Archive for the ‘The Customer's Take’ Category

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Customer Appreciation Goes A Long Way

Read more about : (matching categories Lets Talk Marketing, The Customer's Take )
Posted by User ImageKristina Hill,April 11th, 2009

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I celebrated a birthday a few days ago and was surprised by all of the happy birthday wishes I received not just from family and friends, but also via email messages from organizations like my church, almamater, and even my dentist!

I have to say that I was impressed that these organizations would take the time to put a system in place to remember my special day. I know that these types of things are pretty standard nowadays, but I took note of these efforts nonetheless. For me, these “simple” birthday wishes went a long way in strengthening my connection with these organizations and increased the likelihood that I would continue my affiliation – whether it is attending and supporting the church, being an active alum, or sticking with my dentist – for the long run.

My birthday emails caused me to think about how important it is for business of all types and sizes to develop new ways to show their appreciation to customers. This is especially true in today’s business and economic climate. Customer appreciation outreach can be as simple as:

  • Starting a birthday club or rewards program
  • Hosting a dinner meeting with customers to get their feedback on products and services
  • Writing a thank you note to customers just because
  • Featuring customers in blog posts or newsletters
  • Or even hosting a networking event to connect key customers/clients with new business opportunities

This list could probably go on and on. Just think about things that would be beneficial to your customer base and add to the list. Developing and implementing sentiments like these can go a long way in attracting and retaining a responsive, growing customer base that will stick with your business through all of its ups and downs. And that’s worth a lot of appreciation, right?

Has your business implemented any customer appreciation programs lately? If so, what did you do and what was the outcome?

————————
About Kristina Hill

Kristina Hill is the owner of MarComm Creative Group, LLC, a marketing communications business that helps small and mid-sized companies tell their story.

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The greatest Consumer-Generated-Media question never asked?

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Posted by User ImageOwen Lawson,April 3rd, 2009

Consuming minds gotta know?“What are you buying?” is a question that every customer answers daily.  Members of the Twitter and Facebook community have been webnotized to update their chosen community with an answer to that great rhetorical question of the moment…”What are you doing?”   This question produces conversations that engage, motivate, and capture attentive audiences.  Is there a clearer example of what trusted ears can mean to an enterprise?  There are infinite takeaways from the rise of Twitter and Facebook that I’m still trying to wrap my head around.  The ability to extract great customer intelligence from the skilled process of open dialogue with your customers is something that I, as a customer, intuitively get.  In other words Mr. Owner, just ask me, “What are you buying?”

Use my answers to assess whether your customer delight plan is in synch with my reality.  Here are two ideas that businesses should use to increase their traffic (potential fans and supporters) and motivate their fans to random acts of support and evangelism for your cause:

  1. Ask us our story…incorporate techniques for listening to your customers within your customer delight process.  Having just participated in a local Non-Profit’s volunteer phonebanking drive, I was impressed by their ability to collect, listen, and create engaging productive conversations with their customers.  If your customer’s are not giving great testimonials and encouraging you to “follow them” your Enterprise could be “NOT LISTENING!”  Great customers see ourselves in your product and we trust your solution…find out why and remind your customers of why they are brilliant.  A business with a true “Facebook..What’s on your mind?” mentality is ready to digest the response to that question.  Listen with an empty slate.  Be one with the empty box on Facebook.  Be ready to receive your customers input.  Be quiet and let us tell you our needs and our wants. Demonstrate your organization’s mastery of listening by reciting “the takeways” that your customers wanted to impress upon you.  Incorporate our takeaways in your innovation process.  Let us hear our story in your solution. 
  2. Grow a Trusted Ear…A Trusted Ear relationship garners you more opportunities to command the attention of your customers.  I am attracted by enterprises that creatively and consistently demonstrate their listening ears.  Loyalty programs, robust open online customer communities, niche enhancements, and the “Were they reading my mind?” innovations are great indicators of a business with Trusted Ears status.  These types of customer delight initiatives remind me, emotionally, that I am listened to and valued.  Trusted Ears status positions your customer as CEO.  Empower your CEO to implement their strategic wishlist.  Sound like a big jump…you better believe it.  It is a great reason for reassessing the quality of your enterprises’ traffic.  Use your organization’s Trusted Ear’s status to hire great customers.  Trust great customers to lead your business.  The organization that reminds me of my CEO power is that one that will probably design the solution that great customers are in search of. Grow your trusted ears and watch your traffic explode. They are the, top-of-mind, enterprises guaranteed to make the cut…when the Greatest Social Commerce Question never asked is posed.  

Great businesses listen to gain understanding.  They listen to follow market instructions that will guide them to valuable opportunities.  They listen to capture their customer’s emotional attachments.  They listen to grow their customer’s experience.  They listen to learn the language of their customers.

My great business causes, at their core:  capture my interest (building traffic) and inspire me to upgrade my life with inspired, working solutions (converting traffic opportunities into testimonials).  

LISTEN, RINSE, REPEAT…“WHAT ARE YOU BUYING?”…Comment me your Buyography of ideas and purchases today.

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Prez Elect on Line 2! and You’re working on Your Service plan

Read more about : (matching categories The Customer's Take )
Posted by User ImageOwen Lawson,November 17th, 2008

You can’t pay for the product placement that President elect recently gave one of my all-time Chicago “Hole In the Wall” favorites, Harold’s Chicken, during an interview with 60 Minutes.  For Chicago Southsiders, Harold’s is an institution.  However, for me, I moved beyond raving fan.  This place is MUST EAT CHICKEN. This place is so good, that like Obama when describing my home address, I often used the location of the nearest Harold’s as a geographical point of reference.  In short, my culinary world revolved around Harolds.  It was one of the pillars of my fresh out of college, new to the workforce diet.  Their is nothing short of culinary magic in the timeless order and downing of a “Half White Dinner with Ketchup and Hotsauce and Slaw.”   You will want to chase that with one can of orange pop and one can of grape pop.  If you are celebrating something really special during your Harold’s feast, you may consider the timeless Tahitian Treat as your beverage du jour.  For those of you in my current neck-of-the-woods, “The South,” substitute soda for the word pop.  

Regardless of what type of pop you chase your Harold’s with, it is an institution that should be shared with the world.  What a wonderful world we live in when you can watch the President Elect make a side-reference to your gastronomic addiction of choice and think WOW…”I hope the owner’s of Harold’s Chicken take their product placement moment and make the most of it!  I hope they do it so well that the institution and magic of Harold’s spreads far and wide across this land…especially in my tiny hamlet of Charlotte, NC”  It got me pondering how but how could the legions of Harold’s Chicken Fans ok, ok, ok Harold’s Chicken Addicts carry the message of the Fried Chicken King across the great expanse of our nation.  Here are some quick thoughts from the voice of three Harold’s Chicken Customer, scratch that, Fan, double scratch that, Harold’s Addict/Connisseur/Freak:

  1. Post immediately on the shoutout that you just received from the Leader of the Free World.  You just had your business named by the Leader of the Free World…loop that reference into as many creative, fun, and engaging messages that you possibly can.
  2. Let your Webgend GROW!  Okay I’m stealing a little bit from a quote that Earl Woods offered his son Tiger during a tight competition to win his third consecutive US Amateur Championship when the father leaned into the son before a challenging and defining putt to seal the championship.  He whispered to his son…”Let The Legend Grow.”  In the Harold’s example, Letting the Webgend (combo Web and Legend) Grow means understanding who you are in the eyes of your Fans, your Addicts, your Missionaries (aka Harold’s Freaks) and exploding their appreciation for the value that you add in their lives.   For example going to Wikipedia or Googling will allow Harold to understand his relevance and awareness amongst Fried Chicken Freaks!  Listen and then recommit to letting your WEBLEGEND GROW!  Sink the putt with simply outstanding service that is true to your business’ highest aspirations.  Let those aspirations shine in your Webutation.  
  3. Ask your customers to weigh in on their connection with their theories of how Harold’s Chicken took a community organizer from zero to HERO!  What is it about that Chicken that inspires that type of greatness….Does it sound off the wall?…YOU BET…but it is the stuff that drives loyalty through relationship.  Harold’s does not have a Patron/Yardbird Hall of Fame…What a great time to start!!! By store location, create walls of fame that contain pictures, comments, and signatures of the customers that make that location great.   Now you have to be a true fan of Harold’s to understand how challenging a task this maybe…that being said…often the worthiest Promotional work proves to be the most difficult in successful execution.  Know that going in and commit to making it happen for your customers.  Our GLORY is often YOUR GLORY…any doubters please see the title of this post!  
  4. Stay genuine to your experience…President Elect Obama and his wife Michelle mentioned Harold’s Chicken while recalling their humble beginnings.  Tap into that authenticity and make sure that your brand thrives…”Chicken that is great creates greatness that is bold…Fried Chicken that is humble in its beginnings yet incredible in your mouth, priceless yet affordable, timeless, and yet YOURS TODAY!”
One last corny idea for the road…create the Commander-In-Chief Special.  Ask your customers what the special should be and than issue a proclamation from King Harold decreeing the launch of the Commander-In-Chief Special as recognition for one of the greatest product placements ever delivered for your Fried Chicken Kingdom.  Did I mention it was corny?…but remember this your business’ biggest fans will often be the corniest and most loyal subjects that your business will ever serve.  Fill their memories in a way that inspires them to deliver their outstanding and authentic endorsements of your service kingdom.  
Finally, when your customer is elected Leader of the Free World will your service and products leave indellible marks in their life such that they will, without pause or fear of consequence, acknowledge the presence of your business in their lives as a referential landmark?  
Your customer’s voice is worthy of the service and products required to garner the emphatic “Yes” to the aforementioned question. 

 

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Bolster Your Marketing With Speaking Engagements

Read more about : (matching categories Lets Talk Marketing, The Customer's Take )
Posted by User ImageKristina Hill,September 27th, 2008

Public Speaking

I’ve had a chance recently to speak to college students majoring in marketing and communications about what it’s like to work in the “real world.” I have to say, I really enjoyed connecting with the students. It seems like only yesterday I was on the other side of the isle, hanging on to every word guest speakers for my college classes said about the workplace.

As a business owner, speaking engagements can become an integral part of your marketing mix. There are people out there who would love to hear what you have to say about your particular expertise. Getting out there can strengthen your brand and generate awareness about you and your business. Here are a few tips to consider when adding speaking engagements to your marketing activities:

  1. Explore Your Options: There are a number of places in your local community to contact about speaking engagements. A few of these places are colleges and trade schools, organizations like your local chamber of commerce and rotary clubs, and planners for upcoming conferences and special events. Do your research and contact one of these sources or others to find out the requirements for guest speakers.
  2. Remember Your Brand: When exploring your speaking engagements, select an opportunity that reinforces your expertise and places you in front of an audience who will benefit from learning more about you, your business, and skills. You could walk away with a few new customers.
  3. Promote Your Engagement (Before and After): Let your customers and other publics know about your speaking engagement. Some ways to do this is adding information to your website and e-newsletter; placing information on local community calendars; and, if the engagement warrants it, sending a press release to your local media. Post event, highlight your participation in your e-newsletter and on your website. Also, place a recap on your blog if you have one, along with photos and video.
  4. Prepare A Stand-Out Presentation: Decide what kind of presentation you want to give – whether it’s a standard PowerPoint, group activity, etc. Whatever your choice, be savvy, creative, and engaging. Showcase what you know in a way that connects with your audience.
  5. Leave Something Behind: End your presentation on a high note by leaving something behind for the audience to remember you by. Some ideas are a branded give-a-way from your business, a condensed copy of your presentation, or a how-to or tip sheet related to your presentation topic. Be sure that your business name, address, email, phone, and Web information are listed so that people can follow-up with you.
  6. Seek Feedback: Seek feedback about how you did from the organization you’ve partnered with for your engagement. Also, let them know that you would be interested in future opportunities and offer to contribute content to their e-newsletters, websites, etc. on subjects related to your expertise if possible.

These are just a few things to consider when planning your next speaking engagement. Did you have a speaking engagement recently? If so, what kind of awareness did it help generate for your business?

————————
About Kristina Hill

An expert in marketing communications, Kristina Hill provides integrated marketing consulting services to small and mid-sized businesses through MarComm Creative Group, LLC. The business offers an array of services, including: public relations and media relations; advertising planning and placement; integrated marketing plan development and execution; and, writing services.

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Republican Delight…A Few Lessons on Resurrection

Read more about : (matching categories The Customer's Take )
Posted by User ImageOwen Lawson,September 9th, 2008

The end of last weeks Republican National Convention offers several much anticipated dividends for me personally.  First and foremost, my sleep schedule has returned to normal after a three back to back to back GINORMOUS events: the Beijing Olympics, the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention.  Each of these events offer BIG THEME TAKEAWAYS for organizations looking to delight their customers:

  1. The Olympics offered us a testimonial on the power of full scale organized mobilization of resources focused on overwhelming it’s guests with servce.  Quite simply, when in doubt, the organizer’s of the Beijing games delivered a service campaign that was simply overwhelming in its intent to delight its guests.  I’ll call it “Beijing-style Shock and Awe.”  It is one thing to be shocked by 1 million Olympic Service volunteers.  To watch those volunteers simply awe their guests with planning and execution that was consistently precise is to be reminded of the power that is derived from customers who are the targets of effective “Shock and Awe” customer delight campaigns.  Seek your customer’s inner rave and DEVELOP IT!  Give them a message and a commitment that they will run with and let your customer’s amplify your message.
  2. The Democratic National Convention offered an up close and personal testimonial to the power of consumer generated media (CGM.)  Throughout their week on the national stage and throughout the last fifteen months, the Democrats have harnessed the power of consumer generated media to build a movement that encouraged followers to organize themselves.  The party has embarked on an “open mic” journey that allows them to leverage the power of 21st Century word-of-mouth marketing by encouraging supporters and citizens to literally create the “Change” message and images that they seek to hear in the world.  Any doubts about this? Spend some time on Senator Barack Obama’s website.   They have unlocked the kinetic energy derived from engaging customers and encouraging them to participate in the development of the product.
  3. Resurrection on a dime…Watching last week’s Republican convention has reminded me of being in one of those high powered Executive MBA programs where you attend classes on the weekend and cover massive amounts of information in shortened period of time.  Those who don’t get it or who can not sustain the pace quickly become casualties of the program.  This party has committed itself to not being left behind in the political marketplace of ideas.  The Executive MBA assignment for the Republican party is to develop, reposition and launch their 21st century solution in a “live fire” environment.  The customers of this party are irate for all types of reasons and yet the Republicans are skillfully positioning their vision for delivering change that is valued by their customers.  The Party elite have used the voice of their organic customers to develop a beta solution that is credible, relevant and capable of delivering expanded support at the polls.  The Republican’s Big, Bold, Hairy, Audacious plan to go with a 70% solution in a hostile marketplace may be just what the PhD ordered to keep them from becoming casualties of the 2008 election cycle’s mandate for rapid sustainable change. 

Of more import, this approach mandates that the Republican party turn on a dime by:  1) playing down the Republican Party brand (very little Republican signage in the convention hall, hiding most things symbolic of the last eight years of Republican Leadership presence), 2) delivering a physical example of change that is comforting and reassuring (a female nominee that is historically different but politically appealing and message consistent), and 3) by demonstrating to their loyal customers a willingness to innovate while protecting the trademark features of the Republican brand.  Is it a tough sell in the face of today’s political marketplace?  You bet your Democratic mascot on it.  However, we should all be reminded that the organization and individuals committed to doing the heaviest lifting on behalf of it’s customer is the one often remembered and most sought by customers seeking delight.

“My friends”, as Senator McCain often states, these three lessons are timeless and yet this year it is very clear that the underlying principles outlined above will deliver “Change That Citizen Customers Believe In” within the political, as well as, the economic marketplace.  As we all rest up for the big day in November, let us remember these three customer truths:

  1. Overwhelming your customers with a “Shock and Awe” campaign is a mission always worthy of your time and often rewarded by your customer’s attention
  2. Find your customer’s pulse…their hot button issue…their worthwhile mission and solicit their efforts in designing solutions that will effect meaningful impact in their lives.  Do your customers see themselves in your product? 
  3. Model responsiveness constantly.  Responsiveness is the universal language of loyalty.  It is the oxygen that your business requires to earn the next service opportunity.  As your customers experience the output of your business process, focus on validating your customer’s authentic experience.  Live at the extremes…Understand what they love and what they hate.  Affirm the customer’s experience by providing tangible evidence that you are committed to the consistent and proactive innovation of your business’ ability to reform itself. Convince your customer’s in a manner and tone that they can relate to.  What opportunity will you use to experience, relate, and leverage your customer’s perspective to radically reform or renew your commitment to a new level of delight?

Leave no doubt about your commitment to resurrecting SERVICE EXCELLENCE!

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3 Pitches for Striking Out Service Mediocrity

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Posted by User ImageOwen Lawson,September 4th, 2008

During my last post, I recounted a recent encounter with Service Mediocrity during a trip to watch my favorite baseball team the Charlotte Knights.  I closed by offering to provide Mr. Owner guy three pitches for striking out Service Mediocrity.  Well, in keeping with the baseball theme let’s continue this conversation on service using the parlance of the national pastime.  It seems that I’ve been summoned from the bullpen to strikeout this pesky batter Service Mediocrity, known for beating some of the greatest business pitchers to ever grace the pitching mound.    Like any good pitcher, I am reviewing the resources currently at my disposal that I can deploy to retire Service Mediocrity: my scouting report, my technique, and my delivery.  So let us examine each component to better understand the process required for success in this situation.  There is a corollary between the science of great relief pitching and the the art of scalable customer delight. (more…)

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Take Me Out To the Ballgame…Lines!?!

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Posted by User ImageOwen Lawson,August 26th, 2008

…I don’t think so.  This Blog comes live from the home of my local Charlotte Knights Minor League baseball team.  Blogging was not exactly my plan for this evening but I needed something to remind me that I was a customer.  What has raised my ire you might ask?  How about standing in a concession line for forty minutes to grab some peanuts and cracker jacks!  In take me out to the ball game there is a verse that says, “Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks for I don’t care if I ever get back!”  Well I’m beginning to think that I WON’T EVER GET BACK TO MY SEAT.  Concession line service at Charlotte Knights Stadium has me questioning the wisdom of supporting this .

Now I return to my point Mr Baseball Owner Guy.  Customer delight in this economic environment means you don’t give fans an opportunity to question their impulse spending.  As I stood in line it donned on me that I came to the park to see a ballgame, not to watch Joe Six pack stand in line for sixty minutes to buy Nachos and reminisce about his Glory Days!  I arose from spontaneous consumption coma to remember that Mr Owner had not earned my recession cash.  Now more than ever the name of the game is Customer Delight.  Anything less than that will keep dollars you need in my pocket.

In my next post, I’ll give Mr. Owner Guy three can’t miss pitches for striking out service mediocrity.

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I Hate Your Dancing Website

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Posted by User ImageOwen Lawson,August 15th, 2008

Don’t you just hate it when your Google search finds gold only to have your enthusiasm squashed by a bunch of flashing, jumping and loud animated sequences at your destination website’s front door?  I do…

Can you imagine the look on your boss’s face when he approaches your cubicle only to hear the latest club tune blaring from that shiny new laptop the company provided to boost associate efficiency?

Can you see boss man’s scowl hardening and your credibility evaporating as you knock over your collection of branded pens scrambling to turn off the sound or navigate away from the website you so painstakingly researched?

Business owners think about this scenario happening each day to some prospective customer or client who finds your website and determine if pimping your site is really worth it.  Just so you know it does nothing for me.

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Customers Are an Empowered Groundswell

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Posted by User ImageOwen Lawson,August 4th, 2008

In this my inaugural Customer Flypaper post, I thought it appropriate to get things started by reminding all business owners and marketers that the day of neglecting customers has passed you by.  Social technologies like blogs, YouTube videos, user forums, social community websites and the like have empowered disgruntled customers in some cases to spread a lot of negative word of mouth about you. If you treat us well, we can use the same tools to become your best sales people turning our love for your business into a referral flood.

At the worst extreme a savvy, “pissed off” customer might create a blog or online community movement bent on the destruction of your company’s good name.  Don’t think it can’t happen? Consider the case of Jeff Jarvis a disgruntled Dell customer who took action after being told that he had to send his Dell PC in for repairs because the service staff didn’t have the parts; all this after having paid extra for special in-home service.  Jeff took action through his blog Buzz Machine and launched the post to end all posts, “Dell Sucks, Dell Lies”.

The post became the rallying cry for all of the pissed off citizens of Dellville who shot the rant and its offspring posts to the top of th Internet’s “best of” rankings.  The end result was a net negative impact on Dell’s stock price and income, the two biggest indicators of corporate performance.  Forget about me if you want, but i’ll be your Huckleberry.

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