Great Sales and Marketing Ideas

Great Sales and Marketing ideas is moving

2009-02-16T12:21:00.005-06:00

I have moved to a new location- mikegerholdt.com.

In my quest to be more efficient I am moving my blog to a website. You should be redirected immediately, but if the gadgets and gears are a little rusty just click here.

Be sure to update you bookmarks as well to mikegerholdt.com!

How do you function at maximum capacity?

2009-01-31T16:36:00.007-06:00

No doubt you have walked into a restaurant or establishment and seen the maximum capacity sign. I often wonder what some of these places look like when they get that full. But as a business owner do you have a plan to handle that kind of traffic? Will your service drop off or will the people being served still get the same feeling as if they were the only people there.

Today I had the pleasure of seeing this comparison between two companies. It started when I left the house to run errands and noticed it 45 degrees out-- which is really warm for Iowa in January. So I did like everyone else in Iowa and went to the car wash. I figured I could breeze through with only a minimal wait considering they have 8 wash bays. I was wrong. They were choking in a big way. There were many cars in line- good if your the car wash owner- bad for the rest of us. The owner was running around trying to get quarters to everyone because the change machine was broke. As well was the credit card machine, which I found out after waiting for 10 minutes, getting a wash bay, and then seeing the blue screen of death.

Frustrated, I left. He lost my business. He was at maximum capacity and couldn't handle it.

Two stops later I arrived at Panchero's Mexican grill for lunch. They too were at maximum capacity. The line was easily twenty people deep, and the seating area was full. The difference was how they handled it. They were prepared. The line never stopped moving. And when I ordered the workers were pleasant- not the usual frustrated and short tempered-which can often happen to restaurant workers during busy times. In only a few minutes I had my burrito and I was given a frequent buyer card with a brief explanation by the cashier while he ran my credit card. I then sat down to a clean table that had just opened up. Yes-- a clean table.
I was in in awe! So I sat back, sipped my soda, and watched what was happening. They had a system, each worker did their time on the customer service line before being rotated out to wipe down tables, check the soda area, or refill the ingredients.

They were at maximum capacity and thrived on it!

Whats the Great idea here?
A good business gives customer service when its slow and expected. A great business gives customer service all the time, especially when its unexpected. So as a business owner when was the last time you took the company out and ran it hard? I mean really pushed the workers?
I recommend doing this as soon as possible, especially in this economy, when every decision by the customer is important.

Getting great customer service like I did today from Panchero's means that when I want to spend some of my hard earned cash I will go there first. I have seen them in action and they don't disappoint. This is important to me and I bet its important to your customers.

So go out there today and run your business hard, who knows you may find some weak spots that are areas for improvement.

Twitter's tipping point

2009-01-29T21:44:00.004-06:00

I don't know for sure if we are officially at a tipping point. But Twitter is right there as evidence by the this post and the video.

Blogging is actually becoming too slow. Maybe one day a news story like this will run about the days we used to blog.

Technorati Tags: Creativity Customer Service

Pandora is no longer purple

2009-01-26T21:51:00.009-06:00

Thanks to my friend Nick and the article on WIRED we learned that Pandora radio will now have ads.
It would be fun to discuss whether or not have ads on the radio, but in this economy we know that money is tight. So facing an ever tightening budget our friends at Pandora have turned to something tried and true- ads.
This is where the Purple Cow that was Pandora suddenly loses all his color. Pandora was (is) a revolutionary way to listen to music. As part of the Music Genome Project a user can type in a song or an artist and Pandora will play music that has the same qualities as that song or artist. And they tell you why they are playing that song and how it is similar.
Truly unique, truly purple. I don't know of a single radio station that does that.

So it boggles my mind why Pandora, with its revolutionary delivery method, went with a traditional answer to its financial struggles! Sure they added the premium service, which now allows users to skip the ads. And for many people ad free radio is worth paying for. Look at how long Sirius and XM have survived. Pandora should have looked at their financial problems and approached them with the same vigor and uniqueness that they approached their music-- create something revolutionary. It would have been true to their brand and embraced by their users.

If I was Pandora I would have approached my problem with the same process that CVS Pharmacy did a few years ago. Back then the CEO's of CVS realized that a pharmacy and its profit margins were forever bound to the prices the drug manufacturers charged. Feeling like they were no longer in the drivers seat they began a massive switch in their inventory to a house brand. After all, many consumers purchase items along with a prescription. Now they are in control of their profit margins and their stock price reflects it.

Back to Pandora. They could have taken their knowledge of music and applied it even further. Perhaps creating a label for small artists needing help getting their name out there. They could loop in the artists music with their current radio and offer to sell the listener a digital copy. Kind of like how Amazon is getting into the publishing business.

My point is this. When the internet first came along we treated it like television. We placed ads on it and assumed consumers would keep buying. Then we found out that the internet was not television, that users interacted differently online they did with the boob tube. With a revolutionary idea like Pandora why go back a step to a model that takes your uniqueness away?

Rescue a Rescue

2009-01-16T16:52:00.002-06:00

Recently I read a blog post from David Armano about the power of social media. In his post he wrote about a family that needed help and how social media came to the rescue.

In that same regard I am asking you to do the same.

In June of 2008 I adopted my dog TJ from the America's Basenji Rescue in Indianapolis. For those of you close to me you know that he means the world to me.

That rescue is in financial trouble. Over the last six months the owner has fallen on very tough times. Rebecca and Keith have always ran the rescue out of their own pockets. But recently his job has been cut back and more dogs are coming into the shelter than are being adopted. The rescue currently has 26 dogs and room enough for only 15. As you can imagine the vet bills and food bills are mounting (for those of you in the midwest you know how cold it has been and the heating bills are mounting as well).

I know that times are tough for all of us but it would mean a lot to me personally if you could reach out and help this shelter. A monetary donation is not necessarily needed. If you have old towels or blankets around the house that you don't use please send them. If you have the means to send money please do.
Rebecca is not the type of person to ask for a hand out, so it was personally heartbreaking to receive her email this morning asking for help.

If you are interested or know someone who is interested you can send a check to the following address:

Rebecca Sloan
2589 S. Roena St.
Indianapolis, IN 46241

Or you can donate through their website at
http://www.basenjirescue.us/

This is not a for profit company and all of the donations will be going directly to the care of dogs who are currently homeless.

2008 Zeitgeist

2009-01-01T12:23:00.005-06:00

Google has posted their 2008 Zeitgeist and once again it provides an interesting picture on the year that was. So the question that I am pondering is this: should we be surprised that Google tracks this information?

My belief is that the majority of the masses like to believe they move around the internet anonymously, popping in and out of websites and no one is the wiser. Unfortunately what they think is reality is far from the truth.

Everything online is trackable.

That sentence will scare you, but its true. So as Sales and Marketers we shouldn't be surprised that Google tracks this or that you track similar information; your customers will be. They will shocked to receive an email suggesting the perfect purchase-- like Amazon. They may get unnerved to find out that you are monitoring them, but that is our job.
Don't be afraid of your data, but don't scare your customers with your knowledge. There is a fine line between knowing and telling. Google knows a lot and tells us less, which less us sleep at night.

For 2009 my suggestion is this. Track everything. Use your data and really target your customers. The days of going after every customer are over. Determine your market and go after them. Stop appeasing the outliners, instead keep to your core group.

And most of all take a page from Google, watch for trends.

Technorati Tags: Customer Retention Customer Service Relationship Building

Tan paint and hyphen drop

2008-12-29T14:57:00.004-06:00

Recently my friend Nick has been keeping us up to date on the transformation that Walmart has done to their brand.

First they dropped the hyphen, cleaned up the font, and added some tan paint to the wall. It does bring the look up to date and fresh.

Now if you have been living in a cave for the last quarter century or so this may be enough for you. This overhaul could be the tipping point for some people that brings them back. But for the rest of us this is only phase 1.

So what is phase 2?

Phase two is making the customer talk about their experience with their friends. If you hang around me and my friends long enough you will hear a story about Target. We love Target! Its clean, they have scanners to check prices, and the packaging doesn't feel cheap. Oh, and did I mention its clean? This is the next step for Walmart in my opinion.

Technorati Tags : Customer Service Retail

The Day after Christmas

2008-12-27T08:56:00.003-06:00

A short video to enjoy as you purchase items at ridiculously low prices. Cheap crap doesn't stimulate the economy, it only makes it worse.

Technorati Tags: Customer Service Retail Things that bug me

My geeky holiday tradition

2008-11-27T09:34:00.011-06:00

It started a few years ago with a Google search. They customized their homepage--well, I can't give them full credit but that is where it started with me.

So here is the round-up of Thanksgiving search pages.

First off Ask.com--Turkey by candlelight.

Next up Dogpile.com-- It's also this years winner. Apparently with the recession creativity has also gone down.

Microsoft Live chose to remind us what the uncooked version looks like. Thanks, but no thanks.

MSN kept with the theme of uncooked Turkeys. Maybe they were inspired by the Palin interview?

Yahoo! this year has turkeys playing football. One of only two animated pages this year--dogpile was the other. Its on par with their previous years.

At this point you may notice that I put them in alpha order, but where is Google. My friends, the Google has let us all down.
Sadly enough, I present to you the Google search page Perhaps they were too busy with Android
to develop a Google worthy design.

Have a Happy Turkey Day

Technorati Tags: Creativity Thanksgiving logo

Selling with percentages

2008-11-16T09:58:00.006-06:00

Yesterday I started my seasonal job in retail. And I am still amazed at how difficult it is for consumers to do simple percentages in their head.

Quick- what is 15% of $82? (No cheating, do it in your head.)

I come up with $12.30, but did you?

Most customers cannot do a percentage in their head to know how much they are saving. As a salesperson you must be quick on the draw with the answer. So I am going to show you a method that I was taught early on that will make you look like a rock star.

Let's look at our previous question of 15% of $82.

First, 15% is really 10% + 5% right. So lets find 10% of 82, which is $8.20. (All you do is move the decimal one spot to the left.)

Second, we need to find the additional 5%, but that's even easier because 5 is half of 10, so we just need to half $8.20 which is $4.10.

Third, we add-- $8.20+$4.10=$12.30

Now let's try a higher percentage. 30% of $49.99.

First, 30% is really three sets of 10%. So what is 10% of $49.99? It's $4.99.

Second, lets multiply $4.99 by three. But those nine's can be pesky so lets round it up to $5, that will be easier to mulitply. Now we have $15.

Third, $15 is close and we could subtract that from $49.99 and get $34.99 but thats a few cents off. In fact its three cents off because we added a penny to each $4.99 to get five. So we will subtract an additional 3 cents and get $34.96.

Remember, when selling with percentages always start with 10% of the amount and multiply or divide from there.

Technorati Tags: Sales Tools Customer Service

Salesforce.com certified

2008-11-05T15:55:00.002-06:00

Just thought I would put a little congratulatory post together for myself.

Marketing after the Election

2008-11-05T11:24:00.004-06:00

With the election over we can now take a lesson from the Obama playbook in terms of message. Starting Nov. 5th the approach to selling changes-- hope will sell a product. Goodwill can inspire actions and transactions. And institutional advertising will become a priority.

Technorati Tags: Advertising Branding Creativity Positioning

I don't need your stinking notes!

2008-10-26T10:01:00.003-06:00

At the risk of turning this blog into a surregate youtube site I present you with a reason to use notecards.

Politcal dance off

2008-10-24T13:23:00.001-06:00

If only the debates were this entertaining!

Lost in translation

2008-10-20T10:37:00.002-06:00

I am youtubing again. (Is that even a term?)

Anyway. I believe this is a prime example of being lost in translation--i.e. not writing to your customers, but writing to your intelligence. Customers don't want you to show how smart you are, but how well you understand their problems.

20 months

2008-10-19T18:25:00.004-06:00

In that time Barack Obama put together a campaign that inspires videos like this.

If you start tomorrow, can your brand inspire the same inspiration?

Technorati Tags: Branding Creativity Relationship Building

Start to finish

2008-10-16T13:26:00.004-06:00

This photo should be a reminder that you must finish well.

The meeting is not over until you are out of the parking lot.

The interview doesn't end with the handshake--it ends when you are off the premises.

People are always watching and your story, your pitch, your theme continues until the very end. And not just when you want it to. Maintaining composure and prose completes your theme.

In short, you could have the best interview, best sales pitch ever; but if you stick your tongue out at the end--what is that saying about you?

Discover and the (866) 402-1044 number- Part 2

2008-09-22T13:11:00.001-06:00

Just an update since my last posting. I am still getting the two-a-day phone calls. Everytime they call I ask them to take me off their list. And I call Discover Card to let them know that I will be paying my bill off at the end of the month and cancelling my card because of this.

Discover and the (866) 402-1044 number

2008-09-18T10:47:00.003-06:00

It's a bitch working in Marketing and being on the recieving end of marketing.

A couple of weeks ago I needed a new Discover card. No problem. I jumped on the website, requested a new card, and bingo-- a couple days later there it is.

I called to activate it. And presto up and running with a new card. The point should be made that I have been an avid Discover card user for over four years now. So the whole card requesting/activating process is nothing new to me as I burn through cards at a pretty good clip.

Then the calls started. (866) 402-1044- missed call.

I ignored it.

Then the next day. (866) 402-1044- missed call.

I ignored it.

Then the following day. (866) 402-1044- missed call.

Now, I called back. They said it was Discover with an offer. I told them I was not interested, thanked them politely for calling. But to not call me.

Wanna quess what happened next? Yeah, the next day-- two missed calls from that number. I called them back, told them I wasn't interested and to not call me.

Well, this went on for more than a week and a half. Two calls a day, at very predictable times--9:45 and 6:30. You could almost set your clock by it.

I got fed up. Last night I called them back and gave them the ultimatum. You call me one more time, and you lose my business--forever. The lady on the other end (who I have no beef with) said it takes two to three weeks to be removed from a call list.

Umm. Why? I asked. It didn't take two to three weeks to add me. Its not like you have some tired soul trapped in a dungeon with a quill pen writing these call lists.

So here is my wake up call for us Marketers. If you are going to conduct a marketing campaign in this highly digital, highly permissive based age--make sure your database is updated HOURLY.

I know. I hear the complaints already. --Oh, thats difficult--oh, thats expensive.

Is it? Or are we just complacent to build lists and pound them into submission?

What leadership looks like

2008-08-30T09:19:00.004-06:00

Regardless of your thoughts of Barack Obama, you must admit that it takes true charisma to hold an audience of 80,000 captive and inspire motivation.

Fishes and ponds

2008-08-26T11:32:00.003-06:00

Forty years ago the news stand had a pretty limited selection-- Time, Newsweek, People, Good Housekeeping. Those were the magazines that everyone turned to, they covered a variety of topics and the writers were really big fish in a really big pond.

The barrier to entry was incredibly tall.
If you were into kayaking you could write a specific article and chances were it wouldn't get published. Society was into learning a little bit about everything.
Look at Dear Abbey. She could jump from pond to pond and still be big.

Look at a newsstand today. There are hundreds of magazines, with millions of writers and contributors. Each a really big fish in a really small pond-- dare I say puddle.

So what happened? Everything became specialized. Rather than learn a little about everything, each of us has decided to learn a lot about a little.

The barrier to entry is still incredibly tall.
Now there are millions of small ponds each with big fish, when before there were only a few ponds with big fish.
Interestingly enough, there are so many puddles, that a big fish in one pond is a minnow in another. Today there are hundreds of "Dear Abbey's", most newspapers now have their own.

So what's point?
If your a company that wants to be in a certain pond you need to understand the pond before you jump in. You need to a look at the fish in the pond and yourself and ask this all important question-- "If I am going to be a big fish in this pond how do I attain the status without alienating the other fish? And why will people listen to me?"

How to keep your customer information updated

2008-08-16T16:22:00.002-06:00

I got this email from Ikea yesterday. Its a perfect example of how to keep your customer database up to date.

The email is simple.
The email is a fast read.
The email includes an action item.
And the best part-- for $550 they keep their database up to date.

Technorati Tags: Customer Retention Relationship Building

Don't get forgotten

2008-08-16T16:03:00.003-06:00

About a year ago I dropped Verizon wireless to get an iPhone. There was no other reason. Verizon also didn't give me a reason not to drop them. They were like the "steady ok looking" girlfriend. They were always there, never posed me a problem, and never gave me a reason to give them much attention. I gave them up for the sexy chick (AT&T) down the street.
Now I kind of regret it. But I have an iPhone!

I take Netflix for granted, as do most subscibers. This week they had a problem and I have heard some people are canceling. My relationship with Netflix is much like my previous relationship with Verzion. Dependable. Reliable.

So what are they both doing wrong? They are too dependable, too reliable.

Verizon and Netflix both gave me online billing statements and automatic payments. No noise, very simple. Its the first part that is the problem. My bills were paid automatically-- charged right to my card, so I never thought the service. Which made it very easy for me to quit them.

If I was Verizon what would I do to not be forgotten. First, I would take a page from Netflix. They email me when they receive a movie and mail me one. But they could do more, when they credit my card for the subscription they could remind me of the transaction and engage me in conversation. They could ask me to rate more movies, or remind me that some of the movies I have rented are available for sale. Maybe include a button to automatically buy it and have it shipped to me with one click.
Verizon could have done just about the same. They could have reminded me of my payment, and included a link to text my friends for free and tell them how pleased I was with my Verizon service.

So what does this all mean? If your going to make your transactions with your customers easy-- online bill payments, electronic statements, etc. you need to engage them in a conversation every time to stay at the top of their mind. This is a perfect chance to make your message viral and offer your customer the ability to send a message to a friend.

The main point-- don't let easy lead you down the path of forgotten.

Technorati Tags: Customer Retention Customer Service Relationship Building

Parade ready: what's your company float?

2008-07-24T18:16:00.002-06:00

On July 4th I walked in our parade.

When was the last time you walked in a parade?

What if your company decided to enter a float in this years parade? Could you do it? Sure, you could get a hayrack or some trailer and fancy it up, maybe put a band on it. But is that your company? Is a band what you stand for (unless your a music store)?

Here is my challenge for you: if you had to sum up your company, your motto, your credo, in one float-- could you do it?

(Incidentially, I am in that picture somewhere.)

Moving Sale!

2008-07-09T17:56:00.003-06:00

Greetings all 5 readers of the blog. Please accept my apologies in the delay of blog postings- but I have been in the process of moving the GS&MI blog home (yeah acronyms suck) to a new location and being involved in the process of adopting a rescue dog. More on both of those to come.

Anyway. I have many many posts in my head and will be sharing them shortly. So just to tease you here are some in the very near future:
- Parade ready: what's your company float?
- Image is everything! Does your salesteam fit you?
- Pack leader or follower: why your sales managers need to watch Cesear Milan.
- Image don't mean shit with that attitude.
- RND- what gear are you in? What gear are your salespeople in?

Alright. You get the point. My mind has been in overdrive while moving furniture and blogging on the iPhone just isn't fast enough! (Come on Apple, make that go!)

The CEO Role

2008-06-08T08:36:00.005-06:00

I went dirt track racing last night. I spoke with some of my friends and drivers, but one impressed me.

A driver who had a new car was struggling. What did he do? He called the owner of the chassis company that built the car for help.

What do you think happened? Voicemail? A coupon? (These are the normal responses.)

Nope. The owner of the company came out and drove the car. Wait. Let me point out-- drove it from the back to the front. Twice.

That got me thinking. "What is the role of a CEO/Owner/ President/ Headhoncho?" I answered that question with this simple phrase.
--To imbue the same passion and desire they have and move the company forward. To act as a role model for their customers and employees, and create inspiration.

My advice for you. If you're a President or a CEO and you can't go out into the field or even out of your office-- quit. If you work for a company and your president doesn't live up to that mission statement-- find a new company. There is a reason that small companies grow fast, their owners and creators live the motto I set forth. There is a reason that AppleFans sit with baited breath for a Steve Jobs keynote-- inspiration.

Technorati Tags: Differentiation Fun stuff Customer Service Motivation

It's loud in my head

2008-06-07T06:55:00.004-06:00

I can't help but share this article from Boing Boing. Now, if you read the article and the comments you can easily dismiss this as an invalid marketing expereiment. Or as some contributors put it- as scam.

But can't a well crafted offer appear like a scam?

I think what we can take away from all of this is that 1800 people walked by and only 28 asked for a note. 28!
I can hear the marketing person already "well we got good response, 1800 people saw our sign." True, but only 28 reacted.

Keep this in mind for your next campaign. Just because they "clicked" or read it, doesn't mean they reacted. The noise that everyone contends with on a daily basis is loud and only getting louder.

Technorati Tags: Creativity Positioning Target Marketing

Because they know you have a choice

2008-05-17T17:31:00.002-06:00

When was the last time you applauded your customers just for stopping by?

By now you know that I love Apple. But why?

They show appreciation at every turn. They make you feel wanted, and they give a reassuring feeling you made the right decision.

Check out this video from the new Boston Apple Store opening.

See! I wasn't kidding.

So my question to you-- when was the last time you clapped for your customers? I ask because we all need to remember that they do have a choice in who to do business with.

Taking it for granted

2008-05-14T09:25:00.005-06:00

A colleague just sent me this article. It appears to be a few years old but the lesson remains the same.

"A city councilman in Utah, Mark Easton, had a beautiful view of the east Mountains until a new neighbor purchased the lot below his house and built a new home. The home was 18 inches higher than the ordinances would allow, so Mark Easton, mad about his lost view, went to the city to make sure they enforced the lower roof line ordinance.

The new neighbor had to drop the roof line at great expense. Recently, Mark Easton called the city, and informed them that his new neighbor had installed some vents on the side of his home. Mark did not like the looks of the vents and asked the city to investigate. When they went to Mark’s home to view the vents, this is what they found..."

Mark Easton took it for granted that he would always see the mountain. That his view would never change. This is true in sales a lot. When we sell a customer we take it for granted that they will stop looking for a solution. When a customer does decide to leave it can lead to anger.

Mountain views are great. But they shouldn't be taken for granted. Which customers do you take for granted?

I want to talk to the Sales Manager

2008-05-12T19:51:00.003-06:00

Today we got a cold call from presumably a telemarketer. They asked for the sales manager, when our secretary (uh hum... Administrative Assistant) asked why, they said they would answer that when the sales manager answered.
So she took his number and hung up.
I'll save the suspense-- I am not calling him back.

He did many things wrong. All of them are good for us, so lets take a look.

He didn't know my name. If your going to cold call- get an updated list with names. If your not willing to do that quit now and go work at Gap or something.
Be NICE! That Administrative Assistant that answered- yeah she is going to do that every time you call. So I would make her my friend. For tips on that read this.
(This could really be an extension of 2) Say why your calling! Even if we are doing business your attitude is not getting me past our gatekeeper.

Its been about a year since I last posted about effective use of the phone. But I think deserves a revisit.

Here is what I do to have a successful sales call.

Names, Names, Names.
- Whoever answered the phone I addressed them by their name. And immediately told them my name and the company I was with. By addressing the person by their name it made the conversation much more personal. And I acknowledged them, and not the person I was trying to get to.

"Hi Denise, this is Mike with ACT,Inc.[...]"
Admit defeat right-away
- I wasn't afraid to let the person on the other end know that we had dropped the ball and needed to update our information. In one word-honesty. No smoke and mirrors here, we lost contact and I want to re-establish it.

"[...] I was calling because somehow we lost contact with Gene Kelly at your company. I know it shouldn't have happened, but I was hoping to update his email address. He had inquired about our product at the ASTD trade show and I was hoping to send him an email follow-up."

If Gene didn't work there: "Ok, so it looks like my info is really out of date, do you by chance know who replaced them? And if so could I have their name?"
My number-YOU BET!
- Because I wanted someones information I wanted to make sure they had mine, so I offered my contact information to them. That way if the call got interrupted or they received another call the ball was in their court. Basically I offered trust.

"Just in case we get cut off, I want to give you my direct line, that way if they have any questions they can contact me."
More than happy to email
-I really didn't need to talk to the person, and the secretary being the adamant gate-keeper most of the time didn't want me too, I knew that my information could be ascertained from them. So I asked for what I needed and told them why and what I was planning to do with the information.

"I really don't need to talk to Gene, I am just looking to update his email address. That way I can just send him the information he needs and he can view it whenever he wants."
Thanks, I really appreciate your help.
-After I received the info from the person I thanked them personally for helping me. And in the show of gratitude I used their name.

"Denise I wanted to thank you for taking the time to help me out. I am going to email that information to Gene, and if either of you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me."

tags technorati : Sales Tools Secretary Customer Contact Information Sales Call Creativity Customer Retention Relationship Building Sales Tools

How big is your list?

2008-04-16T20:40:00.004-06:00

While speaking with one of our resellers today she bragged that sent 10,000 emails to her entire list.

Ten thousand- that's a lot. I mean, really thats A LOT!

So who cares?

What if only 700 or so open it? That's 9,300 who didn't. Ninety three hundred is A LOT!

Is it relevant and personal? That is what you have to ask yourself every time you send an email campaign. If its not relevant- why send it? If it isn't personal - and no adding a "Dear {First Name}, doesn't count. I mean really personal. If you spent the time to get the person's name, then you should spend the time to get personal with them.

Here is what I do.

When I prep for a email campaign, I think of my audience. Who do I want to speak to? And more importantly- do they want to hear it? So I don't brag to my boss that I sent ten thousand emails. I brag that I sent one thousand with an open rate of 60%.

Here is my idea for you...
When getting ready to send your email campaign think about this. Would I send an email to my entire address book letting people know I am having a party? I bet not. I know my Aunt Alma wouldn't appreciate that.
An email campaign to your entire list is has the same effect.

So think back to the last time you spoke generally to a friend or coworker without ever listening to what they had to say. Sending to your entire list has the same effect.

Too far out of the box

2008-04-02T11:02:00.005-06:00

I recently read this blog posting about an ad agency Modernista! and their website. (I'll wait a second and let you read that post first.)

Ok, done? Good.

So did you Google Modernista!?
Then you saw that the webpage isn't a webpage, its just a nav bar that hangs out while you navigate the web. (No one surfs the web anymore- thats so 1990's)

I love companies that will think outside the box-LOVE IT! I like when they push the boundaries of what something is and what they think it should be. Modernista! does exactly that. Why would someone go to just ONE website, why not have your website easily accessible while they info-snack?

Just one problem. The rest of society is struggling to get caught up on the web. In fact some of the web is struggling to keep up with its self.
Take for example the wikipedia page for Modernista!, they point out that you are not at the modernista site and they are doing things wrong!--AHHH! We can't have companies doing things on the web wrong.

According to Wikipedia there is a right way to navigate the web and a wrong way. Modernista! is the wrong way.

Here is the line in the sand for me. The internet will never be the same. Companies like Modernista! have changed it for me. They pushed the boundary on what it can be- a place to navigate with friends, and have it be an experience. And I don't mean social networking, I mean sites like pmog.com. These are sites that change the web into an experience.

So what happens if you are too far out of the box? You are considered a non-conformist. This is perfect for Modernista! because that builds their brand and fits nicely with their mantra.

But what about your brand?

Can you push the boundaries for your company? Your sales department?
Lets think about this. Take for example the thank you letter. Does it have to be a letter?

How Amazon almost lost me

2008-03-18T21:37:00.003-06:00

#1. New products require policies and procedures.

#2. New products have kinks.

#3. New products need tweeks.

#4. New products need customer adoption. And to get that you have to be willing to work out all of the above, but most important you have to bend #1.

I tried Amazon's Unbox service to rent a video last week. For the first video it worked perfectly. I couldn't have been more happy. I viewed the video and told my friends that Amazon might have something here to really compete with iTunes. (There was a downfall, I had to use my work PC because I am Mac guy.)

Then Friday night happened. The video didn't work. It just didn't play. Then it would crash my computer- all the more scary.

So I fumbled through their help and support section- which is a whole other post in and of itself. And finally ended up sending in an email. I wrote of my problem and asked for two things. One was a solution, and the second was a credit on my account (their policy prohibits refunds).

I got a general response- which told me they didn't read my email. I tried their solution and it didn't work. No surprise to me since it was just part of their help page regurgitated. I did everything they said, and nothing worked.

Frustrated, I went back to their email and clicked on the reply button. I told them nothing worked and while I understood their policy about refunds, all I wanted was a credit.

Enter this morning. I got an email from Amazon.

"Hello from Amazon.com.

I have reviewed our previous correspondence with you, and I offer my
sincere apologies for any frustration you have felt regarding the
difficulty you have had with your Amazon Unbox rental.

While Amazon Unbox videos are not returnable, I'm making an exception
to this policy for you today. I have requested a refund of $3.99 for you.

This refund should go through within the next 2 to 3 business days and
will appear as a credit on your next credit card billing statement.

As part of the refund process, I have also revoked the license for
this video and it will no longer appear in Your Media Library.

Again, I apologize for the difficulty you had using Amazon Unbox and
thank you for shopping at Amazon.com."

Wow! I thought- which is the exact emotion Amazon was hoping for. They did a great job with the apology letter by removing my frustration. I'll shop Amazon again- not for the Unbox videos, but for other things.

So whats the point?
Policies and procedures are good, they help protect companies and assets. But both deserve to be broken, bent, and reconsidered constantly. Not just for new products, but existing products. I believe if you fix a person's problem and give them the same feeling about your company as when they first purchased your item, they can be won for life.

It's all about the passion- part 2

2008-03-18T20:15:00.003-06:00

Mom called me yesterday to tell me some news about her business and ask my advice. She also told me that she took the day off and hired a friend to run her store.

It was great news that she could finally afford an employee- its a small store. (But it has a nice website.)

Anyway, I asked her how much that employee sold that day. $7. I can't type the words I uttered but they looked like this #$&%!!!!!

She didn't understand how the store did so bad. I told her it came down to one word- PASSION. The person she hired didn't share the same passion as my mom.

Here is my idea for you...
When looking at who you should surround yourself with abilities are always the first thing people gravitate to.

I think it should be passion.

Abilities can be cultivated- passion is hard to be transfered.

My thoughts on user-generated content

2008-03-02T15:39:00.003-06:00

User- generated content is undeniably hot right now. Websites like youtube, flicker, facebook, and myspace make sharing your personal preferences easier than ever.

Some brands inspire great content.

Some really miss the mark.

But lost in all of this hype is the original user-generated content- the customer feedback letter.

Here is my idea for you...
The next time you think about having a sales contest I believe you need to make the goal unrelated to a dollar amount. Instead, work to increase customer satisfaction and monitor it by the number of complimentary letters your company receives. Increasing sales is beneficial in the short term- increasing brand loyalty is beneficial for the long term.

Technorati Tags: Creativity Branding Positioning Customer Service

2 Great Points

2008-02-28T10:52:00.001-06:00

People don't surf the web anymore- they info snack- Thanks Seth
Customers don't read anymore. They scan. - Thanks Scott

How big is your radar?

2008-02-27T12:29:00.004-06:00

Everyday we are blasted with tons of emails. In fact I have days when I never think they will stop coming in.

A few months ago we had a major announcement that I sent out which was effective today. (I sent it on November 20th to be exact.) I alerted people to the change and warned that I would need their feedback.

Today the change came. Guess how many phone calls I received?

The problem was everyone's radar wasn't big enough. They didn't see how the change effects them until its within striking distance. It was a tiny blip on the screen. They didn't pay attention to the blip until it got really close.

Similar to our personal space theory of Americans- you don't bug me until you are within 4 feet of me.

Is this a phenomenon? Could be. I know many salespeople who seem to have short sighted vision. But not everyone.

So my question to is how big is your radar? Do you catch things right as they too close to you? Or do you have the vision to see them coming from way off in the distance and anticipate what action is needed?

The latter being an important characteristic in dealing with customer problems. By the time the customer calls in, it has already been a problem simmering for a while. Just not to us. To us- it didn't become a problem until our phone rang.

Here's an Idea for you...
Solicit feedback from your users. In Seth's book, he mentions that customer to customer interaction can really help to build a brand and increase sales- in fact he points to it as one of the future states of marketing. I agree. I am not advocating you put up comments boxes in your store, slapping a "How's my driving" sticker on every car. But change the philosophy of your company. The response rates of those items are low, because many people feel as though their information goes into a black whole. No, doing those things give CEO's a warm fuzzy. We live in the real world, and want to know what people honestly think.
So what do we do?
Lets make it part of our conversation. This will require training, but incorporate customer learning into every salesperson's life. When they go to see a customer they have a goal- increase the business and the sale. Lets add to that- increase our understanding of how to improve ourselves. Salespeople are instinctively good at reading people- that is why we are in sales. So lets get instinctively good at gathering feedback.

Technorati Tags: Customer Service Relationship Building Sales Tools Personal Space Sales Insight

Real vs. Reality

2008-02-22T19:14:00.003-06:00

I just ordered a combo meal from a restaurant. What I got was real. What they presented me with was a painted reality.
So my question to you is what does your company perceive as reality and what is real to your customers?

Technorati Tags: fast food combo customer perception customer service customer retention

It's about the passion

2008-02-15T17:35:00.003-06:00

Anger in many organizations equals dissension. Why can't anger equal passion - to make a change, to improve, to build a better widget? I am angery a lot sometimes, but it all relates back to my passion to succeed.

My point is that you can learn a lot by seeing what angers your salespeople. You can learn even more by seeing what angers your customers-remember they are passionate about improving your product too.

Technorati Tags: motivation passion anger in the workplace

Yes We Can

2008-02-03T14:51:00.000-06:00

Selling isn't dating- Part two

2008-01-30T20:48:00.000-06:00

One year ago today I posted "Selling isn't dating- I can cheat on you". Today I am back to that subject- no I didn't run out material. Instead I read this post today by Scott Ginsberg "ZOINKS! The customer actually came to ME! Now what?".

And it got me thinking. I completely skipped the asking out part.

Good thing for us, Scott was on top it.

So read his post, then read mine, and ask yourself- "what am I like when a customer calls?" And how can I improve my relationships with my customers? It could be you are just starting off on the wrong foot.

Technorati Tags: Customer Retention Customer Service Relationship Building Scott Ginsberg Selling dating

A blog to read

2008-01-29T12:18:00.001-06:00

I picked up on this blog about a month ago. Really good stuff- and an interesting perspective on all things marketing.

http://dimbulb.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Policies and procedures

2008-01-27T11:29:00.000-06:00

Fresh off a recent viewing of 'The Bucket List' - I was thinking...

Have you thought about what policies you have put in place lately? How you would feel if they were used to affect you?

My Point?
We all like to be treated special. So why do we make policies that treat people like a group instead of an individual?

Spoiled by immediacy

2008-01-26T11:06:00.000-06:00

Instant messaging.

Email.

Cell phones.

Are we spoiled by immediacy? Do we expect things too fast? Have we cultivated a culture that can live without anticipation?

What do salespeople do when immediacy becomes the norm for everything? How do we anticipate their needs, wants, or questions?

The penny jar

2008-01-19T15:37:00.001-06:00

I bet your local post office doesn't have a penny jar. Mine doesn't.

Want to know why?

They can't audit it. That was the explanation I was given.

Well of course you can't audit a penny jar- because its kindness. But that's the point of a penny jar.

A penny jar is more than just lint-less extra change. It's one consumers generosity spilling into another.

My question to you is- does your company allow for a penny jar?

Spontaneous Snowball fight

2008-01-11T19:14:00.000-06:00

Shortly after finishing a "team building" excercise at work yesterday we all lumbered out to our cars on the way to a company dinner.

What happened next had the potential to educate our leadership team beyond reasoning.

It was a snowball fight.

As we exited the building, to our amazement it had snowed most of the day. As our group made its way to the parking lot the packed powder began to fly.

So why is this important?

All day we worked on team building. Standard "group think" answers where given and the veterans of the group paid each other the lip service they commanded.

But when the snow started flying, the leadership abilities became crystal clear. You could see those who could quickly adapt to a changing environment- one with baseball size packs of snow flying at you. You also saw others that could command and delegate to ensure victory. It also became apparent those that can immediately cut loose and be comfortable with co-workers.

What's the Point?
Planning can produce the results you wish. However, spontaneity can shed light on the less obvious.
And snowball fights are just plain fun!

Whats your job?

2008-01-01T23:49:00.001-06:00

I think I would like to rewrite my job title.

Really. I don't see myself as a salesperson anymore.

Think of it. When was the last time you helped inform your customer into a decision? With the information age upon us (that's almost as bad a name as Cyber- Monday), consumers have access to way more information than in years past.

Consumers can make an educated decision. In fact, Consumers like to feel as though they are making an educated decision.

They don't needs salespeople anymore. What they need are reassurance people.

What are reassurance people? These are individuals who should be working to reassure prospects and current clients that they have made the right decision to purchase from them. That the customer is right, is making a good decision, and is purchasing correctly.

A while back a friend asked my opinion about a purchase. She said, "I am asking you this so you can reassure me that I made the right decision, not because I want your opinion."

This is the new job of a salesperson.

Technorati Tags: Sales Tools Differentiation

Putting it in perspective

2007-12-23T08:45:00.000-06:00

"Serving people an enjoyable experience."

-Michael Gill

Technorati Tags: Customer Retention Customer Service Michael Gill Starbucks saved my life

What's in a goal?

2007-12-17T21:33:00.000-06:00

goal [gohl]

–noun

1.	the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end.

I find it interesting that the term "end" appears in the definition of a goal. Outside of sports do you really view the goal as the end?

In sales, the word "goal" is really just a synonym for benchmark. In January we all get new benchmarks (our boss will call them goals). And by September she'll be hounding you why you haven't beat your goal yet. But according to the definition, the goal is the end?

So have we taken goals for granted?

Don't you expect that your sales team will surpass its goal? Haven't you found yourself judging your best salespeople by the amount they pass their goal?-- I have.

Shouldn't the goal be something to aspire to and not just something to surpass?
Because when was the last time we saw a baseball player keep running the bases once he gets home?

Looking back

2007-12-13T09:57:00.000-06:00

I found this video on the Catch-up Lady's blog today and find it a sobering reminder of the past.

Of course its quite funny, but it serves a purpose--given all the technology that we have access to today are we really faster?

In 13 years what will we look back at and ask ourselves-- how did we ever manage?

GM vs. Lexus

2007-12-12T15:45:00.000-06:00

"You could start a fire on Lexus dealership lot and not get any help." This was a quote from our keynote speaker yesterday, in reference to the products you sell.

Think about for a second.

When you walk on a GM lot, how long does it take to get help? A minute, maybe two?

What about a Lexus lot? Does anyone help you?

This argument isn't indicative of just GM or Lexus, it has to do with public perception and desirability. Lexus knows that its products are desired, GM tries to make up in its desirability by approaching you immediately. By no means do you sacrifice customer service, but what would happen if you didn't call a customer back right away? Would you lose the sale? Depends on your product right? And I also think it has to do with your level of service. A customer will wait if they know when you call them back they will get 100% of your attention.

Here's and Idea for you...
In order to create desirability in your product it has to start with your service. Multi-tasking is a term that doesn't exist in customer service. Period. You do need to do many things at once, just not with a customer's time. When you talk to to them or interact with them it's 100% all the time, every time.

Unique is better than best

2007-12-12T14:10:00.000-06:00

Every Friday I enjoy going to Burger King for lunch. But the other day a coworker suggested Hardee's. I scoffed at the idea- why do you want to go to that grease pit? But he insisted they had cleaned up their act.

So we went. I was ready for a huge disappointment, but much to my surprise they had in fact made the whole experience better. In fact it was so overwhelming that I went back the next day! Of course it didn't hurt that they gave me a coupon.

I was please to find the experience the same if not better! They gave me the discount off and let me keep the coupon.

So let's talk burgers. They do it better. Period. They serve them "pub style" half wrapped in paper (that makes a sound just like in the commercials). And they come in a basket. Inside they have guy specific advertising and movie trailers playing by the soda machines . One really neat nich idea is they ask you "for here, or take it with you?" not to go! Brilliant! One more thing--the burgers are all cooked to order, not nuked to order like other places.

So they not only do the burger thing better, but they do it uniquely! I came back for the quality burger but I was more enticed to come back for the uniqueness of the experience.

Here is an idea for you...
In everything you do shooting to be better is always the goal. But when was the last time you aimed to be the most unique?

I received a phone call from a customer the other day thanking me for sending out such "fun" e-mails. She enjoyed trying to figure out what was in each of them by the subject line-which is always unique. I aimed for her attention and chose to be unique to get it.

A good example of charisma

2007-11-17T17:15:00.000-06:00

A good leader has charisma. So does some of the best CEO's. This is a prime example of highlighting charisma.

Its also the person I am caucusing for.

Technorati Tags: Charisma Barack Obama Motivation

What to do about Johnny ITKS?!

2007-11-14T19:16:00.001-06:00

I have some bad news for you.

Johnny ITKS works at your company. And he works at everyone's company.

Who is Johnny ITKS?

Johnny ITKS is that salesperson that likes to be "in the know" with their customers. They think its a good thing to keep customers informed of every little detail about a plan or a product launch to make themselves look good. Johnny ITKS (in the know salesperson) is a very bad thing for your business. What Johnny likes to do is pretend to be friends with your customers by providing 'inside' information to them. What Johnny is afraid of is losing the customer. Therefore he tries to add value to the relationship by giving information to them that shouldn't be passed along. Not only does this devalue the brand in the customer's eyes but causes fear and doubt about company ethics. Remember all that money you spent on building you brand in an area? Johnny ITKS can make that a mute point in no time fast.

Now don't get me wrong, I am a big fan of your salespeople making friends with customers.

But you see, Johnny ITKS does so at the expense of the company. He plays friends with your customers on the pretense that he adds value to the relationship by 'helping' the customer cut through the clutter, mess, and evilness that is your BIG company. YIKES! In effect what he does is play good cop to your bad cop with a customer. He puts them under the impression that without that relationship they would be doomed! Doing business with your company would be a nightmare. But no worries Johnny ITKS is on their side.

What Johnny doesn't understand is that he can provide value to the customer relationship in ways that don't compromise your company's intergrity and value. He can provide meaningful solutions to the customers problems and by not wasting the customers time with frivious phone calls. And knowing when to say no.

So what can we do about a Johnny ITKS?
The first step is identifying one. This isn't easy and I don't have a fool-proof method for this. But before you start sharping your pitchforks and digging out your torches to go after the rookies you should know a thing or two about a Johnny ITKS. They can be any one of your sales team--rookies or veterans. Maybe one day you will get lucky (like I did) and have a customer forward you an email from a Johnny ITKS with the simple words "should I have received this?" My best advice is look for those within your staff who have an apparent disregard for sensitive information. Also, and hear me out on this one-always take the customer's side on everything and don't try to understand the who, what, and why of new policies or procedures.

The next step is to build loyalty to the brand in your sales staff. Start by not talking down to them, but up.
Huh?
In a recent Fast Company article one editor wrote about his experience working at an Apple store. He noted, "Many companies fail from the start by talking down to their new hires and using training materials geared for the lowest common denominator. Gap started employee orientation on the wrong foot by showing us a video about the perils of employee theft. Starbucks handed out Orwellian handbooks telling us to "Be Authentic." Such approaches produce cynicism and engender a fake sense of belonging, if any at all. Apple treated us like adults."
So talk up to your salespeople, make them want to have your brand as their next tattoo.

I realize all this may sound like a 180 degree turnaround from how this post started. But I believe the best way to get the most out of your team is to treat them in the highest regard. Too often I see companies treat their salespeople as well... salespeople. And you know that mentality will only breed that behavior from them

So here is an idea for you....
The next time your sales staff is in town. Treat them like the rock stars that they are. When they come to the corporate headquarters have ALL of your staff out front cheering them on as they walk in. (See iPhone launch) When they are to walk into the conference room for the meetings introduce them like professional athletes. Really! Have your ever been to a pro football, basketball, hockey game and not got chills down your spine?
Why do all this you ask? Well its my philosophy that Johnny ITKS can't exist in a company who treats him so well. You see it would be Johnny ITKS's guilty conscience that would get the better of him.

Technorati Tags: Customer Service Relationship Building Sales Fast Company iPhone Launch Apple

The 100th Post!

2007-11-13T21:42:00.000-06:00

A lot of thought went into this post. Its the 100th!

That's a big milestone. Great TV shows hit 100 episodes.

So for this post. I will do a some shameless quick promotion and we will move on.

Here is the link to my website.

If you click here you can quickly navigate to my Linkedin page.

And the last one. My mom just opened her consignment store. So here is her website. And if you ever find yourself in eastern Iowa-- stop by and say hi to her!

R.I.P.- Door-to-door selling

2007-11-06T09:38:00.000-06:00

Every Thursday evening this summer I religiously sat in front of the television and watched Mad Men on AMC. Thanks to my friend Nick who pointed it out, I became addicted very quickly.

That being said. In episode 11 a 1960's suburban housewife (Betty, wife of the main character) is called on one day by a door to door salesman who is selling air conditioners. Now, set aside all of the 1960-isms, think for one second about the success of a door to door salesman back then versus now.

Then: The chances of the door being opened were pretty high. Most housewives in suburbia stayed home, you could target affluent neighborhoods and get a good 'open door' rate.

Now: The chances of the door being opened are relatively slim. On the off-chance one is open it could be someone who works overnight. I Googled "door to door salesman" looking for a picture for this post and found this article. It sheds even more light on the environment that salespeople would face if they continued to do door to door sales.

So in this series I want to look at what trends in what I will call the modern era (1960-present) of selling that have died off. The first being door-to-door selling.

When did "the knock on the door" become more costly than a phone call? There had to have been one day when the CEO of Electrolux sent a memo to his sales staff calling them in off the streets.

When that day did happen what was the results and how did that change the landscape of sales? We can all look back now and see the that the next logical step in sales was the cold call and the catalog. However that is hindsight, so what was their foresight?

The point of all of this is to see what will be changing in our landscape and what we can do to anticipate those changes. I have to believe that one day sales will evolve from relationship selling to what?

Please post your comments.

Many versus one

2007-10-12T14:39:00.001-06:00

A colleague of mine sent me this article.

I think its a great reminder that big things don't always motivate your staff.

I worked for a company once that gave away a car to its top performing manager. We all worked really hard to win the car, but in the end 99.9% of us got nothing for our hard work.
One person got a car (who coincidentally left the company less than a year later) and the rest of us got a congratulatory email.

Who is to say that the outcome would have been different if they spent that $20k on iPods. But what I can tell you is that I would at least have had something to walk away with in the end.

Whats my point?
I want you to be the person to stand up in the next meeting and advocate a smaller reward. One that can be shared company wide. Give everyone that sense of accomplishment and not just one person.

Perspectives and perceptions

2007-10-12T14:21:00.000-06:00

I was at a car dealership last weekend having my Civic serviced when this came to mind.

Salespeople often lose the value perspective.

Case in point. I overheard a car salesman talk about the 3 customers he had to take care of today to get them in cars. To him it was 3 out of dozens he would work with.
To the customer it was the one most important purchase they would make this year.

Earlier this week I wrote a proposal for a new client. I won't brag the proposal wasn't that big in comparison to others that I have sent out.
But to the customer, it was huge! Ginormous! It was one of the most important decisions she would make this year.

So I treated it that way. It may not have been big in my perspective, but it was in her perception.

So here is an idea for you....
When you are preparing your next proposal or talking with a client put yourself back in their shoes. Or even your own shoes when you started with the company. Remember that first big sale, or account you landed? Its that way everyday with your customers.

Sure you may sell hundreds of widgets everyday, but your customer only buys one. And its the one that is the most important to her.

Second place thinking

2007-10-04T19:10:00.000-06:00

I think this article points out two things:

Verizon doesn't understand the market
The problem of thinking your number two.

Clearly Verizon thinks its the touch screen that sells the iPhone and I can't totally disagree. The touch screen is a pretty sexy feature. But its not the only feature that sells the iPhone. Ease of use, intergration, and simplicity--not to mention it is the first phone to be that easy to use with that many features. But hey, if Verizon thinks its the touchscreen--well I guess we will find out if they were right.

Also, it points out the problem with thinking you are number two. Rather than actually listening to the pains in the marketplace, Verizon is deadset to make a phone to carve those iPhone users (or wannabe iPhone users) to their product.

Hey Verizon! Either people want an iPhone or they don't. Period.

So what about all the other underserved Verizon customers who could care less about the iPhone? I believe Verizon would be better served if they listened to their customers and gave the marketplace a product that served their customers needs instead of making a copycat product. WOW-What a concept!?!?! Maybe Verizon should think "Hey Apple has the iPhone, so lets set out to make an innovative flip-phone! And better yet lets ask our customers--the ones who will actually use the product for their input and suggestions".

Alright. So this was a bit of rant. But it bugs me to no end when all companies do to steal marketshare away from each other is copy products. Innovate! Listen to your customers! Why not go in another direction?

Here's an Idea for you...
When you are out talking with your customers-either on a sales call or a presentation. Listen to their pains, their concerns, and most of all their goals. This may sound basic but if all you do is refute your competitors claims you will always be second in the customer's mind.

Technorati Tags: Things that bug me Creativity Positioning Verizon iPhone killer

Convenient must know easy

2007-09-27T22:49:00.000-06:00

For those of us iPhone users the much anticipated iTunes Wi-Fi Music store became an available download today. Like everything Apple when I went to sync my iPhone all of the necessary software automatically downloaded perfectly.

Within minutes I was on the iTunes music store sampling and yes.... buying music.

That's when it hit me. Not only was it convenient to do (I am rarely without iPhone in hand), but it was easy. The interface was intuitive to understand and unlike other cell phone companies it didn't require a manual to understand. In fact, my iPhone didn't even come with an owners manual because its so intuitive.

But we will save intuitive for another day. Today convenient and easy are intersecting.

Remember back when you were shopping with your mom at the grocery store? What was the best part (besides the cereal isle)? --Of course it was the checkout. That is when you could talk her into getting some candy. It was convenient--the candy was right there. And it was easy--simply put it on the belt with all the rest of the food.

Welcome to the essence of a quick and repeated sale.

When convenient meets easy you have a happy customer, a repeat customer, and a viral customer. If its easy to buy your product, people will happily buy and buy and buy. Then they will tell their friends to do the same.

Look at what happens when convenient doesn't know easy. Take cigarettes for example. They are convenient--right behind the cashier. But not easy--you have to show your ID. But that works perfect for that product.

And when easy exists all on its own. There is a take and bake pizza place in my city, but its on the other side of town. It's easy to order when I get there, just not convenient--so I don't get there very much.

Here is an idea for you...

Do you make it Convenient to oder or re-order your product?
-A website, an 800 number, or a fax number.

And if you do--great! But now how easy is to use those methods?
-Is the website confusing?
-The 800 number buried on the order form.
-A fax number that is always jammed.

Convenient must know easy, and easy should have convenient on speed dial. As for me--I am back on the iTunes Wi-Fi site where easy and convenient are on a honeymoon in the repeat sale islands

tags technorati : Creativity Customer Service iTunes Wi Fi Music Store iPhone Easy Convenient

Inspiration

2007-09-16T10:20:00.001-06:00

A blog posting inspired by Jessica Hagy.

Technorati Tags: The Perfect Job creativity

rev-uh-loo-shuh-ner-ee /part deux

2007-09-12T22:29:00.000-06:00

Can revolutionary be in the eye of the beholder?

Take the iPhone for example. It is not a revolutionary product.

Prior to the iPhone you could use a mobile phone to text, send email, hear voicemail, surf the web, and view your contacts, etc. No big deal. But if all (or almost all) of the features of the iPhone were available on other phones why were mobile companies so afraid when Apple announced it was joining the fray?

Because they have a history of taking ordinary products and making the use of the product revolutionary.

Before iPhone using all these features were difficult. I had a web-enabled phone and never used the web feature. I didn't know how, and couldn't figure out how to navigate within it.

What makes the iPhone a market changing device is Apple's approach to make the interface revolutionary.

Here's and idea for you...
If your company isn't in the habit of making revolutionary products, they can stand out by making revolutionary processes. If you sell widgets just like five or six other competitors why not make your order process the simplest?
That's revolutionary in the customers eye.

To be revolutionary you need to question the norms of your market. Then you need to make the norm the simplest, easiest, fastest.

Now watch your competitor's customers question why it should be so difficult to do business with them and not your company.

Technorati Tags: Creativity Customer Service Differentiation

Changing the rules

2007-09-05T22:02:00.000-06:00

Remember when you were on the playground as a kid. It never seemed to fail, there was always one kid that changed the rules when they weren't winning.

You could never win. The rules kept changing.

So what happens when Apple decides that they priced the iPhone too high?

They changed the rules. They said--now its $399.

But wait. What about all of those early adopters that spent $599, not but a few months ago?

Did they just get trumped by the big machine? I think Apple was right in changing the price. $599 was high, but I don't they were right in their timing. Apple was the company that taught us $349 was the right price for music in our pocket. They were also the same company that said you should get what you pay for. So-- to have the internet, phone, ipod, YouTube, etc. in your pocket will cost you.

They just did the price decrease too soon.

Technorati Tags: Apple iPhone $399 Customer Retention Positioning

rev-uh-loo-shuh-ner-ee

2007-09-04T15:14:00.000-06:00

adjective, noun, plural -ar·ies.
–adjective
1. of, pertaining to, characterized by, or of the nature of a revolution, or a sudden, complete, or marked change: a revolutionary junta.
2. radically new or innovative; outside or beyond established procedure, principles, etc.: a revolutionary discovery.

I heard this term used in the hallway today and it caught my attention.

Revolutionary....

What have you done that was revolutionary lately?

What has your company done that was revolutionary?

Is revolutionary anything we strive for anymore?

Is revolutionary possible?

Who dictates something as revolutionary?

Can the market accept revolutionary products, or are we bound to mediocrity?

These are some questions floating in my head. Please post your answers in the comments area.

The ebook is here!

Friends first, customers second--the approaches I use for every sale, every time.

Click here to download it for FREE from my website!

Random Crap for Sale

2007-08-30T22:08:00.000-06:00

I check woot.com everyday for two reasons.

They inspire me to write good copy. Seriously. If you need a boost in the creative rear (pun intended) woot.com is a great place to go.
I like seeing what the deal is-because it changes daily.

So when they were selling a bag of crap today I was intrigued.

What? How-can-you-sell-that? Has the world gone mad?

Nope.

Check out the copy that they wrote.

Bag O’ Crap XXI

Wait, wait, why are you clicking that button? Don't click! You don't want this junk. Seriously, clicking that I WANT ONE button is a one-way ticket to disappointment and shame. You'll cram a few useless clumps of consumer flotsam into your life, be out like eight bucks, and for what? For what? What is the sound of one hand crapping?

If you must proceed, CHECK THIS OUT. Somebody misunderstands this concept every time, so please READ THE BIG PRINT:
1. WHEN YOU ORDER THIS ITEM, YOU’RE ORDERING ONE (1) BAG WITH up to THREE (3) PIECES OF CRAP IN IT.
2. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SELECTING THE QUANTITY: THREE WHEN YOU ORDER.
3. YOU WILL WASTE FREIGHT IF YOU ORDER FEWER THAN THREE. And you’ll get less crap. Wait, why is that bad again? Do you people really need more crap?

You’re only getting one bag, no matter what. The order quantity you select is the number of crappy items we’ll put in your bag. Select THREE. Later, you’ll enjoy the satisfaction of taunting the surprisingly large number of less observant Wooters who ordered less than THREE.
As usual, we promise nothing about the quality or the desirability of these bags or their contents, except to promise that their quality will be low and their desirability will be non-existent. The best quantity you could possibly order would be ZERO.

THE HOLY CRAP COMMANDMENTS v2.0:
I. Thou shalt expect nothing beyond one bag of some kind and your chosen quantity of crappy items (which should be THREE).
II. Thou shalt not whine and complain when some people’s crap turns out to be nicer than yours.
III. Thou shalt take a moment to consider whether you might be better off just not buying this crap.
IV. Thou shalt not order just one crap and blame it on anything but your own inattention.
V. To paraphrase Stephen Stills, shalt thou not get the crap you want, want the crap you get.
The crap will be shipped via SmartPost, the crappiest shipping method available to us.

So you saw what they did there right?

First of all its woot.com, they have built a reputation with their customers that they are unique, they are not for everyone, and they are perfectly happy with that.

But look at how the marketing department addressed this problem (because honestly selling a bag of crap is exactly that).They didn't see the problem of selling the bag of crap, they only saw a problem of how many items can they convince someone to buy. So they just starting closing the sale right in the description.

Wow. What a great concept! They got this internet thing down perfectly.

Here's why.

I went to the website with the idea that I more than likely would buy something if it was cheap.

A $1 is cheap and really $3 bucks isn't much more, so yeah. Sign me up, I'll take 3.

So rather than trying to sell me, the moved in for the kill right away, and just closing the sale by telling me I need to make sure there is 3 in quantity of the order. And if I don't put a 3 in the quantity I am stupid and getting taken advantage of.

Wait. I am not stupid, I know that I can order 3. I'll show them, I will put 4 in the quantity and press checkout!
Rats! Its already sold out. Now I really want one! Hang on. One what? One bag of crap that someone else just bought? Yup. Now I feel left out.

Here's an idea for you...
When was the last time you prematurely went for the jugular right away with a sale? I work with salespeople everyday, and every day I see them being very timid about closing the sale.

Stop being timid!

Go in for the kill, worst case scenario they will say NO. But in that 'No' your going to find out a key hurdle you needed to overcome a while ago. So now you can start addressing it.

Now, I wouldn't advise you to tell your customers you think they are stupid. But you should know that people don't like to feel stupid. So perhaps we should point out how smart other companies have been because they bought your product.

So what have we learned.
If you have a great reputation you can sell crap in a bag. Check that, you can sell out of crap in a bag.And we need to take a page from woot's book and start closing the sale sooner. They went in for the kill on a bag of crap--and sold out. If they can sell out of crap, why can't we sell the out of the best product in the world?

Technorati Tags: Advertising Creativity Positioning Sales Tools woot.com great copy inspiration

__________________________________________________________________

The ebook is here!

Friends first, customers second--the approaches I use for every sale, every time.

Click here to download it for FREE from my website!

There's a widget on your blog!

2007-08-29T21:40:00.000-06:00

I spent 5 minutes tonight with iTunes and added an iTunes widget to my blog.

Why?

Because its great sales and marketing on Apple's part. And doesn't everyone care what music I listen to?

Hmm. Maybe not.

But it looks neat right?

So then its more about the viral marketing part. Apple hopes that you will come to my blog, like my music, click on the widget and buy some music from the iTunes store. Ok, I will buy that.

But I think it has more to do with the bottle water theory. You have heard that before right? People don't buy bottle water for the water, they buy it for the 'coolness factor' of being seen drinking bottle water.

Well then let's go with that in our kudos to Apple and their new widget. They increased my coolness factor by making this blog just a bit better looking, and my social status as someone who buys his music from the iTunes store. So as you read through some postings feel free to take a moment to admire my new widget.

Its cool. And I am cool for having it. Aren't you jealous?

Here is an idea for you....
With Apple's new widget they are definitely upping the exposure of iTunes to the few non-iPod owners. (Honestly I only know 1 person that doesn't have an iPod.) But in doing so they made it fun to do and increased my brand loyalty. So when was the last time you gave someone a reason to "tattoo" your brand? Sure we don't all sell music and movies, some of us sell a bit less interesting things like test assessments. But allowing your customers access to fun webpages to create a widget with your logo is a perfect way to bring viral marketing in through the front door.

So what is your idea to increase brand awareness?

Technorati Tags: Branding Creativity Product Placement iTunes Widget

I am reading labels again

2007-08-26T08:34:00.000-06:00

I like the trend I am seeing in marketing copy for products today. Gone are days of boring promises that a product will do this or that.

That's old school.

New school today is all about the story.

Yesterday, while out for a ride on my bike I stopped for some fuel. Both for myself and my bike. As I perused the cooler filled with energy drinks and the usual gatorade type-super-carbo sports drinks. I came across Vitamin Water. It looked so un-pretentious in its simple two color label-as opposed to the flash and glam that seem to be the norm for sports drinks. So I picked it up. And on the back was story.

"in soccer (excuse us mexico, spain, and italy, we mean 'futbol'), there isn't a more exciting moment than when the announcer screams 'goooooooooal' (yelling 'oooffffsiddde' never quite caught on).

with that said, we added b vitamins and guarana to give you an extra kick (pun intended). so now when your watching soccer, playing soccer, coaching soccer, driving kids to soccer or doing anything that starts with 'socc' and ends with 'er', you too can have the energy of a raving lunatic to yell 'goooooooooal.'"

Now I don't listen to too much futbol as an American, but I know what they are talking about. And the few times I have listened to futbol its quite exciting when a goal is scored.

So for $1.69 + tax I got an exciting little vignet in my head to think about as I passed the two minutes it took to drink my Vitamin water. Perfect. In the 84 words they carefully placed on the bottle only 12 actually spoke to its benefit! And did so in a beautiful way.

Do I know what guarana is? Nope. I am just glad that someone does and they tell me it gives me a kick.
Works for me.
I don't need the encyclopedia version-just the Cliff notes version will be fine. And if you frame it in a good story so that I can remember it- all the better. Now every time I see guarana as an ingredient I will think kick.

And while I am thinking about places to find inspirational copy. I have to point out woot.com. It's a great little site that only offers one item for sale everyday. That's it, just one item. And when it sells out you can check tomorrow for a new item. But more importantly, its the copy that sells the items. Depending on the day, it can be anything form a cooking set to flash drive. But one constant is the story they tell you, the story that makes you want to buy the product.

Here's an Idea for you

Telling a story isn't a new idea. Fables have been around for years (remember Aesop). And the idea that consumers need to be told a story isn't a new idea either (Seth Godin-the modern day Aesop brought it to my attention). But in a time of ever increasing sales goals, and demanding margins what ever happened to the story?
I suggest you start telling more stories with your product. That way consumers like me can pass the story on to our friends-and on to their friends- and so on. By giving me (the consumer) a story, I feel more connected to the product and thus more likely to recommend the product.

So next time you stumped for good copy. Run out to the store and pick up a bottle of Vitamin Water and go Woot.com. In nothing short of a few minutes you will be revitalized and inspired to write good copy. And you might get a great deal on a universal notebook dock, or maybe t-shirt.

Technorati Tags: Creativity Branding Packaging Aesop Seth Godin Vitamin Water Woot.com creative copy

One call, one person

2007-08-04T14:30:00.000-06:00

A while back I pointed out a phone call I had with American Express and the positive experience I had.
The best part of the conversation I had that day was it revolved around one person solving all my problems.
I have more good news. That great virus is spreading into other companies. It should really be no surprise that my local bank can do exactly what American Express did. Really it speaks more to the level of customer service from American Express when they provided me that level of customer service. But the other day I called my local bank to update my address. The person that picked up the phone changed my address, answered my question, and promised to send me more information that I was requesting.

One person-solving all my problems-what a great idea! But...

That shouldn't be all that great, if you think about it. The problem is that we (as customers) have become so accustomed to hitting the phone tree maze that we really take it for granted.

What a shame.

Here's an idea for you...
When was the last time you called in to your customer service department? How many times were you transferred to different people to solve simple problems. I would advocate that everyone in customer service take a page from Apple. Think of how it should work, and make that the standard. Don't look at how everyone else does their customer service, think of the ideal experience and replicate it 500 times (or more) a day.

Just because everyone else has massive phone trees doesn't mean you should. Sometimes its the simplest of measures that will make your customers the happiest. Happy customers always equal buying customers.

Technorati Tags: Customer Service Relationship Building

I Rock!

2007-08-04T14:21:00.000-06:00

In my daily perusing of blogs, I read this entry from the 'Catch up Lady'.
Her blog is a must read.

Anyway in her post she mentioned a snafu in Technorati that listed every blog as #1. Being the pessimist I am I just had to check to see if I had propelled up the ranks.

Sure enough. I am number #1!

I am going to soak this up. Thanks for pointing it out Catch up Lady!

Technorati Tags: Technorati Catch Up Lady

The problem with bill

2007-07-15T09:17:00.000-06:00

Earlier this week I was in a financial meeting where our new financial system was unveiled for fiscal year 2008.

Our accountant proudly stood up and proclaimed.

"Starting in 2008 we will bill our clients daily."

Dead silence.

"... and are our clients happy about this?" asked my marketing counterpart (we have two divisions-long story).

"Well, I don't know. But they always pay their bill." the accountant sheepishly replied.

And so began a long debate with marketing and accounting as to when we should bill our clients. To the point that I finally stood up and said...

"Why don't we ask them?"

It may seem like a no-brainer. But it was a question that no one was asking. I wondered why we would spend all of our money trying to land clients if only to tell them how we were going to do business with them! I mean honestly. We get them in the door, wooing them every step of the way. Then once we decide to go beyond dating and actually make this relationship go, we suddenly lay down the law and dictate the relationship.

WOW. That was a scary moment for me.

Here's an idea for you.

If your in sales or marketing you know that customer satisfaction is your main priority. But everything shouldn't be on your terms.
Take billing for example.
Would it be easier to increase business just by having flexible billing?
Why not let your customers speak out--have them take a survey.

There are dozens of free online surveys available.
- www.freeonlinesurveys.com
-www.surveymonkey.com

My point is that its really simple to avoid the bill problem and not that expensive to increase sales. Changing your billing cycle to land more customers--seems like a no-brainer for me.

Technorati Tags: Customer Service Accounting Billing your clients Survey monkey free online surveys

Revolutionaries and Kool-aid

2007-06-29T22:15:00.000-06:00

Today is Friday June 29th. The day that Steve Jobs revolutionized the wireless world. Admittedly I drink the Apple kool-aid, I have a Macbook Pro (that I am proud to say births all my posts) and 3 iPods, well 4 if you count the one that tragically fell from my motorcycle while speeding down the highway.
She didn't make it. RIP-nano, you will be missed.

So back to Steve and the iPhone. Today, he not only revolutionized the wireless world. But he got people to pay $600 for a cell phone. Unheard of I tell you, completely un-heard-of!

How did he do it? Advertising aside, I want you to watch this video from Cnet, which shows the opening at the New York store.

Apple employees outside, lined up, clapping! It was a premiere, you felt good about buying a phone and spending $600! (I will be buying mine in the next couple months, my cash flow isn't where I would like it to be).

But when I do, I will think back to today. The day that the Apple team, made their customers feel good about spending money with them.

The Selling Point:
Apple believed that the product they where making would revolutionize the industry... and the jury is still out. But they made each and every customer feel important and a VIP for getting one. They had their WHOLE team on board. And while I wasn't in New York to buy an iPhone, when I buy mine in 3 months I bet I will leave with that same enthusiasm. Even though there won't be employees outside cheering my purchase.

So my question to you is this: When was the last time you had customers leaving feeling the same way the new iPhone customers were feeling? When was the last time you cheered to do business with a client? Was it just another client, or did you give them the red carpet treatment?

And when will someone please write a book about the psychology of selling that Apple has employed since the return of Steve Jobs?

Technorati Tags: Apple iPhone Customer Service

In over your head

2007-06-13T21:32:00.000-06:00

Ever interview for a job that didn't think you would get?

I have. And oh, I have made some mistakes.

But you learn and move on.

My first (and biggest) mistake was I lacked a WOW factor. I wasn't prepared for the questions, I hadn't done my homework on the company. I did nothing to wow them.

What does all this have to do with selling?

EVERYTHING.

If you sell, you are interviewing everyday. Before you walk into a clients office, your research their pains, know the challenges they face, and how YOU can fix it.

Selling can make you interview great. Interviewing can make your selling great.

The Selling Point:
If your a great salesperson there is no job you can't attain, I firmly believe that. I interviewed candidates today that lacked a wow factor. They were great salespeople, but they lacked the leave behind, that nugget of knowledge that made me remember them. They needed to go back to interviewing school. If I couldn't remember them, how could their customer remember them? If you sales are slumping go out on an interview or two. Your going to either find a weakness in your sales pitch or a new company to work for. Either outcome will be a positive for you.
__________________________________________________________________

The ebook is here!

Friends first, customers second--the approaches I use for every sale, every time.

Click here to download it for FREE from my website!

Technorati Tags: Creativity Motivation Differentiation Interviewing

A Marketer's responsibility

2007-05-27T10:45:00.001-06:00

Just because we can, doesn't mean we should. Yesterday, on yahoo sports, I read that they were selling tickets to the right field and filling the seats! The catch? All you can eat at the stadium, dogs, nachos, soda--it's a free-for-all in the right field.

This is all an attempt to increase game attendance and fill the typically empty right field. I am calling it 'The gut appeal'.

What an easy way out. I can just see the headline in a year or two 'Dodger fans: the fattest on earth'.

I highly doubt the reason people were not attending the games was the price of the food. If I had to solve this problem I would give fans a reason to attend and buy tickets in a certain section.

I would make it unique to increase the experience of the game and not their waistline.

Let fans in those seats experience a different side of the game, have players enter on their side of the stadium, make them available for autographs to only ticket holders in those seats.

The Point?
It's easy to temporarily drive up sales or attendance by motivating your base with gluttony, but you have a greater responsibility. When those fans go to the game, they'll say they go for the food, not the love of the game. They don't go because they are brand loyal, they go for the freebie. When people buy your brand do they buy for the discount? Or do they buy because they are loyal to your brand?

Technorati Tags: Advertising Customer Service Positioning Dodger Dog Yahoo Sports

Toilet water

2007-05-25T13:34:00.000-06:00

That is how I expressed the quality of leads I saw coming in from our sales staff after they attended trade shows.

Specifically I said "If you want me to keep giving you toilet water in Salesforce.com I can, but lets try something different."

Sales people hate different. We like to keep doing the same thing we have always been doing but we expect better results.

Different means change, scratch that different means work.

The culprit was those instant scan machines we all love to buy at trade shows. In the past we purchased one for every trade show that offered them. We loved them! And why not, they gave us tons on names at the swipe of the card! How easy was that? TOO EASY! I say, too easy.

When the leads got back to the office, many if not most were only mildly interested in our product. In fact, in the year prior we only closed one deal from a trade show that we had used a card scanner. ONE! That is horrible.

---------------------------------So I drew a line in the sand.---------------------------

"We are going to try it my way." I said. "For this next (major) trade show you don't get a scanner."
I saw them begin to light the torches and gather pitchforks, but I stood firm.
Instead you get lead pads to have the customer write their name down, or you could do it for them. On the back I want information about the discussion you had and their needs.

I don't care how many you come back with, but make sure the ones you come back with were meaningful conversations.

A hush came over the room.

You mean we aren't being graded on whether we come back with a lot of leads?

That is exactly what I am saying.

If you wanted a bunch of leads, I could save us a ton of money by not sending you, the booth and putting you up in hotel by simply buying the conference registration list. A few hundred bucks, and we could ding them via email, direct mail, whatever. But what would that get us? Nothing. I would rather have someone (who knows what their organization needs) stop by and have a conversation with us. That is where the value of the trade show pays for itself. It is that conversation that makes it invaluable that we attend the trade show, we have to open up the lines of communication.

The Selling Point:
In my organization trades shows get a bad rap.
Upper level management has a hard time wrapping their head around the ROI factor, to be honest I think they view it as a vacation for the sales staff. And I am going go out on a limb and say that your organization is the same way.
Which is too bad.
Think of how much money it would cost to send your sales people out on 50 calls around the country. Now deduct how much it cost you to send them to this ONE trade show and have 50 conversations. This is how much you are saving by sending sales people to a trade show.
But sending is only the first part.
Give them parameters to work by, number of conversations they should be having. Not number of leads they came back with.
Conversations are key to starting a friendship with a customer. You don't just call someone up and ask to be their friend. You both identify how your needs can help each other.

Technorati Tags: Trade Shows Relationsip Builiding Things that bug me Lead Generation

Friends first, customers second.

2007-05-20T19:45:00.000-06:00

The ebook is here!

Friends first, customers second--the approaches I use for every sale, every time.

Click here to download it for FREE from my website! And you can (if you like) make a donation, but its not required.

It is required is that you blog, email, and share this with your friends and colleagues. And while you are at add me as a friend on myspace.

tags technorati : Branding Sales Tools Free ebook Mike Gerholdt

Mark your calendar

2007-05-14T20:38:00.000-06:00

May 21st, a FREE eBook for everyone that is in sales.

In the meantime check out my new site that will house the eBook.

http://mikegerholdt.googlepages.com

Technorati Tags: Sales tools Free sales eBook

It's about the customer experience

2007-05-10T02:17:00.001-06:00

Plain and simple. You can sum up all the Mac ads as "What's in it for the customer?" That's it plain and simple. It is not about the computer how fast it is, you may be lead to believe that in some of the ads but it all boils down to one mantra: what is the customer experience.
Customers rate their experience with a company the moment they walk in, or in this case turn on. Apple knows that and they sell you on the experience of owning a computer. And for those of us that are Mac owners we know that they deliver on that promise with a great user experience.

So my question to you is: When was the last time you took a look at your product from the customer standpoint? How easy is to purchase your product? And the toughest one of all, how hard is it to be a customer with you? Look for those answers, you may be surprised.

Handshake and a hello!

2007-05-07T20:21:00.000-06:00

Remember not too long ago I got a mailer from Mr. Movies addressed to Resident?

I do.

And I really didn't care for it because they didn't know my name.

But this last week I was impressed. No wait. I was blown over.

To be fair, as of Monday April 30th I wasn't the biggest fan of the Hilton Family Hotels. They lost my reservation in Dallas and in New Orleans they put me in a smoking room. Which for those of us non-smokers is like sleeping in a bar. The list is probably longer of things that have happened to me but I just quit counting.

But they won me back. Yes, after all that I would recommend a Hilton and its not for the new Be Hospitable campaign, which is cool I must say.

They did it with a simple handshake and a hello. Just that easy.

Well actually not just that easy, you see it took an entire staff's dedication to customer service. This last week while staying at the Hilton Riverside in New Orleans and hosting a conference every member of the staff remembered my name. At least five or six times a day hotel staff would come and check on our status of the conference rooms, lights, equipment, and everything else. And every time they would remember my name.

Every time!

Oh, but the nay-sayers would have you believe that its because we were they hosting a conference. Sure, that could have been it. If we were the only ones in the hotel having a conference. But the Sugar Bowl commitee was there with convention, a large pharmaceutical manufacturer was there with a sales convention, and well you get the point. No this was dedication on the staff's part to customer service pure and simple. To be fair they did move me out of that smoking room, but after having some time to think about the whole experience it was the handshake and a hello that really put them in my good graces.

The Selling Point:

So this wasn't just meant to be a great plug for the Hilton Riverside New Orleans, but if you are down there... No it's not that, this is intended to remind you that the simplest of gestures can win your customers back. Even those that are hardcore against you. Some may take more than just a handshake and a hello, but it can be done.

Take the first step today do one small gesture to win, keep, and turn all of your customers into champions for your product.

What is the first thing you will do?

Technorati Tags: New Orleans Hilton Hotels Mr.Movies Be Hospitable Customer Service Relationship Building

Give'em a hand!

2007-04-26T20:50:00.001-06:00

By no means these hands are idle, but it's not until the last five seconds that we learn its a beer commercial, until then your eyes are glued to the screen as hands morph and change to the beat. At the end we are even rewarded with a microsite www.guinnesshands.com.
When you visit the site I was surprised to see it was all about the filmmaker and not the beer. In fact you can even produce your own "hands" film.

So this weekend have a Guinness and tell your friends.

And one other thing, is it just me or did we get flipped the bird?

Put your customers to work

2007-04-23T18:05:00.000-06:00

By all means this isn't a new concept, but in a meeting a few days ago it was scoffed at when I mentioned it.

The concept I proposed was putting our customers to work for us, making them the evangelists for our new program.

Not really something my company embraced.

In fact they were far from it. Too bad really, because your best customers can be better than some of your salespeople. They already have the trust, rapport, and correct message for the audience they speak to. But lets get into that another time. Or read this great blog by Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba.

So for the sake of argument let's say that my company (or yours) embraced the idea. How easy would you make it to spread the word for them? Would you do anything at all? And more importantly, what would you do for them?

Fortunately for us we can turn to our political candidates for the answers. Yup, the candidates are now doing a fantastic job of recruiting every supporter to help spread the word. This last Sunday (Earth Day) I attended a rally in Iowa City for Barack Obama. Later that night, I went to his website to see what else I could learn. His site is a case study in using word of mouth and social networking for recruitment. You can set up a personal profile, find other supporters in your area, blog to other members, and watch videos.

What does this all sound like?

Hmm.

Maybe myspace, blogger, and youtube all wrapped into one. Of course he has links to profiles on all the social networking sites, but the best part is its one stop shopping. Everything I need is located in one location, and the best part is that it is user friendly, even for those a little less web-saavy.

The Selling Point:
Whether or not you are actively engaged in making your customers do work for you, some of them have the ability to move mountains. But they can only do so if they are properly equipped. So why not start today by setting up a page so they can watch videos of customer testimonies, you could have youtube host it. Make it easy for them to set up a members or customers area to find other companies looking for the same solution that you provide. And give them the tools to post everything they find to a blog or social profile. Chances are your customers outnumber your salespeople, why not properly equip them to spread the word?

Who knows they may be motivated to do this...

Technorati Tags: Creativity Lead Generation Sales Tools Church of the Customer Ben McConnell Barack Obama Word of Mouth Advertising

Cactus gets it!

2007-04-19T21:00:00.000-06:00

More on how I found this later, but more importantly Cactus, an advertising agency out of Denver Colorado, gets it!

What's "it"?

They don't try to just make the sale, they try to make a friend. They know if they do this successfully the business will grow and there will be a greater chance for repeat business.

Keep this in mind the next time you are in contact with your customer and ask yourself: am I trying to make a friend or make a sale?

Kudos Cactus for posting this right on your website for all to see. This is one of the best mission statements I have read.

Technorati Tags: Advertising Branding Creativity Cactus Denver Colorado Mission Statement

Be unexpected.

2007-04-18T18:18:00.000-06:00

Scott reminds us the importance of a great customer greeting. They know what to expect when they walk into a store or pick up the phone and already have a pre-programmed answer for you.

But what if you catch them off guard?

Read his post: From greet to great.

And remember the customer experience is everything that touches the customer.

Technorati Tags: Differentiation Retail Sales Tools Scott Ginsberg

Customer Service climatology

2007-04-18T18:09:00.000-06:00

I realize that this is probably my third or fourth post about Blockbuster, but like I said when someone does it right they deserve praise.

I am sure we have all been there, a busy retail store crowded with customers, and lacking in customer service. For some reason, I don't know why, corporations seem to think the best way to save money is to cut the number of employees. And for some reason its always at the busiest times that they seem to be short on help.

Last Friday night I walked into Blockbuster video, it was busy weekend and the store was packed. Yet while I was walking around, I was asked three times if I need any help.

Three times, thats a lot!

When I got to the check out, not only did they have all the registers fully staffed, but someone was helping a customer sign up for Blockbuster Total Access. This is customer service!

The Selling Point:
The next time you rank your company's customer service don't look to a Tuesday night, or times when your slow. Check your customer service levels when you are maxed out on customers, only then will you get a true sense of the areas you are weak and the areas you are strong.

Technorati Tags: Customer Service Blockbuster

What's the Ask?

2007-04-17T19:27:00.000-06:00

Anytime I submit a piece of marketing materials for approval from my boss, I get one question.

What is the ask?

To him if it is not apparent why we should spend the money on something he wants to know what we will get in terms of ROI.

Fair enough and sometimes the answer requires a long winded explanation.

Today I got an email from Nike featuring the famous "Thank you" ad that Nike ran in the Sunday Edition of the New York Times, as well as banner ads around the city. Read more about it here.

So my question to Nike and to you is, what is the ask?

Increase awareness on an already controversial issue that can somehow translate into shoe sales?
Improve brand identity by showing support for a school you are already affiliated with?
Or was it to merely show your company has a social conscience and able to keep up with current events?

I know if I had to try and describe to my boss what "the ask" was on this campaign I would be at a loss for words. Call me old fashion but I am a call to action guy and it would be a bit difficult to track an increase in shoe sales (or decrease for that matter) back to this ad.

Your thoughts are welcome.

Technorati Tags: Creativity Branding Nike thank you ad

25 Top 25's

2007-04-16T11:01:00.000-06:00

USA Today reminds us that hindsight is 20/20.

Technorati Tags: Motivation USA Today Top 25's

A miracle worker I am not. Part 2

2007-04-14T14:28:00.000-06:00

Back in February I posted about my experience with a local Mr. Movie's store after receiving coupons in the mail. Since then I have received more and we will see how that goes, but for a refresher on the post you can read it here.

This posting has received many comments, the most compelling being the one below left by mistab.

"I stumbled across your site doing a deep Google search and found what you had to say VERY enlightening. Being someone who has spent large amounts on marketing promotions, to be left wondering why didn’t they do as well in one location vs. another, this is one reason why. As a small business owner it is hard to know how the person will be received at the store level. You can do all the training you want, and have the manager be available all the time, but when it comes down to it for those moments when the customer is there face to face with that young person at the counter they are representing the entire business. They are representing the store, other stores, and the entire cooperation. Upon seeing your posting I printed a copy of it and had all of my employees talk to me about how they felt. It was enlightening and a chance to open their eyes to the bigger picture and what role they play in the success of the business. Thank you for sharing your insight."

The most important statement in her comment was that it was enlightening for their employees to see what role they play in the success of the business. I think this is the biggest hurdle to great retail customer service that companies face today. Your front line employees work for a large nameless, faceless organizations and they don't develop a positive relationship with the company like they would a small business. It then makes it impossible for them to care about the customer service service they provide.

The Selling Point:
We live in a mass society. Don't believe me watch this video. We consume and produce massive amounts of everything and have an increasing level of choices presented to us. But the one thing that we can't do well in mass is customer service. That still needs to be done one person at a time. The best way to do this and drive your point home is to make customer service personable.
Mother Theresa is quoted as saying "If I look at the mass I will never act, if I look at the one I will." She of course was referring to charity, but I think it applies here. If you look at the mass of your customers its easy to gloss over and give general service, but if you look at each customer individually you have the chance to give great service.

Thanks for the comment mistab! And for everyone else keep them coming!

Technorati Tags: Customer Service Retail Mr.Movies Direct Mail Lead Generation

What's in a name?

2007-04-10T20:53:00.000-06:00

Not to long ago I posted about Mr. Movies and their customer service. Today I received a second postcard in the mail with more coupons.

But why does it says 'Resident' in the address line?

The coupons are a good idea don't get me wrong. But if you have my information and are going to send me a direct mail piece, you need to include a name. A missing name could be considered tolerable if this was the first mailing to me or they had just purchased a list for my area.
But its not and I used a couple of the coupons from their previous mailing.
Didn't you track those Mr. Movies?

The Selling Point:
In my last post I picked on the customer service aspect of Mr. Movies and the next time I go back I guess we will see if its improved. Now I am a bit disappointed in their direct mail program.

Is there any pleasing me?

Yes, If your going to spend the money to print a direct mail piece and have coupons included, put your customer's name on it. This will increase participation and your response rates. In this case it would have been particularly helpful since I used the coupons from their previous campaign.

Names always increase participation!

Technorati Tags: Advertising Retail Target Marketing Mr.Movies Direct Mail Mistakes

Know when to say when.

2007-04-04T17:13:00.000-06:00

I am here to tell you that doing business with your customers is a privilege and not a right.

At anytime they can fire you.

When a customer decides to stop doing business with you of course you should find out why and try to turn those objections into reasons to buy. You don't just say "ok, thanks!" and walk away. But don't make them feel obligated to stay with you.

Case in point.
I recently fired a salesman who was trying to sell me a product. The product was decent but didn't fit me and my application. Being the customer I know this much better than the salesperson. He tried to save me, and I of course informed him that if my situation changed he would be the first person I contacted.

[It's at this point that you and he should thank me for my time and put me on the back burner.]

But he kept calling and emailing me. He doesn't get it. I fired him. If he would leave me alone I might recommend him or call him when I am in a position to buy. But he won't back away and let me get air. He doesn't know how to back down!

There comes a point in every sale that you have to let the customer come up for air. Regardless of what all of your sales books tell you, this is a good thing. If you give them a chance to look objectively at the situation and keep your distance during this time they will appreciate you more. However, if you continue to smother them they will only back away further.

The Selling Point:
Kenny said it best "You got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em." As a salesperson you have to know when to hold on to a customer and when to let them go. Letting a customer go won't be the end of your career. In fact it will only help to strengthen your relationship with them. If you know when to back off, they will appreciate you more.
Selling is give and take. Sometimes you have to give up a little. Knowing when in the relationship that its best for the customer is the key. Don't overwhelm them and worst of all don't badger them. It will only drive them further away.
Learning how to keep your distance when needed will pay off in long the run.
You are in it for the long run right?

Technorati Tags: Customer Retention Relationship Building Kenny Rogers The Gambler

Would you miss your salesman? Part 3

2007-03-29T21:13:00.000-06:00

Here's another question about salesmen: "Would people buy your company's product(s) in spite of their salesmen?" -Tobin Johnson

Tobin's company is going through a major purchasing process. They like company A's salesperson, but not the product. Company B is the exact opposite, they don't like the salesperson, but the product is exactly what they need. He says they might buy Company B's product, but not because of the salesperson.

YIKES!

This should be an easy decision right? Buy the product that fits best for your organization, not a hard decision? WRONG! In one of my previous posts, Sales and Service, I explain why. "How you sell me is indicative of how you will service me." For Tobin's company those alarms are going off, and they should be. When you are buying something you aren't just buying the product you are buying everything else that comes with the product; such as the service, support, etc.

Lets look at it this way, would you buy a car from a dealership that had a sketchy salesperson and gave you an unsettling feeling about their service department? No. Even though it was hands down the best car on the market? Nope. Why? Because you would feel like you were all alone on a deserted island.

Now lets look at the reverse.

The dealership is top-notch, and you would let the service manager date your daughter. But the car is well... a bit less-than desirable. I bet 9 times out of 10 you buy from this dealership. Why? You feel like someone has your back. If that car blows a johnson-rod, or specs on the inline girder aren't spot on... no problem they will have your back.

Your not just buying the product, but the implied relationship that goes with the product.

So back to Tobin's question. "Would people buy your company's product(s) in spite of their salesmen?" Initially I would say yes. But the chances of a repeat sale, and buyers remorse are incredibly high. And the odds of keeping that customer for any period of time are stacked against you. Why? Well there is only so much relationship building a product can do, before you need the intervention of a contact person.

The Selling Point:
Sales is more than a transaction. It's about building a relationship with the customer to solve a problem. Good salespeople build solid relationships, and don't leave it to the product to do all of the leg work.
In my opinion, if your going to spend the time to develop a market dominating product, you should put as much effort into training and educating your salesforce as you did into building your product.

As always keep the comments coming on Part 1, 2, or 3.

Technorati Tags: Customer Retention Customer Service Relationship Building Sales and service

That reminds me...

2007-03-27T21:20:00.000-06:00

I was reminded of a great sales tip today.

Talk to your customers like you do your friends.

What do I mean? Be yourself, be personable and most of all be honest. All of your friends have these traits and you would probably buy something from them. So make sure you project those same qualities to your customers.

Its amazing how quickly customers can sniff out a lack of confidence.

Technorati Tags: Sales reminders customer interaction Customer Service Relationship Building Sales Tools

Would you miss your salesman? Part 2: Would your customers?

2007-03-26T19:19:00.000-06:00

In my last post I asked "would you miss your salesman?" My most recent comment was from Michael Roby, who has a fantastic blog and website. He responded with:

'Would your CUSTOMERS miss your salesperson?'

I know at my last job I had a customer that would bake me cookies every time I had an appointment to visit her school district. Do you have any customers that would miss you?

Technorati Tags: Customer Service Motivation Michael Roby Salesman Ohio

Would you miss your salesman?

2007-03-17T11:57:00.000-06:00

For those of you who read the Brand Autopsy blog, you have stayed up to date on the question that John has posed to us "Would you miss [insert some business that questionably fills a void in the marketplace]?" Its a great posting and you should read it.

So lets take it one step further.

Would you miss any of your salespeople?

Does any one of your salespeople pose such a value to the organization that if they left you would be in dire straits? Could they just as easily be replaced and the organization would move on?

In fact lets make this a series. I am going to post all comments... so by all means leave one.

Technorati Tags: Customer Service Motivation Brand Autopsy John Moore Salesman

Timeclocks are so yesterday

2007-03-16T09:14:00.000-06:00

Not to long ago I posted my "business ethos", what would be important to me if I was a company president. One of my underlying factors was to focus on the work and not the hours. Personally I think that companies would be more productive and keep people a lot longer if they focused on the work and not the hours employees put in. Honestly, how much time do you waste at work that could be spent doing something else? Wouldn't it be nice to come, accomplish your tasks and move on with your day?

I had all but lost hope on this idea ever entering corporate america.

Then I read this article on CNN yesterday about Best Buy looking into its scheduling procedures for its sales people. Instead of scheduling hours, you work as much as you need to accomplish your sales goals. What a great idea! Having been a retail manager and district manager for a few years, some of the hardest associates to manager are part-timers and college students. And its easy to understand why. They have a bunch of things going on and they don't have the same vested interest in the company that management or full-time associates possess. Understandable. No one says they want to grow up and be an assistant department manager in-charge of shipping and receiving, or whatever attempt at a politically correct title your company thought up for you.

Ok, so I realize that my last few posts are about Best Buy. And perhaps it appears as though I have been drinking the "Best Buy Kool-aid", but maybe I have. They are changing the face of retail and they are doing it with more than just words, they using actions. But more importantly they are doing for all the right reason, progress.

The Selling Point:
If you always do what the leader does, you will always follow the leader. So don't be afraid to change things up for the sake of progress.

Technorati Tags: Relationship Building Retail Best Buy CNN

Buy it. Now!

2007-03-13T12:01:00.000-06:00

"Hi! great weather were having huh?" said the Best Buy associate, an excellent intro line (more on that here), I responded nicely and told her what I was looking for. Her response shocked me. "Oh, you walked right past it, they are up front, as you walk in." Giving her a look of amazement I turned and walked up front. Sure enough there was the 007 display.

I totally missed it.

I missed it because I was programmed in the "old school" way of merchandising. You know what I am talking about, stick the stuff everyone wants in the back and make them walk through everything else you are trying to sell to get to it. The hopes of course are to sell the everything else to the customer along with what they want. In case your wondering, that is why the milk and meat are in the back of the grocery store.

But Best Buy didn't do that. They put what I wanted up front. Puzzled? I was, then I thought about it for a bit...

Hmm...
placing a product, like a recently released movie, up front DOES a better job of customer service to ALL of your customers than any associate could do. That's it!
It has to do with these three little words--transfer of ownership.

What ToO means to your customer base:

New customers: walk in, find it, and grab it. At this point they could walk out and in their amazement they would remember how EASY it was to buy at your store. If they were looking for something else, they could pick up and walk around with it, thereby increasing the likelihood of an additional purchase (transfer of ownership).
Returning customers: walk in, and buy it, without having to walk around the store creating clutter for associates who are trying to sell to new customers.

Transfer of ownership? What?
Think back to the last time you purchased a pair of shoes, what did the salesperson do? (Assuming they were good.) When they came out with your shoes, they probably had more than one pair. after opening the pair that you wanted, they handed you a shoe, then laced the other shoe to put on your foot. What did you do when they handed you the shoe? I bet you admired the shoe, you thought about how cool and enviable you would be with these shoes. You didn't look at the construction of the shoe, but thought of how envious others will be because you have these shoes. The salesperson didn't say that, you did. And you are your own best salesperson.

So how does this relate to 007 being up front?
Best Buy, in their infinite wisdom, gave themselves the ability to transfer ownership of the movie to you right when you entered. Now that the movie is in your hands and the money has already been spent in your mind, you can look around for whatever else you may want.

Kudos Best Buy! This isn't a new technique, but its ideas like this that will continue to change the retail environment and the way a customer shops!

Technorati Tags: Creativity Customer Service Product Placement Retail Best Buy Casino Royal 007

Spring ahead?

2007-03-11T00:08:00.000-06:00

Service is in the details. And I bet by now your IT department has flooded your inbox with reminders about the change to daylight savings time this weekend. PC's around the world may have the wrong time! Whatever are we to do?

I know all the news websites I check were buzzing with what might happen... oh no, will the computers (that run our lives) be able to adjust? Is this another Y2K? Will cheese still melt on pizza if the computer doesn't have the right time?

So I googled it...

I found that Apple was already on it. In fact, they have been on it since my last software update back in February. On their site they posted:

"DST rule changes for the United States and most of Canada are already available in Mac OSX 10.4.5 or later"

So why should you care? This is a perfect example of great service in the details. They already addressed the concern before it became a concern for me.

The Selling Point:
Anticipating customer concerns and having the mechanisms in place to alleviate them is a great way to build word of mouth advertising. So when was the last time you thought about the concerns you customer may have?

And don't forget to set your clocks ahead...unless your on a Mac.

Technorati Tags: Customer Service Relationship Building Apple Daylight Savings Time Mac OSX

Customer service the VR way

2007-03-08T19:37:00.000-06:00

Great Job Vertical Response! You have an awesome customer service department!

I had to call the customer service department today. The person that answered the phone was fun, witty, and most importantly helpful. I couldn't believe it! They do customer service with style and flare. It is actually a pleasure to talk to them! Let me tell you that again, it is a pleasure to talk with them.

So if you don't already use Vertical Response for your email marketing, I encourage you to start now. And by chance if you need a question answered from them... well you can look forward to contacting the customer service department.

Technorati Tags: Relationship Building Differentiation Customer Service Vertical Response

If I was a company president...

2007-03-07T16:35:00.000-06:00

This would be my company ethos.

The customer comes first. You need to be readily accessible to the customer and give them the answer you would want to hear. If we can't make them happy we don't need to be in business.
Have fun. When this place becomes anything less than fun--quit and find something that makes you happy. And by all means if its something I can do, let me know. I believe the company should challenge you to grow.
Wear what you want to the office. You should be productive, and if your the most productive in a suit--wear that. If its pajamas--wear that. The focus should be on the work, not the attire.
No Lunch meetings. In fact unless it involves a bunch of people I don't see the reason to have a meeting, two people are not a meeting, that is a conversation. When you boil it down a meeting just encourages 'group think'. Personally too many cooks in the kitchen can ruin the stew... and all of those other cliché saying that come into play here.
Don't be afraid to make mistakes. I would rather see a huge failure than a mediocre success. The most important thing is you tried.
You are responsible for everyone else's success. When someone new starts its everyone's responsibility to train them. This is your chance to give them all the knowledge they need to succeed. Don't let them be baptized by fire!
The 'cc:' and 'bcc:' line on an email doesn't exist! Period. If the email isn't important enough to go to the person, they surely don't deserve to see a copy of it.
40 hours. Thats how much time you need to put in between Monday and Friday. So if you need to run your kids to something. Do it. Your job will be here when you get back. Like to sleep in? Come in at noon. Your life isn't 9-5, so why should your job be?
Make sure you try something new at least once a week. If its a marketing campaign think of a good idea, and then think of a better one. But most importantly make sure you always try something that is different than the last time. If you are afraid to do that, then shame on us for hiring you. So re-read rule #5 for more clarity.
When in doubt, ask. My door is always open. We are all part of the same team, and I want you to succeed.

There it is in all of its glory. My top 10 rules for how I think a company should be run. What are your rules you would add to this list?

Technorati Tags: Relationship Building Motivation Company Ethos Values

Are you ready to buy yet?

2007-03-03T10:52:00.000-06:00

Brian Carroll in his most recent post points out a crime that all of us in sales is guilty of committing. You know what I am talking about.

It's the "Hi, I was just calling to touch base" phone call.

STOP! No you weren't. You were calling to see if I wanted to finally buy your product.

The Selling Point:
I can't emphasize enough how important it is to not abuse the phone. I can't say that I am perfect, (I once called a contact just to see how she liked her new car and I wasn't selling cars). But what it comes down to is how important the message is and the delivery of that message. Take the advice from Brian, before you pick up the phone--just to pick up the phone. Get with you marketing department, determine a reason for the call and get a relevant message.

Technorati Tags: Customer Retention Relationship Building Phone Sales Call Brian Carroll

And that's why Google will win.

2007-03-01T21:02:00.000-06:00

I recently switched and consolidated all my email accounts to Gmail. In the process of doing so I discovered how Google will win over the public.

Simplicity.

One page takes care of all of my Google Apps, Blogger, Analytics, Gmail. Everything.

The Selling Point:
This isn't meant to be a plug for Gmail, even though you should switch. But what's important is that if Google can make something so simple for any user, why can't your company? Honestly, take a step back and look at your company's protocol for a new client or problem. Is it a simple solution? Simple makes customers happy, customers who are happy--blog.

Thanks for great headline Nick!

Technorati Tags : Google Gmail Google Analytics Blogger Customer Retention Differentiation Relationship Building

What is customer service?

2007-02-26T15:23:00.000-06:00

If your in sales, and you probably are if your reading this. Then at some point in your career someone has asked you this "what is customer service?"

Here is my answer.

Customer service is EXACTLY what the customer thinks is service.

Long before you even get a chance to meet the customer they have "painted" a picture in their mind of what you should do for them. It's this perfect picture that they will hold you to and use it to evaluate how well you are or are not servicing them. This picture is based on all of the previous experiences they have had when making a similar purchase.

Notice how none of this is based on you.

So what do you do?

Start by interviewing your customer. Find out the purchasing timeline, and what need they think this want will satisfy.
Stay attentive to their body language. If it's a phone conversation you will have to listen to the tone of their voice. But inflection and body language are big indicators of how much they are paying attention to you. Lack of attention should draw a red flag!
Adjust your personality. People like to buy from someone they can relate with. Small adjustments to your demeanor could be the difference between landing the sale and loosing it.
Find their Hot Button. I can guarantee that everyone has one. It's the triggering factor for them to make this purchase. It could be envy, greed, or social status. Whatever it is make sure that you push it often.

The Selling Point: Customer service is different for every single customer. Those that do it well have patience and can pay attention to the non-verbal cues they receive. Establishing great service early on will perpetuate the positive customer experience and generate more returning visits. Customers who return will remember the outstanding service they received the first time. In short you need to take that "painted" picture of customer service and make it the Mona Lisa.

Technorati Tags:
Customer Service, Customer Retention, Retail, Relationship Building, Finding customer hot buttons