Posted by Mark Brousseau
Fearing your holiday vacation will be tainted with tiny tantrums from a needy boss?
"Fear is a big driver, and when bosses - and kids- don't have control, such as with matters of a vacation from work, a 'terrible office tyrant' or 'TOT' can emerge," says Lynn Taylor. "The inner child should, but doesn't 'stay there'," says the author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant."
Taylor, a nationally recognized workplace expert, explains that despite this relatively quiet time of year, many bosses can become needy, like toddlers who have trouble modulating their authority. "Senior management can't afford to take chances in this economic environment, and want to ensure there's a tether to…you."
In Taylor's book, she offers tips on "separation anxiety" in offices that appear to be more of a schoolyard running amok than a professional company. "A needy boss wants constant assurance that you will take care of all needs and deadlines, holiday or not. Some 'TOTs' at the helm may be taking shorter vacations themselves, particularly at smaller companies, which can exacerbate the sense that you're abandoning ship," she adds.
If your boss suffers from holiday separation anxiety, Taylor suggests these tips:
•Remain unapologetic when requesting or taking the allotted time off. Everyone needs a break.
•Reassure the boss that a little break now will translate into a happier, more productive new year.
•Make solid plans in writing for who covers what while you're on vacation. Provide a "to-do list" for your boss, which will reassure and suggest that your "TOT" can go skiing without thinking about you.
•Speaking of which, set clear limits; you don't want to be skiing after getting the 'big freeze' from the boss.
"Neediness may seem benign at first," says Taylor, "but it can quickly cascade into one of 19 other bad boss behaviors."
Do you have a needy boss? If so, how do you manage them?
Showing posts with label customer support. Show all posts
Showing posts with label customer support. Show all posts
Monday, December 13, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
7 principles that lead to social media success
Posted by Mark Brousseau
Let's face it: The business world is changing. Rapidly. While the object of the game is still to drive revenue, the methods have changed. Instead of a monolithic one-way interaction, business is now being conducted through constant and meaningful two-way conversations between organizations and constituents—at every stage of organizational development. And it's a good thing, too.
Not so long ago, the object of the game was to be cutthroat and dictatorial about business, and it helped if you could check your emotions and personality at the door. Deep down, did most of us really buy the old "nothing personal—it's just business" line? Of course not! After all, building a thriving business is all about making lasting, personal, reliable connections inside and outside of your company, points out Barry Libert. And these days, there's no better way to do that than through social media—in essence, by building your company's own Social Nation.
Libert knows what he's talking about. He is the chairman and CEO of Mzinga, a company that provides social software to businesses. Quite literally, it's his job to be social media savvy. And he's adamant that building your own Social Nation is increasingly necessary in the business world.
"It's true. Your employees and your customers want to be engaged on a very personal level, and not just through a survey or an annual conference," confirms Libert, author of the new book Social Nation: How to Harness the Power of Social Media to Attract Customers, Motivate Employees, and Grow Your Business (Wiley, 2010, ISBN: 978-0-470-59926-6, $24.95, www.socialnationbook.com). "And here's the clincher: If you choose not to engage with these folks, they'll do it without you—and you definitely don't want that."
Examples of Social Nations are everywhere. Today, customers want to rely on what other diners have to say to help make decisions about where they should eat next, rather than relying on traditional restaurant advertising. Open Table has brought together a nation of diners who connect online. Amazon has brought together a nation of readers for those who want to share their feedback about books and help influence the choices of other readers. A community of travelers help us select hotels that meet our personal preferences thanks to Trip Advisor. TheStreet.com steers us toward the stocks we should buy.
And it does not stop there. These and many other companies are all beginning to understand the power of creating friends, fans, and followers to build their businesses.
"Building your Social Nation means changing what you think it means to build a company," Libert explains. "This emerging social era is about engaging everyone around you to redefine what you do and how you do it—including sales, marketing, R&D, customer support, and product development."
Still skeptical? Then take a look at the hard numbers. A 2009 study by the Nielsen Company revealed that employees, partners, and customers spent 17 percent of their online time social networking or blogging—and 83 percent more time in online social networks than the year prior. What's more, these constituencies are driving advertisers to spend an expected $2.6 billion on these social sites by 2012.
Essentially, these statistics tell us that companies need to embrace and capture the voices of their employees and customers if they want to innovate and thrive. And at the same time, customers and employees want to impact all aspects of business by sharing their opinions, criticisms, and praise with companies—and with each other.
"It's becoming increasingly clear that building communities for customers, employees, partners, and investors is critical to the future vitality of business," confirms Libert. "In this new era, you can't underestimate how important emotional and social connections are, and how crucial it is to fulfill the needs of others and the desires of customers. When you embrace the Social Nation revolution, you'll create a better, more profitable, and more viable company or organization."
Excited to learn more? Then read on to learn about Libert's seven rules for implementing a successful social media strategy in your organization and learn how real-world companies have put them into action:
Rule 1: Develop Your Social Skills. Leaders in this new Social Nation are expected to follow as much as they lead, collaborating with their colleagues while still providing structure and support. In boardrooms and offices around the world, leaders are starting to become more interconnected, to put others' needs first, and to find motivation in helping others succeed. They facilitate rather than control.
Rule 2: Let Culture Lead Your Way. When building your social organization, remember that the DNA of the company is very important, so let an open and honest culture be a guiding principle. After all, culture defines your company because it tells employees what to expect and lets customers know who you are and what you stand for.
Rule 3: Mind Your Online and Offline Manners. How you say something—be it online or off—is as important as what you say, and can help make the difference in gaining fans, friends, and followers. And remember that technology connects people in faster and more transparent ways than ever!
Rule 4: Listen, Learn, Adapt. Social intelligence enables your company to benefit from all that is happening around you—including the conversations of your constituents—so you can adapt what you do and how you do it to better meet the needs of your customers, employees, and market demands. After all, it's a good thing to understand what your customers need and want and how they interact with your products and services.
Rule 5: Include Others in Everything You Do. As an organization that is seeking to benefit from membership in the Social Nation, relying on others in every part of your company is the only way to alter what you do and how you do it to generate new revenues and increase profits.
Rule 6: Rely on Others for Growth and Innovation. Friends, fans, and followers are instrumental in achieving growth in today's connected world. Instead of the "old" method of relying on focus groups that meet behind two-way mirrors, it's time to engage customers in a two-way conversation to innovate new products and services that matter.
Rule 7: Reward Others and You Will Be Rewarded Too. As organizations focus more and more on connections and relationships, customers want to be rewarded emotionally as well as financially. Successful businesses have to meet both needs.
What do you think?
Let's face it: The business world is changing. Rapidly. While the object of the game is still to drive revenue, the methods have changed. Instead of a monolithic one-way interaction, business is now being conducted through constant and meaningful two-way conversations between organizations and constituents—at every stage of organizational development. And it's a good thing, too.
Not so long ago, the object of the game was to be cutthroat and dictatorial about business, and it helped if you could check your emotions and personality at the door. Deep down, did most of us really buy the old "nothing personal—it's just business" line? Of course not! After all, building a thriving business is all about making lasting, personal, reliable connections inside and outside of your company, points out Barry Libert. And these days, there's no better way to do that than through social media—in essence, by building your company's own Social Nation.
Libert knows what he's talking about. He is the chairman and CEO of Mzinga, a company that provides social software to businesses. Quite literally, it's his job to be social media savvy. And he's adamant that building your own Social Nation is increasingly necessary in the business world.
"It's true. Your employees and your customers want to be engaged on a very personal level, and not just through a survey or an annual conference," confirms Libert, author of the new book Social Nation: How to Harness the Power of Social Media to Attract Customers, Motivate Employees, and Grow Your Business (Wiley, 2010, ISBN: 978-0-470-59926-6, $24.95, www.socialnationbook.com). "And here's the clincher: If you choose not to engage with these folks, they'll do it without you—and you definitely don't want that."
Examples of Social Nations are everywhere. Today, customers want to rely on what other diners have to say to help make decisions about where they should eat next, rather than relying on traditional restaurant advertising. Open Table has brought together a nation of diners who connect online. Amazon has brought together a nation of readers for those who want to share their feedback about books and help influence the choices of other readers. A community of travelers help us select hotels that meet our personal preferences thanks to Trip Advisor. TheStreet.com steers us toward the stocks we should buy.
And it does not stop there. These and many other companies are all beginning to understand the power of creating friends, fans, and followers to build their businesses.
"Building your Social Nation means changing what you think it means to build a company," Libert explains. "This emerging social era is about engaging everyone around you to redefine what you do and how you do it—including sales, marketing, R&D, customer support, and product development."
Still skeptical? Then take a look at the hard numbers. A 2009 study by the Nielsen Company revealed that employees, partners, and customers spent 17 percent of their online time social networking or blogging—and 83 percent more time in online social networks than the year prior. What's more, these constituencies are driving advertisers to spend an expected $2.6 billion on these social sites by 2012.
Essentially, these statistics tell us that companies need to embrace and capture the voices of their employees and customers if they want to innovate and thrive. And at the same time, customers and employees want to impact all aspects of business by sharing their opinions, criticisms, and praise with companies—and with each other.
"It's becoming increasingly clear that building communities for customers, employees, partners, and investors is critical to the future vitality of business," confirms Libert. "In this new era, you can't underestimate how important emotional and social connections are, and how crucial it is to fulfill the needs of others and the desires of customers. When you embrace the Social Nation revolution, you'll create a better, more profitable, and more viable company or organization."
Excited to learn more? Then read on to learn about Libert's seven rules for implementing a successful social media strategy in your organization and learn how real-world companies have put them into action:
Rule 1: Develop Your Social Skills. Leaders in this new Social Nation are expected to follow as much as they lead, collaborating with their colleagues while still providing structure and support. In boardrooms and offices around the world, leaders are starting to become more interconnected, to put others' needs first, and to find motivation in helping others succeed. They facilitate rather than control.
Rule 2: Let Culture Lead Your Way. When building your social organization, remember that the DNA of the company is very important, so let an open and honest culture be a guiding principle. After all, culture defines your company because it tells employees what to expect and lets customers know who you are and what you stand for.
Rule 3: Mind Your Online and Offline Manners. How you say something—be it online or off—is as important as what you say, and can help make the difference in gaining fans, friends, and followers. And remember that technology connects people in faster and more transparent ways than ever!
Rule 4: Listen, Learn, Adapt. Social intelligence enables your company to benefit from all that is happening around you—including the conversations of your constituents—so you can adapt what you do and how you do it to better meet the needs of your customers, employees, and market demands. After all, it's a good thing to understand what your customers need and want and how they interact with your products and services.
Rule 5: Include Others in Everything You Do. As an organization that is seeking to benefit from membership in the Social Nation, relying on others in every part of your company is the only way to alter what you do and how you do it to generate new revenues and increase profits.
Rule 6: Rely on Others for Growth and Innovation. Friends, fans, and followers are instrumental in achieving growth in today's connected world. Instead of the "old" method of relying on focus groups that meet behind two-way mirrors, it's time to engage customers in a two-way conversation to innovate new products and services that matter.
Rule 7: Reward Others and You Will Be Rewarded Too. As organizations focus more and more on connections and relationships, customers want to be rewarded emotionally as well as financially. Successful businesses have to meet both needs.
What do you think?
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
7 Tips for Turning Your Customers into Fans for Life
Posted by Mark Brousseau
No matter what industry or profession you’re in, there are tons of ways to win over your customers and create brand loyalists who keep coming back. Below are a few easy-to-implement ideas that will help you turn any customer into a fan for life. And though these tips address specific professions and businesses, keep in mind that great customer service translates across industries. Carefully consider each of them and think about how you can modify them to improve the service you provide your customers:
1. Offer flexible office hours. If you’re an attorney, financial advisor, or other professional whose clients are small business owners or any other busy business-type, you might consider offering to meet with them on evenings or Saturdays rather than during regular business hours. In doing so, you show them that you understand the time they spend with their business is essential and make it easier for them to do business with you.
2. Handle problems quickly. This is especially important for hotels and other hospitality services. Understand that your guests don’t need you when everything is going as planned. It’s when something goes wrong that they need great customer service to right their proverbial ship. When you’re presented with a guest’s problem, provide solutions on the spot.
“For example, if a busy guest’s luggage zipper breaks, what can you do to help?” says Kuzmeski. “Well, you might offer a coupon for a new piece of luggage from the hotel’s store. Keep spare luggage on hand for guests with a problem. Or simply offer to tape the luggage shut to ensure it makes it home safely. Figure out what you can do to get it right when something is going wrong for your guests, and they will keep coming back.”
3. Show them what you’ve got…before the big day. If you are a caterer, baker, florist, wedding planner, or any other professional who helps plan the most important or special days of your clients’ lives, always give them an unexpected taste of what you have to offer before the big day. For example, a wedding caterer might show up at the bride’s house a week before the wedding with a sampling of hors d’oeuvres. Or a florist might send the happy couple a bouquet of flowers two weeks in advance. By doing so, you show your clients that you care about them and also give them a preview of the great service you’ll provide on the big day.
4. Offer friendlier skies (and waiting rooms). Many people today view airports, and flying in general, as the places where all great customer service goes to die. In fact, often you can walk up to a ticket counter or onto a plane and never even have the airline employee make eye contact. If you work for an airline, know that many travelers today would just like to be acknowledged. Show your customers you’re happy they chose to fly with you. The same holds true, of course, for any business in any industry.
“Medical office reception areas can also sometimes be low on great customer service,” says Kuzmeski. “Their busy employees usually have to look at a computer most of the day, and they are trying to cycle patients through as quickly as possible. But by doing something as easy as making eye contact and smiling, you can begin to alleviate a sick patient’s stress—or in the case of the airline, a passenger’s travel worries.”
5. Fix it first. This one goes out to anyone who has ever gotten their freshly dry-cleaned clothes back only to find that a button has broken off of their favorite blouse or dress shirt. Or who has gotten their car back from the repair shop only to have another problem a week later. If you are a dry cleaner, fix the button—at no charge—before your customers pick up their clothing items. By doing so, you eliminate what could become a huge inconvenience for them and ensure they won’t have any qualms about bringing their next round of dry cleaning to your business.
6. Provide worth-the-wait service, without the wait. For doctors, hospitals, veterinarians, or other medical service providers, a wonderful way to win the love of your patients is to ensure short wait times and flexible appointment times. For example, one hospital ER in Florida sponsors a billboard that shows its wait time in LCD real-time—as well as the ER wait times at other local hospitals. The sponsoring hospital has significantly lower times. By doing so, they show their patients that they understand wait time is a huge concern, and that most people fear they’ll end up spending hours and hours sitting in the waiting room if they ever have to go to the ER.
This tactic could easily be modified by other businesses where long waits are often a customer deterrent—for example, “big box” chains and popular grocery stores, phone companies like Verizon and AT&T (where the transactions take a long time), or at coffee shops that want to show they have short waits during the morning rush. Or you can do this on a smaller scale in your own medical office or small business by having your staff let clients/patients know exactly how long it will be before they can be seen.
“Obviously, the shorter the wait time the better, but by providing patients or clients with the wait length, you can show that you haven’t simply accepted that long wait times come with the territory at hospitals, medical offices, and some businesses,” says Kuzmeski. “Show them that you don’t think it’s okay if they have to wait a while to be seen, and that you understand that people want and deserve better.”
7. Give it away for free. Vistaprint, a global printing company, made jaw-dropping value their hallmark. They did so by offering 250 business cards for free, with a nominal $5.67 shipping and processing charge, to appeal to their target market: cost-conscious small businesses. Today, 66 percent of Vistaprint’s business comes from returning customers. In the first quarter of 2010 alone, they acquired 1.4 million new customers—many who started with a free order.
“Offering freebies might also be a great way to get customers into a new restaurant or boutique,” suggests Kuzmeski. “Give first-time customers a free appetizer or special discount—along with great service, of course!—and they will be happy to recommend more first-timers and to come back for more themselves.”
What do you think?
No matter what industry or profession you’re in, there are tons of ways to win over your customers and create brand loyalists who keep coming back. Below are a few easy-to-implement ideas that will help you turn any customer into a fan for life. And though these tips address specific professions and businesses, keep in mind that great customer service translates across industries. Carefully consider each of them and think about how you can modify them to improve the service you provide your customers:
1. Offer flexible office hours. If you’re an attorney, financial advisor, or other professional whose clients are small business owners or any other busy business-type, you might consider offering to meet with them on evenings or Saturdays rather than during regular business hours. In doing so, you show them that you understand the time they spend with their business is essential and make it easier for them to do business with you.
2. Handle problems quickly. This is especially important for hotels and other hospitality services. Understand that your guests don’t need you when everything is going as planned. It’s when something goes wrong that they need great customer service to right their proverbial ship. When you’re presented with a guest’s problem, provide solutions on the spot.
“For example, if a busy guest’s luggage zipper breaks, what can you do to help?” says Kuzmeski. “Well, you might offer a coupon for a new piece of luggage from the hotel’s store. Keep spare luggage on hand for guests with a problem. Or simply offer to tape the luggage shut to ensure it makes it home safely. Figure out what you can do to get it right when something is going wrong for your guests, and they will keep coming back.”
3. Show them what you’ve got…before the big day. If you are a caterer, baker, florist, wedding planner, or any other professional who helps plan the most important or special days of your clients’ lives, always give them an unexpected taste of what you have to offer before the big day. For example, a wedding caterer might show up at the bride’s house a week before the wedding with a sampling of hors d’oeuvres. Or a florist might send the happy couple a bouquet of flowers two weeks in advance. By doing so, you show your clients that you care about them and also give them a preview of the great service you’ll provide on the big day.
4. Offer friendlier skies (and waiting rooms). Many people today view airports, and flying in general, as the places where all great customer service goes to die. In fact, often you can walk up to a ticket counter or onto a plane and never even have the airline employee make eye contact. If you work for an airline, know that many travelers today would just like to be acknowledged. Show your customers you’re happy they chose to fly with you. The same holds true, of course, for any business in any industry.
“Medical office reception areas can also sometimes be low on great customer service,” says Kuzmeski. “Their busy employees usually have to look at a computer most of the day, and they are trying to cycle patients through as quickly as possible. But by doing something as easy as making eye contact and smiling, you can begin to alleviate a sick patient’s stress—or in the case of the airline, a passenger’s travel worries.”
5. Fix it first. This one goes out to anyone who has ever gotten their freshly dry-cleaned clothes back only to find that a button has broken off of their favorite blouse or dress shirt. Or who has gotten their car back from the repair shop only to have another problem a week later. If you are a dry cleaner, fix the button—at no charge—before your customers pick up their clothing items. By doing so, you eliminate what could become a huge inconvenience for them and ensure they won’t have any qualms about bringing their next round of dry cleaning to your business.
6. Provide worth-the-wait service, without the wait. For doctors, hospitals, veterinarians, or other medical service providers, a wonderful way to win the love of your patients is to ensure short wait times and flexible appointment times. For example, one hospital ER in Florida sponsors a billboard that shows its wait time in LCD real-time—as well as the ER wait times at other local hospitals. The sponsoring hospital has significantly lower times. By doing so, they show their patients that they understand wait time is a huge concern, and that most people fear they’ll end up spending hours and hours sitting in the waiting room if they ever have to go to the ER.
This tactic could easily be modified by other businesses where long waits are often a customer deterrent—for example, “big box” chains and popular grocery stores, phone companies like Verizon and AT&T (where the transactions take a long time), or at coffee shops that want to show they have short waits during the morning rush. Or you can do this on a smaller scale in your own medical office or small business by having your staff let clients/patients know exactly how long it will be before they can be seen.
“Obviously, the shorter the wait time the better, but by providing patients or clients with the wait length, you can show that you haven’t simply accepted that long wait times come with the territory at hospitals, medical offices, and some businesses,” says Kuzmeski. “Show them that you don’t think it’s okay if they have to wait a while to be seen, and that you understand that people want and deserve better.”
7. Give it away for free. Vistaprint, a global printing company, made jaw-dropping value their hallmark. They did so by offering 250 business cards for free, with a nominal $5.67 shipping and processing charge, to appeal to their target market: cost-conscious small businesses. Today, 66 percent of Vistaprint’s business comes from returning customers. In the first quarter of 2010 alone, they acquired 1.4 million new customers—many who started with a free order.
“Offering freebies might also be a great way to get customers into a new restaurant or boutique,” suggests Kuzmeski. “Give first-time customers a free appetizer or special discount—along with great service, of course!—and they will be happy to recommend more first-timers and to come back for more themselves.”
What do you think?
4 Steps to Creating FAN-atical Clients
Posted by Mark Brousseau
You wear their team colors and refuse to wear those of their greatest rival. You cheer for them win or lose but are always full of advice on how they could improve (just in case the coach ever gives you a call!). You’ll do what it takes to watch them play whether that means braving icy weather or missing yet another Sunday lunch with the family. These are the makings of a true sports fan and the factors that connect you to tens of thousands of like-minded strangers.
Yes, sports fans are loyal and passionate—so much so that, for many, their team seems like a close friend or family member. Marketing expert Maribeth Kuzmeski says this intense emotional connection to what is essentially just another brand begs the question: What can today’s business owners do to make their customers as passionate and loyal to their products as sports fans are to their favorite teams?
“I am a huge Green Bay Packers fan,” says Kuzmeski, author of the new book …And the Clients Went Wild! How Savvy Professionals Win All the Business They Want (Wiley, 2010, ISBN: 978-0-470-60176-1, $24.95, www.AndTheClientsWentWild.com). “I learned about football, the Packers, and what it means to be a fan from my football-loving grandmother. We cheered for our team when they were terrible and basked in the glow of the wins when they were better. But we never considered moving to another.”
While Kuzmeski now lives in a different football town where another big NFL franchise gets all the attention, she insists that the Packers are still “my team.” And it’s that level of loyalty that she strives to help her clients create in their customers.
“Fan loyalty is an emotional connection that’s often stronger than any other loyalty, frequently due to generational or family-based connections—or, for those who fiercely cheer for their college, or even high school, alma maters, connections based on nostalgia,” she adds. “Many business owners today might assume that there is no way they can elicit such passion from their customers, but with the right strategies, it is possible.”
In her new book, Kuzmeski explains that in order to truly get clients to “go wild” about your business, there must be an overriding and strong emotional connection—similar to the one you might feel for your favorite sports team.
“Success is all in what you offer and how you offer it,” she says. “You can get others to connect to your company, product, or service by passionately delivering whatever you have to offer. This is a true differentiator, because so few people and businesses actually act with this kind of enthusiasm. Thus, when you exhibit it, your customers and potential customers will take notice.”
If you want to learn how to create a die-hard-sports-fan level of loyalty among your customers, read on for Kuzmeski’s four absolutes for inspiring that kind of passion:
1. Offer something unique. Whatever you’re offering your customers can’t just be better; it has to be different. In order to gain exposure, it helps to be or to offer something unique—or do something that no one else dares.
A great example of a company that understands the “different is better” mantra is Buc-ee’s gas stations. They have focused their number-one offering on what people dread most about stopping at a gas station: the bathrooms! Each of the thirty locations has incredibly clean, substantially sized bathrooms, along with full-time attendants to keep them in tip-top shape. And happy customers regularly post testimonials on the company’s blog. Buc-ee’s built their entire business around the bathrooms—a feature they knew they could use to differentiate their business.
“This is a great example of how looking at things from a different perspective can really pay off,” Kuzmeski says. “Instead of focusing on what clients liked about their industry, they chose to plan their strategy around what customers liked the least and improve upon it. Think about what people dislike most about your industry, service, or product offering. What solutions can you offer? It’s a great way to differentiate yourself from your competition and to create some buzz in the process!”
2. Create something valuable (and viral!). This strategy is two-fold. First, you must have something valuable to say—a message your customers will want to pass on to others. Then, you have to make it easy for them to pass that message on. When it is really easy for customers to pass along information about your brand, they will.
“You might kick off this strategy by creating a simple, repeatable message,” suggests Kuzmeski. “People have an average attention span of only seventeen seconds, so you have to get their attention quickly. A short, clear message will certainly do the trick. Think about Google. For the most part, the company does not advertise, and certainly did not advertise its initial offering of its web search site.
“Do you remember how you found out about the search engine?” she adds. “People were just passing along the straightforward message that you can ‘search for anything and everything on the internet for free at www.google.com.’ The message became viral, and the company’s growth notoriously exploded. It’s truly a great example of a simple, repeatable statement of value that was so easy to pass on that it spread like, well, a virus!”
3. Understand the difference between features and benefits. Too many businesses accentuate the features of their products or services rather than the benefits—which are what your clients really care about. Benefits are value statements about the features of a product or service, with an emphasis on what the customer gets. For example, “Open 24 Hours” is a feature. The benefit is that the business will be open whenever the customer needs it. Or say you’ve been in financial services for twenty years. That is a feature. The benefit for your clients is the experience, working knowledge, and years of training that result from your length of time in the business.
“Too many companies leave it up to their prospects to figure out the benefits of their products or services,” notes Kuzmeski. “Remember, you may be steeped in information about your products and services, but they aren’t. When you try to sell them on features alone, you’re asking the customer to do all the work—and she probably won’t. Bottom line: It’s in your best interest to draw a crystal clear picture of a product’s or service’s benefits for a prospective buyer.”
4. Don’t just say it. Do it! Often, the things you can do to turn your customers into die-hard fans are right under your nose. They’re the things you do every day, or those things you do simply because you want to provide your customers with the service they deserve. Kuzmeski tells a story about one of her financial advisor clients who didn’t have to proclaim that he provided excellent service—he lived it. And going the extra mile ended up paying off in a big way.
“One day this financial advisor got a call from a pastor explaining that an elderly woman at his church was completely lost,” relates Kuzmeski. “Her husband had recently passed away, and she didn’t know where any of the important papers regarding her estate were located. The advisor ended up going to her home to help her find her insurance policies and other important files. He ended up helping her uncover documents indicating $700,000 in assets! And he didn’t charge her a penny.
“Based on what he did for her, he created a survivorship program and quickly started receiving referrals from all over his community,” she adds. “Rather than ask to be trusted, he had shown he was trustworthy. Instead of asking her to trust him, he had shown his client she could trust him.”
“Making screaming, loyal fans out of your customers won’t be easy, but it is absolutely possible,” says Kuzmeski. “You simply have to give them a product or service worth going wild about. Hit on all of the absolutes I’ve provided, and before you know it, you’ll have clients who stick with you through thick and thin and cheer you on every chance they get.”
What do you think?
You wear their team colors and refuse to wear those of their greatest rival. You cheer for them win or lose but are always full of advice on how they could improve (just in case the coach ever gives you a call!). You’ll do what it takes to watch them play whether that means braving icy weather or missing yet another Sunday lunch with the family. These are the makings of a true sports fan and the factors that connect you to tens of thousands of like-minded strangers.
Yes, sports fans are loyal and passionate—so much so that, for many, their team seems like a close friend or family member. Marketing expert Maribeth Kuzmeski says this intense emotional connection to what is essentially just another brand begs the question: What can today’s business owners do to make their customers as passionate and loyal to their products as sports fans are to their favorite teams?
“I am a huge Green Bay Packers fan,” says Kuzmeski, author of the new book …And the Clients Went Wild! How Savvy Professionals Win All the Business They Want (Wiley, 2010, ISBN: 978-0-470-60176-1, $24.95, www.AndTheClientsWentWild.com). “I learned about football, the Packers, and what it means to be a fan from my football-loving grandmother. We cheered for our team when they were terrible and basked in the glow of the wins when they were better. But we never considered moving to another.”
While Kuzmeski now lives in a different football town where another big NFL franchise gets all the attention, she insists that the Packers are still “my team.” And it’s that level of loyalty that she strives to help her clients create in their customers.
“Fan loyalty is an emotional connection that’s often stronger than any other loyalty, frequently due to generational or family-based connections—or, for those who fiercely cheer for their college, or even high school, alma maters, connections based on nostalgia,” she adds. “Many business owners today might assume that there is no way they can elicit such passion from their customers, but with the right strategies, it is possible.”
In her new book, Kuzmeski explains that in order to truly get clients to “go wild” about your business, there must be an overriding and strong emotional connection—similar to the one you might feel for your favorite sports team.
“Success is all in what you offer and how you offer it,” she says. “You can get others to connect to your company, product, or service by passionately delivering whatever you have to offer. This is a true differentiator, because so few people and businesses actually act with this kind of enthusiasm. Thus, when you exhibit it, your customers and potential customers will take notice.”
If you want to learn how to create a die-hard-sports-fan level of loyalty among your customers, read on for Kuzmeski’s four absolutes for inspiring that kind of passion:
1. Offer something unique. Whatever you’re offering your customers can’t just be better; it has to be different. In order to gain exposure, it helps to be or to offer something unique—or do something that no one else dares.
A great example of a company that understands the “different is better” mantra is Buc-ee’s gas stations. They have focused their number-one offering on what people dread most about stopping at a gas station: the bathrooms! Each of the thirty locations has incredibly clean, substantially sized bathrooms, along with full-time attendants to keep them in tip-top shape. And happy customers regularly post testimonials on the company’s blog. Buc-ee’s built their entire business around the bathrooms—a feature they knew they could use to differentiate their business.
“This is a great example of how looking at things from a different perspective can really pay off,” Kuzmeski says. “Instead of focusing on what clients liked about their industry, they chose to plan their strategy around what customers liked the least and improve upon it. Think about what people dislike most about your industry, service, or product offering. What solutions can you offer? It’s a great way to differentiate yourself from your competition and to create some buzz in the process!”
2. Create something valuable (and viral!). This strategy is two-fold. First, you must have something valuable to say—a message your customers will want to pass on to others. Then, you have to make it easy for them to pass that message on. When it is really easy for customers to pass along information about your brand, they will.
“You might kick off this strategy by creating a simple, repeatable message,” suggests Kuzmeski. “People have an average attention span of only seventeen seconds, so you have to get their attention quickly. A short, clear message will certainly do the trick. Think about Google. For the most part, the company does not advertise, and certainly did not advertise its initial offering of its web search site.
“Do you remember how you found out about the search engine?” she adds. “People were just passing along the straightforward message that you can ‘search for anything and everything on the internet for free at www.google.com.’ The message became viral, and the company’s growth notoriously exploded. It’s truly a great example of a simple, repeatable statement of value that was so easy to pass on that it spread like, well, a virus!”
3. Understand the difference between features and benefits. Too many businesses accentuate the features of their products or services rather than the benefits—which are what your clients really care about. Benefits are value statements about the features of a product or service, with an emphasis on what the customer gets. For example, “Open 24 Hours” is a feature. The benefit is that the business will be open whenever the customer needs it. Or say you’ve been in financial services for twenty years. That is a feature. The benefit for your clients is the experience, working knowledge, and years of training that result from your length of time in the business.
“Too many companies leave it up to their prospects to figure out the benefits of their products or services,” notes Kuzmeski. “Remember, you may be steeped in information about your products and services, but they aren’t. When you try to sell them on features alone, you’re asking the customer to do all the work—and she probably won’t. Bottom line: It’s in your best interest to draw a crystal clear picture of a product’s or service’s benefits for a prospective buyer.”
4. Don’t just say it. Do it! Often, the things you can do to turn your customers into die-hard fans are right under your nose. They’re the things you do every day, or those things you do simply because you want to provide your customers with the service they deserve. Kuzmeski tells a story about one of her financial advisor clients who didn’t have to proclaim that he provided excellent service—he lived it. And going the extra mile ended up paying off in a big way.
“One day this financial advisor got a call from a pastor explaining that an elderly woman at his church was completely lost,” relates Kuzmeski. “Her husband had recently passed away, and she didn’t know where any of the important papers regarding her estate were located. The advisor ended up going to her home to help her find her insurance policies and other important files. He ended up helping her uncover documents indicating $700,000 in assets! And he didn’t charge her a penny.
“Based on what he did for her, he created a survivorship program and quickly started receiving referrals from all over his community,” she adds. “Rather than ask to be trusted, he had shown he was trustworthy. Instead of asking her to trust him, he had shown his client she could trust him.”
“Making screaming, loyal fans out of your customers won’t be easy, but it is absolutely possible,” says Kuzmeski. “You simply have to give them a product or service worth going wild about. Hit on all of the absolutes I’ve provided, and before you know it, you’ll have clients who stick with you through thick and thin and cheer you on every chance they get.”
What do you think?
Friday, September 24, 2010
10 Pitfalls to Avoid When Going Social
If you were to make a list of up-and-coming business trends, social media strategies would probably be near the top. Actually, scratch that "up-and-coming" part—social media is already here. However, thousands of companies are rushing headlong into the profile-creating, news-tweeting, blog-posting frenzy...only to find that their valiant efforts are not getting the results they had hoped. If you're looking for fans, followers, and friends to build a Social Nation around your business, don't panic, says Barry Libert. There is simple advice that will help businesses avoid the pitfalls and make a strong online impact.
"It's true: there are countless benefits to joining what I call the Social Nation revolution—but just like any strategy for growth, social media isn't foolproof," points out Libert, author of the new book Social Nation: How to Harness the Power of Social Media to Attract Customers, Motivate Employees, and Grow Your Business. "If you don't want your company's social strategy to fall flat, there are some guidelines you'll need to follow."
Libert knows what he's talking about. After all, he's the Chairman and CEO of Mzinga, a company that provides social software to businesses. Quite literally, it's his job to be social media savvy. And he's adamant that before you start building your own Social Nation, you need to have a well-researched game plan.
"When it comes to building a successful social network for your company, you need to understand that there's a lot of prep work to be done," he explains. "You can't just set up a Facebook profile for your company, tweet once or twice a day, and expect public interest in your company to shoot through the roof. Far from it, actually."
Think about it this way: if you were in charge of your company's booth at a trade show or conference, you wouldn't just slap your company's logo onto a piece of poster board, place your business cards on the table, and hope for the best, would you? Of course not. Yet that's exactly how some companies approach social media—and that's why so many of these initiatives fail.
"If you want to become a meaningful part of social conversations and interactions," explains Libert, "you've got to know who your target 'fan base' is, where they spend their time online, and what sorts of content and programming is valuable and relevant to them, and will foster their continued interest and participation. You also need to make sure you have the wherewithal to commit to growing and sustaining your Social Nation, and you've got to make sure that you have buy-in from within your company. And that's just for starters."
Sure, it may sound intimidating, but don't give up yet. Half the battle is knowing which mistakes not to make, and Libert, in the book Social Nation, is eager to share the top 10 social media pitfalls he's seen organizations fall victim to in the past. Read on to discover what they are:
Pitfall #1: Running a Social Nation like a traditional business. If you want to run a social company, you first need to understand that almost everything you do is a two-way street. That is to say, you're not going to prosper if your products and services are designed solely by folks on the inside. You need to embrace the perspectives and contributions of your employees, as well as those of customers and partners.
Pitfall #2: Underinvesting in social initiatives and abandoning them too soon. Understand that a Social Nation is organic—it won't materialize with a proverbial snap of the fingers. Early on, you'll need to invest a good deal of time, thought, and money in attracting fans and followers—and your efforts will need to be sustained. Only after you've built a firm foundation will your social network begin to sustain itself through participant contribution and recommendation.
Pitfall #3: Neglecting to find ways to encourage and inspire your Social Nation's followers and fans. When you stop to think about it, you'll realize that your fans and followers are essentially volunteering their time and energy to serve as developers, sounding boards, and advertisements for your company. So for goodness' sake, respect what they have to say and take their input to heart!
Pitfall #4: Relying on a "build-it-and-they-will-come" mentality. Ummm...you don't really think that launching a new website and firing off posts at various online networking hotspots will bring fans and followers flocking, do you? Of course not! To some extent—usually a large one—you'll need to purposefully reach out to potential community members and make it worth their while to accept your invitation.
Pitfall #5: Delaying the process of going social. Contrary to what you may wish, your company doesn't have the luxury of waiting until it's "convenient" to go social. Why? Well, you have competitors, right? And if you don't start gathering loyal followers and fans now, there's a good chance that some other company will woo them first.
Pitfall #6: Underestimating the power of a Social Nation. If you believe that social networking is just a window dressing that your company "needs" (but not really), then think again. Social media and community collaboration bring many benefits, including brand-building, customer loyalty and retention, cost reductions, improved productivity, and revenue growth.
Pitfall #7: Neglecting employees, partners, investors, or customers when building your Social Nation. Yes, set up a "focus group" of employees to serve as community leaders who will shepherd your company into the social networking world, but don't put all of the power in their hands. Social Nations are organic organizations, so the more people who are empowered to influence yours, the better.
Pitfall #8: Relying on traditional approaches when designing your Social Nation. A decade ago, you probably would have been horrified at the thought of releasing ideas and products into the hands of your customers before they were as complete as you could get them. With social networking, that monolithic approach is now becoming obsolete.
Pitfall #9: Developing your own social software and analytics solutions. You wouldn't dream of placing "remodeling the office" or "handling legal issues" in the Do It Yourself category, would you? Not too many would. Instead, you'd hire someone skilled in those areas. Do yourself a favor and use the same strategy when it comes to building your own Social Nation.
Pitfall #10: Getting caught without partners to help you succeed. Libert has alluded to this one before, but it bears specific emphasis: make sure that you truly treat your community members as partners, not just as fans or numbers. Yes, integrating into the social web (Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks) is key to your company's future success, but being connected to the social web is only a part of what you need to do. Shifting your business strategically, culturally, and operationally are key components to the equation.
What do you think?
"It's true: there are countless benefits to joining what I call the Social Nation revolution—but just like any strategy for growth, social media isn't foolproof," points out Libert, author of the new book Social Nation: How to Harness the Power of Social Media to Attract Customers, Motivate Employees, and Grow Your Business. "If you don't want your company's social strategy to fall flat, there are some guidelines you'll need to follow."
Libert knows what he's talking about. After all, he's the Chairman and CEO of Mzinga, a company that provides social software to businesses. Quite literally, it's his job to be social media savvy. And he's adamant that before you start building your own Social Nation, you need to have a well-researched game plan.
"When it comes to building a successful social network for your company, you need to understand that there's a lot of prep work to be done," he explains. "You can't just set up a Facebook profile for your company, tweet once or twice a day, and expect public interest in your company to shoot through the roof. Far from it, actually."
Think about it this way: if you were in charge of your company's booth at a trade show or conference, you wouldn't just slap your company's logo onto a piece of poster board, place your business cards on the table, and hope for the best, would you? Of course not. Yet that's exactly how some companies approach social media—and that's why so many of these initiatives fail.
"If you want to become a meaningful part of social conversations and interactions," explains Libert, "you've got to know who your target 'fan base' is, where they spend their time online, and what sorts of content and programming is valuable and relevant to them, and will foster their continued interest and participation. You also need to make sure you have the wherewithal to commit to growing and sustaining your Social Nation, and you've got to make sure that you have buy-in from within your company. And that's just for starters."
Sure, it may sound intimidating, but don't give up yet. Half the battle is knowing which mistakes not to make, and Libert, in the book Social Nation, is eager to share the top 10 social media pitfalls he's seen organizations fall victim to in the past. Read on to discover what they are:
Pitfall #1: Running a Social Nation like a traditional business. If you want to run a social company, you first need to understand that almost everything you do is a two-way street. That is to say, you're not going to prosper if your products and services are designed solely by folks on the inside. You need to embrace the perspectives and contributions of your employees, as well as those of customers and partners.
Pitfall #2: Underinvesting in social initiatives and abandoning them too soon. Understand that a Social Nation is organic—it won't materialize with a proverbial snap of the fingers. Early on, you'll need to invest a good deal of time, thought, and money in attracting fans and followers—and your efforts will need to be sustained. Only after you've built a firm foundation will your social network begin to sustain itself through participant contribution and recommendation.
Pitfall #3: Neglecting to find ways to encourage and inspire your Social Nation's followers and fans. When you stop to think about it, you'll realize that your fans and followers are essentially volunteering their time and energy to serve as developers, sounding boards, and advertisements for your company. So for goodness' sake, respect what they have to say and take their input to heart!
Pitfall #4: Relying on a "build-it-and-they-will-come" mentality. Ummm...you don't really think that launching a new website and firing off posts at various online networking hotspots will bring fans and followers flocking, do you? Of course not! To some extent—usually a large one—you'll need to purposefully reach out to potential community members and make it worth their while to accept your invitation.
Pitfall #5: Delaying the process of going social. Contrary to what you may wish, your company doesn't have the luxury of waiting until it's "convenient" to go social. Why? Well, you have competitors, right? And if you don't start gathering loyal followers and fans now, there's a good chance that some other company will woo them first.
Pitfall #6: Underestimating the power of a Social Nation. If you believe that social networking is just a window dressing that your company "needs" (but not really), then think again. Social media and community collaboration bring many benefits, including brand-building, customer loyalty and retention, cost reductions, improved productivity, and revenue growth.
Pitfall #7: Neglecting employees, partners, investors, or customers when building your Social Nation. Yes, set up a "focus group" of employees to serve as community leaders who will shepherd your company into the social networking world, but don't put all of the power in their hands. Social Nations are organic organizations, so the more people who are empowered to influence yours, the better.
Pitfall #8: Relying on traditional approaches when designing your Social Nation. A decade ago, you probably would have been horrified at the thought of releasing ideas and products into the hands of your customers before they were as complete as you could get them. With social networking, that monolithic approach is now becoming obsolete.
Pitfall #9: Developing your own social software and analytics solutions. You wouldn't dream of placing "remodeling the office" or "handling legal issues" in the Do It Yourself category, would you? Not too many would. Instead, you'd hire someone skilled in those areas. Do yourself a favor and use the same strategy when it comes to building your own Social Nation.
Pitfall #10: Getting caught without partners to help you succeed. Libert has alluded to this one before, but it bears specific emphasis: make sure that you truly treat your community members as partners, not just as fans or numbers. Yes, integrating into the social web (Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks) is key to your company's future success, but being connected to the social web is only a part of what you need to do. Shifting your business strategically, culturally, and operationally are key components to the equation.
What do you think?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
