sides value and that still makes a profit.

Tips

Break-even CPA
The most you can pay in ads for one sale before that sale stops making money.
CPA
Cost per acquisition: how much ad money it took to get one sale.
Profit
Usually means contribution profit: what is left from sales after product cost, shipping, payment fees, discounts, refunds and ads. Net profit also takes off fixed costs.

Lesson 29.5: Team up with brands that share your customerAttract

In short

Another brand that sells something different to the same people can help a lot.

Do this now

Step 1: List 10 brands your customer also buys from that do not compete with you.

Why this matters

Another brand that sells something different to the same people can help a lot. It can introduce you to thousands of warm buyers. It costs you only a good offer.

Step 1 of 40 of 4 done

List 10 brands your customer also buys from that do not compete with you. For a baby clothes store: nappy bags, baby carriers, sleep coaches.

Expected result

A list of 10 brands with a contact name or email for each.

Lesson 29.6: Borrow other audiences: guest spots and newsletter swapsAttract

In short

Podcasts, newsletters and local media need guests and stories.

Do this now

Step 1: Find five podcasts, newsletters or blogs your customers read.

Why this matters

Podcasts, newsletters and local media need guests and stories. Being featured puts you in front of an audience that already trusts the host.

Step 1 of 40 of 4 done

Find five podcasts, newsletters or blogs your customers read. Search "[your niche] podcast" and check who your customers follow.

Expected result

Five targets with the host's contact details.

Lesson 29.7: A weekly story emailConvert

In short

Sale-only emails train people to wait for discounts.

Do this now

Step 1: Pick one fixed day and time for your weekly email.

Why this matters

Sale-only emails train people to wait for discounts. A short weekly email with a story, a useful idea and one product keeps your brand in mind. It sells at full price.

Step 1 of 40 of 4 done

Pick one fixed day and time for your weekly email.

Expected result

A recurring slot is in your calendar.

Lesson 29.8: Answer the top buying questions by emailConvert

In short

Most people who sign up do not buy straight away because a question is holding them back.

Do this now

Step 1: List the five questions people ask most before they buy.

Why this matters

Most people who sign up do not buy straight away because a question is holding them back. Answering those questions in a short email series removes the blockers one at a time.

Step 1 of 30 of 3 done

List the five questions people ask most before they buy. For example: sizing, delivery time, returns, how it compares, and is it worth the price.

Expected result

Five questions ranked by how often they come up.

Lesson 29.9: Choose the few numbers that leadGrow

In short

Sales and profit tell you what already happened.

Do this now

Step 1: Pick five to seven numbers.

Why this matters

Sales and profit tell you what already happened. A few leading numbers warn you a week early, while you can still act.

Step 1 of 40 of 4 done

Pick five to seven numbers. Take at least two results (net profit, sales). Add three early-warning ones (sessions, add-to-cart rate, conversion rate, cost per order, email sign-ups).

Expected result

A short list of five to seven numbers.

Tips

Profit
Usually means contribution profit: what is left from sales after product cost, shipping, payment fees, discounts, refunds and ads. Net profit also takes off fixed costs.
Session
One visit to your store. One person can make several visits.
Conversion rate
Out of every 100 visits, how many end in an order. 2% means 2 orders per 100 visits.

Lesson 29.10: Run a 30-minute weekly numbers meetingGrow

In short

Checking in every week gives you 52 chances a year to change course.

Do this now

Step 1: Book 30 minutes at the same time each week, even if it is just you.

Why this matters

Checking in every week gives you 52 chances a year to change course. Otherwise you find problems at the end of a quarter.

Step 1 of 30 of 3 done

Book 30 minutes at the same time each week, even if it is just you.

Expected result

A recurring meeting is in your calendar.

Lesson 29.11: Write a playbook for a task you repeatGrow

In short

If a task lives only in your head, it only happens when you do it.

Do this now

Step 1: Pick one task you do every week, such as packing orders, answering returns or launching a product.

Why this matters

If a task lives only in your head, it only happens when you do it. A written playbook lets someone else do it the same way, and frees you.

Step 1 of 40 of 4 done

Pick one task you do every week, such as packing orders, answering returns or launching a product.

Expected result

One task chosen.

Lesson 29.12: One owner for every job and numberGrow

In short

When everyone is responsible, nobody is.

Do this now

Step 1: List the main jobs in your store: marketing, customer service, stock and suppliers, the website, money and admin.

Why this matters

When everyone is responsible, nobody is. Giving each job and each number one owner makes it clear who acts when something slips.

Step 1 of 30 of 3 done

List the main jobs in your store: marketing, customer service, stock and suppliers, the website, money and admin.

Expected result

Five to eight jobs listed.

Lesson 29.13: Your 90-day plan on one pageGrow

In short

A year is too far ahead to plan in detail.

Do this now

Step 1: Write one goal for the next 90 days with a number and a date.

Why this matters

A year is too far ahead to plan in detail. A week is too short to change much. Ninety days is long enough for real progress and short enough to stay focused.

Step 1 of 40 of 4 done

Write one goal for the next 90 days with a number and a date. For example: "$8,000 net profit a month by 31 March".

Expected result

One measurable goal.

Tips

Profit
Usually means contribution profit: what is left from sales after product cost, shipping, payment fees, discounts, refunds and ads. Net profit also takes off fixed costs.

Lesson 29.14: A quarterly resetGrow

In short

Every 90 days, stepping back to see what worked stops you repeating last quarter's mistakes.

Do this now

Step 1: Block half a day at the end of each quarter.

Why this matters

Every 90 days, stepping back to see what worked stops you repeating last quarter's mistakes.

Step 1 of 30 of 3 done

Block half a day at the end of each quarter.

Expected result

The reset is in your calendar.

Lesson 29.15: Write a one-page direction for the businessGrow

In short

Know who you serve, what you stand for and what you will not do.

Do this now

Step 1: Write one sentence on who you serve and the change you make for them.

Why this matters

Know who you serve, what you stand for and what you will not do. Then daily choices get faster. New team members also make choices you agree with.

Step 1 of 40 of 4 done

Write one sentence on who you serve and the change you make for them.

Expected result

A one-sentence purpose.

Lesson 29.16: Keep a wins file for hard weeksGrow

In short

Every owner has weeks where they feel like they do not know what they are doing.

Do this now

Step 1: Create a note or folder called "Wins".

Why this matters

Every owner has weeks where they feel like they do not know what they are doing. Proof of what you have already achieved is the fastest way back to clear thinking.

Step 1 of 30 of 3 done

Create a note or folder called "Wins".

Expected result

The file exists on your phone.

Self-check

  1. What is the difference between a leading number and a result number?
  2. When is the best moment to ask a customer for a referral?
  3. What four parts make up the weekly story email?
  4. What makes a playbook good enough to hand over?
Answers
  1. A leading number moves before sales do, so you can act early. A result number, like sales or profit, shows what already happened.
  2. At the happy moment: the day after delivery, on the thank-you page, or with a card in the parcel.
  3. A friendly subject, a short story from the week, the lesson in one line and one product that fits.
  4. Someone else can complete the task using only the playbook, without asking you.

Words to know in this module

Hook
The first line or first 3 seconds of an ad. Its only job is to make people stop scrolling.
Break-even CPA
The most you can pay in ads for one sale before that sale stops making money.
CPA
Cost per acquisition: how much ad money it took to get one sale.
Profit
Usually means contribution profit: what is left from sales after product cost, shipping, payment fees, discounts, refunds and ads. Net profit also takes off fixed costs.
Bundle
Two or more products sold together, often with a small saving.
Angle
The reason to buy that an ad focuses on, like saving time or looking good.
Revenue
The money customers paid for orders. Helix uses net sales: after discounts and refunds, without GST or VAT. It is not what you keep.
Flow
An email or text series that sends by itself when something happens, like a new sign-up.
All words to know