Word Marketing Blog

Better Gifts

This holiday, budgets are tight. So what can you give your fellow associates, your boss or your employees that will be meaningful and cost effective?

1. A sincere and specific hand-written thank you note
2. Homemade goodies
3. A jar of nickles and dimes placed in the break room and marked "parking meter money"
4. An afternoon off - surprise!
5. An offer to start someone's car for a warmer ride home
6. An invite to lunch
7. The offer to help with a project that's had them overwhelmed - without pointing out how overwhelmed they seem
8. Surprise bagels
9. The delivery of a fax/fixing of the copy machine/making a pot of coffee/taking out the trash - quietly and without seeking recognition
10. A genuine smile and "Merry Christmas!/Happy Holidays!"

Of all the cliches we encounter in our daily lives, "it's the thought that counts" is one that holds true. Be inventive this year. Be thoughtful. You'll save money, but more importantly, you'll likely touch someone's heart.

Details Delineate Demise

My husband was recently notified that he was refunded the monthly service charge and an overdraft fee made to his account last month. Really? Well that's good - because he closed the account three months ago.

I recently re-activated a credit card and asked them to change my name and address, which they appeared to do in store while I waited. The next month, I never received my statement. I went online and signed up to view my account, which listed my previous name and previous address, along with a $20.00 late fee. They have since gotten the address change made, and have refunded the late fee. My name, however, is still incorrect.

Perhaps these errors are the result of something minor, like clicking the wrong box or not properly scrubbing the mailing list files. But what do these errors say to consumers? That if you can't even handle the minuscule details of my account, how can I trust you to handle the really important things?

Banks and credit card companies - two industries that have suffered their share of negative press and are surely waning in consumer confidence. But botched details like these can be detrimental to any business, and right now ensuring consumer confidence is imperative to your business's survival.

I urge you to hire the best employees, provide exceptional training and instill in them ownership of your company. Anything less will cost far more in the end.

Product Clutter

The world's first Department Store opened in 1838 in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England. So, that gives us 171 years of Department Store history.

Why are they called Department Stores? Because of the various departments of products they stock, market and sell. Have you ever stopped to consider how many different kinds, shapes, sizes and packages of random products there are?

In 1965, the average supermarket carried 20,000 products. Now, we have over 40,000 available.

Guess how many product-jammed catalogs are published per man, woman and child in the United States? 134. total number? 40 billion catalogs.

Just look down a shampoo aisle.

• How many deodorants?
• How many clothing products?
• How many furniture?
• How many cars?
• How many universities?
• How many medical?

See what I mean. There are departments outside the department stores, which we call product categories. Sometimes, we even say the furniture market or the car market which we are trying to draw a geography around. Actually, globalization has changed all that. Those boundaries no longer exist.

There is no book market. If someone in Nebraska wants a copy of my book and someone in Belgium wants a copy of my book, they are essentially in the same market. The problem is, there is just so much of everything now, it's all so cluttered.

In the next couple of years, there will need to be a major mind-shift. Actually, it should happen now, but because we've become so re-active, rather than pro-active, most of us will learn the hard way. Here's the paradigm shift. We will have to move from a provider mindset to a consumer mindset.

The provider mindset goes like this: "How do we profitably sell what we know how to provide?"

The consumer mindset has go this way: "How will we profitably provide what we know our consumer will want?"

Catch the change?

The question that begs answering:

How do we satisfy customer needs profitably?

Connect

Diminutive, nuzzle-able and softer than air... this Thanksgiving I met, for the first time, my new nephew.

Only a week old, he spent little time awake. Typically when he was awake, it was only long enough to enjoy a bottle or get his diaper changed. But there were these moments... these serene, exceptional and intermittent moments, when he lied in my arms and looked up at me. And it felt like he actually even saw me.

Making a connection with another human being is an astounding feeling. Think about those people in your life whom you meet and instantly can't stop talking with. Connection has a powerful grip, and a whole heap of staying power.

So how can you connect more with your customers?

• Listen - not only to what they say but the passion behind their words
• Watch - for the things they do not say that only their body language can tell you
• Empathize - with the reasons they are seeking your product or service so that you can offer a solution
• Mirror - their frustration/excitement/nervousness/exhilaration
• Demonstrate - a true respect for, and appreciation of, them

By connecting with customers, you form a bond that is hard for your competitors to break. And the residual feelings are pretty remarkable, too.

Everyone is in Sales

The fact of the matter is, everyone is in sales.

It could be in the traditional sense of the idea, and you have a solid product or service that you would like someone to buy from you. It could be that you have ideas, which when capitalized or back by investors could really be effective. It could be that you have been wanting a promotion and more compensation. It could be that you want your children to grow up and be your legacy in a positive and impactive way.

In all these situations, sales is required.

If you are a student, parent, teacher, musician, actor, doctor, manager or maybe doing nothing for work, you are still a salesperson. Selling does not necessarily have to involve the exchange of money. In fact, people sell something to others every single day, they may not even realize they are selling or have even ever heard of a selling process.

• Parents sell values and wisdom to their children
• Teachers sell knowledge and learning to students
• Doctors sell skill, advice and comfort to patients
• Actors sell entertainment to the audience

The fact is, to build your company and your brand, everyone needs to sell. At least, gracefully persuade.

I've heard people say "I'm not a salesperson". They are when they want something bad enough. Kids are really good salespeople, sometimes better negotiators.

From this perspective to build brand try these tips:

• Teach and train every staff member that they are salespeople
• Make sales a good word in your company and not a dirty one
• Expose all staff to the same sales training your sales department gets
• In your role-plays (yes, you should be doing them) involve all staff in the role plays, after all when non-sales staff deal with customers, it's not a "dry-run". 

Institute a 4-part belief system into your company:

• Why do you believe in the company?
• Why do you believe in our products and services?
• Why do you believe the customer is better off with our company?
• Why do you believe in yourself?

Christmas Cards

One of my favorite Christmas memories revolves around Christmas cards.

Both of my Grandmothers had houses which contained large ornate wood door facings when entering what we called the "living room". Each year, all of the door facings were decorated from top to bottom all around the large opening scotch-taped with Christmas cards they had received from friends and family.

It was a definite tradition each year.

The first Christmas card was made by Sir Henry Cole in 1843 in London and President Dwight Eisenhower issued the first official White House Christmas card in in 1953.

During the Great Depression, many families sent homemade cards and I can remember family members doing this in my lifetime as well.

Some people forgo the Christmas card and instead send a Christmas letter, which details all the happenings in their family over the previous year and to relay messages of thanks and blessing.

Either way, Christmas cards and letters not only convey a message of appreciation, but also reflect your brand, whether business or personal. Besides being an intimate and effective branding tool, I, for one would like to see this tradition continued and if possible, increased this year. Convey a message of positivity and hope. Sometimes, just the encouragement of such a note could make a huge difference in someone's holiday and could launch them into en entirely different and more productive mindset for 2010.

Make your Christmas card/letter list, check it twice, maybe send to more that have been naughty than nice? Naughty people need love too. Love conquers all.

The Experience

I arrived on a rainy day. Upon entering, the rain outside immediately subsided to the deeper recesses of my thoughts. The scent of fresh linens and soft florals tip-toed into my nose. The lighting was demur with a supple wave of candle flame, deliberately placed. A brook seemed to gurgle just around the corner, where the birds twittered sweetly. Relaxation absorbed me before I ever donned the plush white robe and cushy slippers. The next few hours would seem like another world.

This was my first encounter at a day spa... fifteen years ago. The longevity of this memory is rooted in its beginnings; that the experience began the moment I walked through the door. Every detail was planned precisely to welcome me in, and nothing of discord was chanced to tarnish the experience.

What meets your customers when they walk through your front door? Are things neat, clean and attractively arranged, or are there piles of clutter in plain view? Does it smell fresh and pleasant, or is a stale smell of the last lunch reheated? Are your associates smiling and attentive to greet them, or are they gossiping behind the counter?

Every time a customer walks through your door an experience is created for them. Are you deliberately designing something positive? Take a look around your business with a fresh nose, eyes and ears, and make sure the memories you create are ones worth coming back for.

Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark

Would your customers follow you down a dark tunnel?

We all know the benefits of loyal customers. Besides their repeat business, they are also great referral sources. Often, they even become friends. So how do you take a regular customer to the level of loyalty? You must progress from rapport, to trust. Here are some things to keep in mind when building trust.

• Know your product or service, for better and for worse
• Be prepared, especially for that something that comes out of nowhere
• Exude genuine confidence
• Be genuinely honest
• Make eye contact
• Listen and absorb
• Elicit willingness
• Never be assumptive
• Do what you say you will do

Customers that trust you are an immense asset to your business growth. Take the time to build trust and your gains will be exponential.

Commonality

So this weekend I was shopping for a birthday card for my mom, and I read one that started, "Not everyone shares a special connection with their mom..."

It was a nice card and I considered it for a moment, but then chose something different.

When I got to the check out lane, I noticed the young woman in front of me was buying the same card I had considered, and I thought, bemused, "apparently there are a lot of people that feel that connection with their mom!"

It was a humorous moment, but it did demonstrate a truth about advertising.

As human beings there are certain life experiences we've all encountered and therefore, can all relate to. Whether it's feeling a special connection with your mom, sitting in a doctor's waiting room discretely listening to the conversation next to you or standing in  the express lane, frustrated behind the inconsiderate boor who has ignored the 10 item limit, we all share these common occurrences.

In your advertising, if you're able to tap into these commonalities, you will then be speaking to the customer in the language of the customer. You will more effectively break through the clutter and gain their attention. And your message will likely resonate as something meaningful to them. 

Think about what your business or service means to the average customer in a real life everyday world, and speak to them plainly about it. Your mom will praise your relatability!

Run Your Business Like an Auto Parts Store

When's the last time you went to an auto parts store? These stores are the epitome of customer service.

So I had car trouble last weekend and Dad said "take it to (an auto parts store) and they will test the battery and the alternator for you. If the alternator's bad, you can buy a rebuilt one from them and they'll even tell you how to put it in. They'll probably even help you."

And he was right! They tested the battery and alternator, and me that I should try to replace the battery first and see if that helps. They showed me that my battery was purchased at a discount store, and said I should take the old battery back to them as I would get a partial discount on the new battery.

Auto parts store - 30 minutes of their time
Revenue - $0

So I got the new battery and put it in (while having trouble with a stubborn bolt, one of the auto parts employees offered to loan me a different tool) - and then they came back out to the parking lot and re-tested the alternator. Unfortunately, the alternator was still the problem, and when they told me what was entailed in changing it, it was clear that a mechanic would have to be involved.

Auto parts store - 15 more minutes of their time
Revenue - $0

Okay, so on the surface it may seem like this way of doing business would soon run you out of business. But can you imagine the level of customer satisfaction this store experiences, and from people who are likely frustrated to begin with?

Run your business like an auto parts store. Take every opportunity to help the customer, regardless of what the revenue might be. Outshine your competition by doing something "extra". Be happy the customer stopped by, even if they didn't buy anything today. Treat them like an intelligent, capable human being and help them like you would help a friend. And if you're skeptical, stop by an auto parts store for a new windshield wiper blade or to ask what you can do to improve your gas mileage. You'll be pleasantly surprised!