How do you function at maximum capacity?

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.

Technorati Tags: Customer Retention Customer Service Differentiation Retail

Fishes and ponds

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?"

Parade ready: what's your company float?

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.)

The CEO Role

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

Because they know you have a choice

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.

How big is your list?

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.

2 Great Points

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

Whats your job?

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

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

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

In over your head

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

Be unexpected.

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 the VR way

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

And that's why Google will win.

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

Pop-Rocks on my pillow!

The Chick Flick floor. That is the title for the 11th floor of “the CURTIS”. Every picture on the floor is movie posters for girlie movies. In the room there are pictures of Marilyn Monroe working out, a kid blowing a bubble, and a Dudley Doo-right bobble head adorns the bathroom. Did I mention they put Pop-Rocks on the pillow?

I had a bunch of choices on a recent trip to Denver, but gravitated toward “the CURTIS”. From the minute I walked in I could tell this place was different. The front desk staff was playing scrabble, and the name tags they had on didn’t proudly proclaim their title but their favorite movie.

I want you to take a minute and think about the last hotel you stayed at, do you remember anything memorable? Probably not. Today, most of the hotel chains across the nation are nothing more than cookie cutter versions with different names, offering us the same saltine cracker choices. It's really disappointing if you think about it.

So what would you do to compete with that?

Promise your guests that they don’t just stay here, but experience your hotel. That’s what the website for “the CURTIS” boldly proclaims.

This isn’t your average hotel. And the staff is way above average, and I didn’t even mention the hula hoop contest they had in the lobby on Friday night! Or the fact that they come by every night to turn you bed down and give you candy.

This shows what a great marketer can do. The color scheme is perfectly carried out, orange and brown (yeah that’s what I thought too, but it works) is everywhere. And what you would expect to have the hotel's name on it does (coasters, pens, paper). But this place is so much more than that. The alarm clock is a VW Beetle. They know your going to steal the door hanger, so they offer to customize it on the website and let you print it out. By the way the door hanger says "If this sign is a-rockin' don't bother knockin'!"

The promise is carried out in EVERY detail. You really do experience this hotel!

The Selling Point:
It's one thing to tell your customers they are going to experience your company or your product, it's another to actually make them experience your product. You can't just say that your product is amazing you must show your customers that your product is amazing! In selling and in marketing DO-ing is much more convincing than SAY-ing.

tags technorati : Branding Differentiation Packaging Pop-Rocks the Curtis Dudley Doo-right Denver Hotel

8 Degrees

That was the temperature on the bank sign I passed when I pulled up to the gas station last night. I had finally succumb to the glow of my low fuel light. But as I began to pump my gas I looked down at the nozzle and guess what I saw. Advertising!

Joe, Jack or Jim from the local car dealership had his picture on the nozzle and a bubble that said "Are you tired of filling up your old car? Come see me."

I know I am in the minority when I say this but... I like seeing advertising in unexpected places. And to me a gas pump nozzle is an unexpected place! Of course there are those that will say "Advertising is everywhere and its cluttering up the place." Fine, think what you will. But this didn't interrupt my ability to pump gas or slow down (thankfully) my speed by prompting me to answer all sorts of questions. So it works for me and it fits into the environment nicely by prettying up the otherwise ugly pump nozzle.

The Selling Point: What do you sell? More importantly what do you sell that you could advertise in an unexpected place and catch my attention. That is your challenge this week.

As an aside... I can't remember the name of the car dealership or the salesman because it was 8 degrees outside, unfortunately cold had been the clutter that you could not have anticipated being the reason I didn't pay closer attention to the message.

A phone call follow up...

Last week I posted about Sellingpower.com and how we should add that website to our toolkit for numerous reasons. Well, while I was there I signed up to receive the newsletter that they put out. I only had to enter some personal information, and I was done. Simple enough.

Today my office phone rang... it was Sellingpower.com!
I didn't think they would call?


They were just "doing a follow up to my submission for information, and wanted to inform me about the magazine they also offer." Lori and I had a great less than two minute conversation, followed by an immediate email that she promised to send.

I hung up being so pleased with the whole experience I am writing about. They quickly qualified me as someone slightly interested in the magazine, but not willing to commit right now. Rather than prophesying about how great their magazine is and how I should take advantage of the offer, they simply let me get on with my day.

The Selling Point: Qualification shouldn't be painful for either party. In fact it should be like a trip to a fast food restaurant--get in, get out, get on with your life.

Buy Me!

[Note: this is part of a webwide series of blog posts about compact fluorescent lightbulbs. January is the darkest month of the year in the Northern Hemisphere (December might be a bit darker, but with all the candles, trees and dropping balls, we work hard to light it up). To fight off the darkness, bloggers everywhere are invited to create a post with their own riff on why CF bulbs are cheaper, better politically, harder to market or just plain cute.
I first read about this by the remarkable Seth Godin.]





I want you to buy me. I am a bit more than your traditional light bulb, and to be honest a whole lot uglier. But when have light bulbs ever been sexy?

But I do make the world cleaner by using less energy.

However, you will walk past me everyday in the store, and buy the cheaper bulbs won't you? You think its really all a lie, and how can one bulb actually make a difference? You believe that by purchasing me I will only end up costing you more. Plus your not one of those hippie-tree huggers anyway.

I am sorry that my marketing manager didn't tell you a better story about me. About how I last 10 times longer and provide the same amount of light.

Its really a shame that he didn't give that warm fuzzy feeling about saving an average of $30 in energy cost over my lifetime. Or some of the other benefits listed about me on this PDF.

I can't make you change your mind about me, or the environment. No, you already have it predisposed in your mind that global warming isn't happening. And you could be right. But what if your not?

The Selling Point: Your not going to run out and change a light bulb until one burns out. (Unless your like me and decided to do it for the good of mankind.) No, your mind is already made up and there is little I can do to change it until something drastic happens. So I won't try. As a salesman I can't make you think any differently than you have your whole life. I can educate using facts. Not opinions, but facts. So as a sales manager or member of a sales team make sure that you are educating your customers using facts to paint an entire picture for the customer.

So in the meantime, when that bulb burns out, and it will. Buy a CF bulb. Just one, thats all I ask. And see if you like it. In the meantime, you don't have to make a drastic change in your life.
But awareness is the first step.

Winning the renting wars again!

I like renting from a movie store. I like going in, picking out what I want, and for the most part taking it home when I want. It's the thrill of the hunt I suppose. Recently, I began to investigate why everyone I know is renting from Netflix and I wasn't. And here is where the I found out how David is slaying Goliath with bricks and mortar...

When I looked at doing the whole online renting thing, the biggest thing that turned me off and still does is that I don't get it right away. So for me I don't mind going into the store paying more and having it now. But if money is an issue, renting online should really be the way to go. Then the obvious answer would be to rent from Netflix. Now if your Blockbuster, what are you to do? You have spent years builiding brick and mortar stores only to see that no one is coming in to them anymore. Well my friends here is the answer. You take that advantage and use it again your competitor. At Blockbuster you can sign up to rent online. Then exchange it in the store, for another FREE movie while you wait. Why wouldn't I go with Blockbuster? Netflix can't offer me that.

Product driven companies have really two choices for a delivery channel. They can put up a website or they build a brick-and-mortar store. Which do you think is cheaper? So what do you do if your an established b&m store and your faced with increasing competition from a website. Namely what if your Blockbuster and Netflix moves in to your customer base? Well you take the biggest thing you have (and they don't) and lob it at them as hard as you can.

The Selling Point:If your faced with tough competition in your market, take your competitor's disadvantage and make it your advantage. Because right now, I don't see any reason to rent online if I get exchange it in a store. Now Blockbuster gets the best of both worlds from me.

UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE!
I just saw a new Blockbuster commercial last night (sorry I haven't found it on youtube to post yet), but they directly take on Netflix with the advantage of the "exchange it in store" option. Excellent job of leveraging your advantage!

It Really Satisfies!

I have been eating Snickers ever since I was kid. Since then I can't recall any of the advertising they have done that really caught my eye. Not that I was looking at advertising from the same perspective I am now. But anyway.
Recently I was in Chicago for a conference. While walking around the city I could help but notice all the cabs with Snickers advertising. I kept reading Snickers when in fact some of the cabs actually said " substantialiscious, satisfectellent, peanutopolis, nougatocity, hungerectomy" I had been so associated with the look of the logo that I actually didn't read the words. the logo and words had just all became synonymous with Snickers for me. Way to go! You get a kudos in my book for excellent branding!
Check out the Snickers website to see what each of the sayings mean.

A book, a magazine, and a company that never stopped...

I bet your asking yourself what those three things have to do with each other. Here is your answer. The book: is iCon, a biography about Steve Jobs and the birth of Apple Computer. The magazine is GQ, and the company that never stopped trying is Palm.

About a year ago I read iCon and was really fascinated by the chapter regarding Steve's decision to drop the Newton (an Apple version of the Palm pilot) and move the direction of the company into portable music via the iPod. This was a huge directional change for the company, and a deviant direction from how it appeared the tech industry was going. Now in hindsight we see that it was brilliant decision that launched Apple to the forefront of portable music technology.

Onto the magazine and the company that never stopped trying. I recently received my January issue of GQ. As I was thumbing through it I saw an ad for the new Palm Trio that has Google searchability. And it really got me thinking. You know Palm never gave up, they weren't positioned correctly when the digital music revolution wave hit the technology world. But they never stopped working to innovate the product they had. They took what they had, which was a well-designed hand held device and worked to make that an advantage. If they couldn't get on board the digital music revolution, they wouldn't let the wireless industry pass them by.

The Selling Point: This is a key fundamental quality for a sales team within your organization--Never stop trying! I had a boss (now mentor) once tell me this quote in relation to searching for a job and I think it applies here. "If a shark stops swimming they die, so never give up and always keep trying". I think we can all learn from Palm, never stop investing in your product or your team even when the market doesn't seem to be going your way.