I got wowed!

Today I received a package that I had ordered from Kirsty Dunphey.

It cost nothing to address it to me with the title as "The Awesome..." but it made me feel like a million dollars (is that how she got her first million by the time she was 23?).

They also included a mobile phone sock & a CD, but it was the title that made this package memorable.

It made me think how I can make my clients feel extra special ...

Compelling tradeshow exhibits

After recently attending the biggest agricultural show in the Southern Hemisphere (Field Days at Mystery Creek in Hamilton), it was interesting to reflect on the compelling exhibits that grabbed my attention.



There were certainly thousands of people trying to get my attention. From modified cars to free coffee, dancers with hammers and freebies to seminars and discounts, it was hard to choose what to spend my time (and money) on.

The successful sites had done their homework and followed the 3 steps to success.

Step 1: Who were they trying to attract? What were their potential customers interested in? What would make them stop and look? Are there related products the exhibitor should set up near to? What pictures or props could draw in the customers with the right demographics?

Step 2: What issues or problems did their potential customers want solved? This is where an effective (open-ended) question can provide the exhibitor with a gold-mine of information. Interestingly, most questions or comments were lame or unrelated (like; "Are you enjoying the show?", or "Nice weather."). They could've asked "What's interested you most today?" or "How did you hear about (our product)?".

Step 3: How would their product solve those problems? Use testimonials, guarantees and special exhibit-only offers to complete the deal.

Most of the work in being successful at tradeshows is doing your homework & preparing effectively.

Remember to give yourself a budget - some of the most creative thinking occurs on a limited budget!

Turning your customers into experts

Are you expecting your customers to make good decisions?

If so, they need good information.

On a recent trip to Field Days at Mystery Creek (Hamilton, New Zealand) I saw some excellent examples of suppliers providing in-depth, interesting information about their products and services.

There were seminars, newsletters, e-mail subscriptions and personal attention by experts.

An additional advantage of turning customers into experts, is that they become advocates for your product and can tell others about your points of difference.

How can you turn your customers into experts?

Loyalty works both ways - mate

Thanks for your personalised letter with your special offer Dymocks.

I already received one in the post 2 days ago!

If you want me to join your loyalty programme, why don't you give me special treatment?

You competitor, Whitcoulls, sent me an e-mail telling me of a special offer that starts in 2 days. As a loyal customer, they have told me I can take advantage of the special offer a day before the general public.

Now that makes me feel special!

Don't kill your customers

A very tragic situation of a mother who died when her power was cut off is making front page news in New Zealand.



Mercury Energy, the power company involved, is being hauled over the coals. A PR nightmare.



Obviously the family should have paid their power bill, but companies need to ensure their customers are looked after.



Its a wake-up call for businesses to ask themselves - "What if I was on the front page of the newspaper?".

Are there processes you need to review to ensure your customers are being looked after and feel looked after?

Compliments guaranteed!

Following Saturday's post about guarantees I saw this poster guaranteeing compliments.

It states that if you don't receive a compliment or if you're not happy with your new glasses you get your money back.

Now that's a solid guarantee.

It's hard to see any risk to buying glasses here.

Do your customers feel the same way about their purchase from you?

Attention seeker

Today I saw a flag advertising Mercury outboard motors.

Now this isn't the sort of item I would go looking for, so why did it grab my attention?

It was flying upside down!

It's funny how a mistake can turn into an attention grabber.

Is there something you could do that's a little different to grab your customers attention?

Got a theme?

It can be difficult to maintain momentum in sales, so try adding some interest by developing daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly themes for your customers or prospects.

The theme could be:

• a product line
• a particular type of transaction
• focus on a new customer demographic
• fixing a common customer complaint
• achieving a short term target

The list is only limited by your imagination.

Themes create energy and focus, enabling you to be much more effective in a particular area.

What's your current theme?

Are you smart enough?

Do you know where your customers come from?

The Internet is truly a global community, however I sometimes get irrelevant offers.

If you are going to target offers to certain customers, get the information so you only target those customers.

I got all excited last night when I was contacted by my favourite golf ball manufacturer with a chance to win some new balls. I read the information, clicked to enter only to find out I wasn't located in the right part of the globe.

The feeling of hope & excitement was replaced with disappointment and disillusionment. I'm sure you wouldn't want your customers to feel this way - so make sure you respect your customers and target your offers appropriately.

You just killed the relationship!

It was a brief relationship. 5 minutes at the most.

We met each other, exchanged names, conversed pleasantly and did some business - then you killed the moment.

After telling you my name was Tony - you called me Anthony.

You might as well call me 7568920 (or whatever my Sky account number is), because you've now told me I'm just a number on your computer screen to you by not using the name I like.

If you care about your customer then display it with your actions and call them by their name!

You could even go a step further & record it for future use.

Part 2 - Managing referrals

So you want to manage your referrals but not sure where to start?

The first most important stage is gathering and storing your customers information. Keep it as brief as you can, but make sure you get their name, contact details and what they bought (and when). This enables you to manage the loyalty programme, help with their guarantee and contact them about other products or services they might also be interested in.

Make sure you comply with Privacy Act legislation.

But don't just expect to get the information for nothing - give them something in return.

For instance you could say "We offer customers who join the free loyalty programme an additional guarantee of ....".

You could then add: "If you are happy with your purchase/ my service, all I ask is that you tell your friends and family. If they buy from me, they will receive ... and I will send you ... to say thanks. Just tell them to mention your name ."

Look after your loyal customers and they will look after you.

Accidental referral

It is surprising how many businesses don't manage referrals and yet entire companies are created through referral networks.

Recently a friend spoke positively about his new dehumidifier and how well it worked.

When I woke up the next morning to wet windowsills I remembered what he had said and figured I needed to get one. Sure enough, I got the same make that he got (just from a different store).

Wouldn't it have been easy for the business that sold it to him to put a referral programme in place? That way they could've got my business and rewarded my friends loyalty, encouraging him to share his positive experience with others that he knows.

It is amazingly cost effective to manage client loyalty, and the benefits of having raving fans sending new customers your way is extremely profitable.

Are you transacting with your customers or building a loyal fan base?

See Part 2 about managing referrals

Choices

There are some days when I can't be bothered making too many choices.

For instance, I would prefer someone to say: "Do you want to meet on Tuesday at 9, or Thursday at 3?", rather than "When shall we meet?".

Rather than limiting my choices, they are focusing my choices, making it easier to make a decision.

What can you do to help your customers make decisions?

Engaging your customers

Flickr has just run a 24 hour event where people contribute their special photo taken on 5 May 2007.

23,181 people from around the world joined this group in an attempt to have their photo published in a book, celebrating a day in the life around the world.

Think about ways you can tap into the creative energy of your customers, using their skills to engage in your business. An example is a photo of your product being used in a certain setting. You could offer a prize and use the photo in future promotions.

Blow 'em away

I was pretty disappointed when the 1 GB memory card I bought for my camera back in August broke recently.

I guess I was disappointed because I had bought it cheaply off the net, and you often get what you pay for.

I e-mailed the seller and explained what had happened and he offered a replacement which I was satisfied with.

Then he sent me a 2 GB card! I was totally blown away with the generous offer and told him I'd be happy to supply a testimonial if he ever wanted one.

It also reinforced the importance of not just putting something right but exceeding expectations.

Try your product!

Sometimes I wonder whether some business owners ever try their products or services, because there are times I get extremely frustrated.

Like, when I sign up to a website and get told that a particular user name is taken, but doesn't suggest an alternative - so I have a "lucky dip" of possible available names before I give up.

Or, when I try and open a breakfast cereal and find the tear tab doesn't work properly & I end up with a messy pulp of cardboard.

The examples, as you probably know, are everywhere.

If you are in business, try your product as a new customer would. Alternatively survey new customers (respecting their time) and ask if there is anything you can do to make their experience even better.

Seek and you shall find

It’s so much easier to find what you want when you know what you are looking for.

For instance, if you think everyone is your customer it can be hard to find them. If you stop and consider what your ideal customer looks like it becomes easier to find them. For instance, if you work best with males, between 45 & 55, who are self-employed, it you are more likely to find them because you are looking just for them.

This strategy works successfully in other areas of your life too.

Looking for a partner? Write down what they look like & what attributes they have.

How about taking photos as a hobby? Giving yourself a theme narrows down the types of photos you take but helps you look more purposefully, making it easier than taking photos of anything and everything!

Looking for a new job? Write down what it looks like, what you'll be doing & how you will feel.

Work out what you are looking for, write it down – then get out & find it. You’ll be surprised how much easier it will be to find!

The magic of WHY

I have been phoned every week for the last month, asking for a voluntary blood donation. I don't mind giving blood, I just haven't given it a priority, until ...

The last time they rang I was told they needed the donation for a girl who was having an operation. Suddenly giving blood moved up my priority list because I felt that it was important, almost life and death important.

If you have customers who aren't buying, you probably aren't using the magic of WHY.

For example:

• Your tyres/ tires need replacing because the next time it rains you face the risk of crashing.


• This insurance will mean you don't have to wait for an operation if you get sick.


• Putting this savings plan in place means you can live your retirement dreams.


• This new pair of running shoes will save your knees from wearing out too soon.

Next time a customer says they'll think about it, or puts you off - back up & use the magic of WHY!