BrianButler

I’ve found myself in the market for cars recently. With my daughter just getting her license last month and my son getting his license next month, it became painfully obvious that they’d need a vehicle to share to get around in. It was decided that they’d get my hand-me down, I would get my wife’s hand-me down and she’d get something new. As if that decision was going to be either a surprise or a long conversation. 

I was driving by a car lot the other day and noticed a nice vehicle that I thought may fit the bill. Not having time to stop, I took the name of the dealer down and called after I left the appointment that I was running a little late getting to. 

I mentioned to the person who answered the phone that I was interested in the car in question and asked if she could give me some particulars. “Oh, no”, she replied, “only Joe can do that”.  “Can I speak with Joe?” I asked.  “No, I’m sorry, he’s not here right now”. 

She was not allowed to give someone who was interested in potentially buying something any information. Say what?!

In an open-source world, well developed marketing communication strategies are no longer “push” driven. We all now reach out to find what we need when we need it with no barriers. And information can’t be kept from a potential customer in hopes of having the salesperson control the process. 

Review how easy you make it to access information about your product or service. Successful customer service isn’t always about how well you did for someone or how well your product performed. Often, it is just simply making it easier for someone to buy something.

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One of the most dangerous decisions that a company or organization can make is to think that everyone is a good customer. There might be a few exceptions but the general rule is to stay with what you’re already good at, or, focusing on the specific problems you are good at solving is a far better bet for customer satisfaction and long-term success. We don’t go to the general practitioner for a foot problem but rather a podiatrist. For heart problems we see a cardiologist and skin issues a dermatologist. In today’s ultra competitive world, specialization rules.

In much the same way, when you go to market you must know what the unique value structure of your organization is in relation to your customers’ needs. 

In a book written by Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema titled, The Discipline of Market Leaders, the authors discuss the 3 basic ways to organize your mission. The three options are; operational excellence, product leadership or customer intimacy. 

Operational excellence means providing dependable products at good prices with great convenience (Think Wal-Mart). One to one communication and relationships with customers are not highly valued because processes are streamlined and standardized and transactional efficiency is prized. Operationally excellent companies tend to offer less variety and follow rigid business plans.

Product leaders are at the cutting edge of innovation (Think Bose). They take advantage of all ideas whether internal or external, get to market fast or 1st and make their own products obsolete in favor of new ones. Product leaders are passionate about quantum leaps forward and “hitting it big” with one new idea.

Customer intimate companies focus on serving the needs of specific customers (Think Nordstrom). They are very concerned with the lifetime value of a client over many years of loyal buying. Deep knowledge of buyers’ likes, dislikes, buying cycles, patterns, and trends that may influence them is critical to the success of these organizations.

Know what you are, who you’re trying to attract, and what tool to bring to catch the right customer.

I recently went to breakfast with a business colleague at a fairly large hotel restaurant.
Now if you’re like me, and most people I know, you’d look for the sign that gives the instructions about how I’m about to be served. Either; “please seat yourself”, or, “please wait to be seated”. We saw neither.

And to make things even more confusing, there was NO ONE in any direction to help tell us with what we should do. Not wanting to break the unwritten rule we did not see, we waited. And waited. And waited.

After about 4 to 5 minutes we decided to seat ourselves and help ourselves to the breakfast buffet. We put our coffee, juice and first plate down and went to retrieve some silverware. When we got back to our table we found that our food had been cleared and table washed down.

While standing there more than somewhat both stunned and amused, the server mysteriously appeared again and when we mentioned what had happened she matter-of-factly responded that we could help ourselves to more food. And she disappeared again.

After finally re-loading our plates we found the eggs runny, the fruit not ripe, the coffee cold and the juice warm.

Be obsessive about how well you greet, and treat, your customers. If you miss the mark with their first expectation, chances are that human nature will find other elements of your service that won’t measure up. Just so you know, first impressions still count, a lot. Customers have expectations about how they will be served. What “signs” are you giving yours’?

Do you need more Customers? More sales? More Revenue? If so, then you need better marketing communication strategies. Unbelievably, one of the first things that too many companies cut during the recession. 

Why you ask? Because the ultimate goal of marketing is to attract customers by making yourself attractive to them. If they don’t know about you, then there is no way that they can buy from you. 

Marketing is everything you do to promote your business; from the second you dream about it through the time you actually have customers buy your products and services. It encompasses all aspects from naming and branding your company through the ways you present your value proposition to your target audience. Peter Drucker, the acknowledged leading management thinker of the 20th century, said that marketing and innovation were the 1st concern of all businesses, more important than anything else - including finances.

Good marketing is not an expense but rather an investment because it will pay you back.  Most successful companies, even ones that had a unique market position at the start, eventually have to differentiate themselves from the competition. The only way to do this in both the short term and long run is marketing.

Done correctly, effective marketing will: 
 

• Achieve all growth and revenue goals
• Communicate a consistent message about your company
• Influence customers and potential customers to buy
• Focus on customer needs
• Control the perceptions of the marketplace toward your company, product and service
• Convey the desired value proposition of your offering
• Allow for “top of mind consciousness” of your target audience
• Educate your customers and prospects as to solutions to their problems
• Communicate your expertise in a specific area
• Speak to customers’ problems and your solution

Effective marketing is the only sure-fire catalyst of continuous customer acquisition.

For years now, every 4th of July, we pack the kids in the family car and head off to the firework show at the local park. And while it is always entertaining, this past year we started whispering half way through that maybe we would not come back next year. Been there, done that. Seen one, seen ‘em all. Then, all of a sudden, it started. The mother of all finales. Explosions of color and sound all over the sky. It lasted for more than 15 minutes. Incredible! Definitely worth going back for.

How many of your customers feel the same about your service? Even if it’s good, is it enough?  Is there a wow factor, something unexpected that is worth coming back for? Remember the three possible outcomes of a customer interaction with your company. 

Expectations not met.  We know what happens then. 
Expectations met. Do you really want only a 50/50 chance of retaining customers? 
Expectations exceeded. Now we’re talking. 

Now, one carload of kids, even mine, would not dramatically alter the economics of a community fireworks show. Sure, a few less glow-sticks and buckets of popcorn and lemonade and hotdogs would be sold, but the vendors would not go out of business. But multiply the not coming back effect slightly and it just may. Try losing 3 or 5 or 10% of your business because you provide only average value rather then something special and see what happens. 

In this day and age of choice and global competition, deliver the basics and consumers are likely to judge you unfavorably. Deliver the basics along with what is expected and you might get a middle of the road rating. Only when you start to exceed expectations do customers begin to think about coming back on a regular basis. 

Once you’ve been to Disney World it’s sometimes hard to get excited about the local amusement park. Once you’ve seen the Grand Canyon the nearby scenic spots sometimes don’t measure up. When you’ve flown 1st class a few times, coach can seem like 2nd class. Because it is.

Your marketing communication strategies create a customer service expectation. Don’t let your competitors create a better perception in your prospective customers’ minds than you do. And don’t let your customers get more from your competition than they can get from you. Attention spans are short. Loyalty is fleeting. Give them your best effort, the grand finale, all the time. If you want to keep your customers, find something you can Wow ‘em with. Now.

The Allied Group is a marketing services company and a print fulfillment firm in Rhode Island. Click here to learn more about us and how we may be able to help you with your lead generation methods.

I want you…I need you…but there ain’t no way I’m ever gonna love you – now don’t be sad….cause two out of three ain’t bad. ~Meatloaf

One of the more popular singers of my youth, this was the signature line from one of his two most popular songs. We’ll save the review of Paradise by the Dashboard Light for another time.

Here’s my problem. I’m pretty sure that two out of three doesn’t work so well in the game of love. And I know for certain that two out of three doesn’t work at all in the world of business development.

Successful business development (long-term revenue and profitability growth) can’t happen without all three of the necessary elements in place and working well. All organizations must be able to do three things; attract, acquire and retain the right customers.

Attract. An integrated marketing communication plan usually consists of a variety of parts that may change over time but committed to so that no gap in getting your message out there exists. A winning marketing communication strategy could be made up of any number of tactics including unique lead generation methods, personalized direct mail and promotional products. The key is to get and hold a prospective customers’ attention.

Acquire. For there to be a synergy between marketing and sales support, both groups must get on the same page.  If marketing thinks one thing and sales believes they need another to close deals, only friction and inefficiency will exist. Better to have an open dialogue so that the all too often pointing of fingers for lack of results isn’t allowed to happen at your place of business. If your marketing efforts are helping you get to the table with opportunities, the trick is to find ways to assist your sales group in closing more of them.

Retain. With retention rates at all time lows and customer loyalty harder to come by, it is important to prove your value to your customer on an on-going basis. In the “good old days”, we could get by on being just good enough. But in the 21st Century, performance is not a nice to have but a must-have in order to keep your customers for the long haul. 

Picture a stool. You can be supported quite comfortably on one that has three legs. But have you ever tried to support yourself for any length of time on a stool that only has two legs? If you have great marketing that helps you find customers and a great sales effort that helps you get customers but an inadequate customer service effort that does not allow you to keep what you’ve gained, then what have you got? Or, if you have good sales production and convert most of your opportunities and good customer service and keep almost all that you earn but marketing does not drive enough opportunities to sustain your organization, what have you got? A one or two-legged stool will only get you so far.

Meatloaf was wrong. Two out of three is not enough. If you only have two pieces of the business development puzzle that work, eventually, you might not be eating anything but meatloaf for dinner.

Photo: ZME Music

So there I found myself at high noon on January 1st standing alongside about 250 of my friends and neighbors ready participate in the annual Penguin Plunge, eager to hurl ourselves down the beach and into the Atlantic Ocean to kick-off the start of a new year, and apparently, the swimming season.

It occurred to me that there were 3 pretty good sales lessons to be learned that day.  Having a hot chocolate stand there could have been number four but we’ll save that one. 

Here’s what I figured out. 

1. You have to learn about it before you can buy (do) it. The person I was standing next to on the beach said to me "I never knew they did this every year, I just happened to see the sign by chance the other day and had to come try it." In building a successful sales system you must first engage in the right marketing communication strategies to make potential customers aware of and excited about your product, service or event. No awareness, no customers. 

2. Somebody has to go in first. When penguins dive in the water to catch there food, there is always a first one to go off the beach or the ice berg to notice if there are any potential predators around. Banish any kind of call reluctance in 2011. Memo to self, there will always be predators (i.e. - competitors) – dive in first anyway and make sure you get to eat instead of being eaten.

3. There is power in numbers. Somehow, I know that if each of the people on the beach that day had to go one-at-a-time, fewer people would have reached the water. But you simply could not deny yourself the experience of running down the beach all together. There is an energy and enthusiasm that comes from achieving goals with others. Engage all the members of your team in accomplishing your big goals.

Good reminders for selling and I’ll re-read this when I wonder next year why I’m standing on the beach again.

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