The Day after Christmas

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

I don't need your stinking notes!

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

Discover and the (866) 402-1044 number

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?

Real vs. Reality

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

Second place thinking

I think this article points out two things:

1. Verizon doesn't understand the market
2. 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

Toilet water

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

Selling is not dating... I can cheat on you!

Warning: This post really contains no sales or marketing ideas. Its a rant, because I am frustrated with salespeople that try to woo customers with lunches in the hopes that they purchase their products.



As someone in sales I have a couple 'rules' I live by, and one of them is: You never take a client out to lunch.

Period.

What's the point? You show them that you know how to pay for someone else's meal!

Wow, I am impressed.

Its really a lot like dating, you take someone to lunch and hope that they fell the obligation to see you again? Is this our thinking when we take clients to lunch?!? Hope is a pretty thin proposition to rest a sale on.

So what happens when your client decided to purchase from someone else? You feel betrayed don't you? Darn it, you spent all that money on the client and they didn't buy from you!! Shame on them.

No-shame on you! Your not dating your client, you are trying to solve a problem for them. And unless your a soup kitchen I don't think feeding them solves their problem.

Your not on a date, you are on a sales call! Sell to your customers. Save your dating for your personal life.

The Selling Point:
Just because you take a client to lunch doesn't mean that the client has any obligation to purchase from you. You shouldn't use guilt to sell your item. If you do, your item really isn't that good anyway and you should seriously find yourself a new company.

tags technorati : Relationship Building