Marketing Success Blueprint

Scientific Marketing Success To Grow Your Business As Quickly As You Can Manage!TM

 

Railroads, Space Shuttles, and a Horse’s Ass

May 19th, 2009 · No Comments

Here is something lighthearted and hilarious!  It has an excellent marketing application. For the rest of the story, follow the link to Snopes.com at the end.

Railroad tracks

This is fascinating.

Be sure to read the final paragraph; your understanding of it will depend on the earlier part of the content.  The US standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet, 8.5 inches. That’s an exceedingly odd number.

Why was that gauge used? Because that’s the way they built them in England, and English expatriates built the US railroads.

Why did the English build them like that? Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that’s the gauge they used.

Why did ‘they’ use that gauge then? Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that they used for building wagons, which used that wheel spacing.

Why did the wagons have that particular odd wheel spacing? Well, if they tried to use any other spacing, the wagon wheels would break on some of the old, long distance roads in England, because that’s the spacing of the wheel ruts.

So who built those old rutted roads? Imperial Rome built the first long distance roads in Europe (and England) for their legions. The roads have been used ever since.

And the ruts in the roads? Roman war chariots formed the initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of destroying their wagon wheels. Since the chariots were made for Imperial Rome, they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing Therefore the United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches is derived from the original specifications for an Imperial Roman war chariot. Bureaucracies live forever.

So the next time you are handed a specification/procedure/process and wonder ‘What horse’s ass came up with it?’, you may be exactly right.  Imperial Roman army chariots were made just wide enough to accommodate the rear ends of two war horses (Two horse’s asses.) Now, the twist to the story:

When you see a Space Shuttle sitting on its launch pad, there are two big booster rockets attached to the sides of the main fuel tank. These are solid rocket boosters, or SRB’s. The SRB’s are made by Thiokol at their factory in Utah . The engineers who designed the SRB’s would have preferred to make them a bit fatter, but the SRB’s had to be shipped by train from the factory to the launch site. The railroad line from the factory happens to run through a tunnel in the mountains, and the SRB’s had to fit through that tunnel. The tunnel is slightly wider than the railroad track, and the railroad track, as you now know, is about as wide as two horses’ behinds.

So, a major Space Shuttle design feature of what is arguably the world’s most advanced transportation system was determined over two thousand years ago by the width of a horse’s ass. And you thought being a horse’s ass wasn’t important? Ancient horse’s asses control almost everything … and CURRENTLY, as we are sure you have noticed, Horse’s Asses are controlling everything else.

For more of the “facts” and history go here.

Notice how the intrigue of a good story sucks you into the process.  It’s a principle of good sales and marketing.

Have a great day!

Paul Elliott

→ No CommentsFiled Under: Psychology · offline · online · sales




Email This Post Email This Post


Business Success Mindset - Personal Integrity Principle

May 10th, 2009 · 2 Comments

Success in business does not simply “happen,” nor does hard work on or in a business, alone, guarantee success.  Several of the foundational building blocks are of vital importance for a business’s success.  One of the most important is the “business mindset” of the founders, owners, and managers.  It is an essential part of branding.

Of paramount importance is the “integrity principle.”  It begins with the personal integrity of the founders.  With integrity built into the business foundation of a company, it can, and should, spread through all elements and people in the company.  If integrity is lacking, there can be little that anyone else can do to try to instill it after the fact.

Barbara Filla has stated it simply and clearly.  Here is what she has said:

==================================

Business Success Mindset - Personal Integrity Principle
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Barbara_Filla]Barbara Filla

Business Success doesn’t just happen. It begins with a person who has a thought or an idea… I need to stop right there……..There is a lot more, however the person has to be special if the business is to succeed and make their life and the world a better place.

A special internal mindset of certain internal core beliefs, values and principles is important before anything else… Or a person must be willing to learn and develop this mindset quickly. Without this business success mindset, much or all of the effort and actions will be in vain… or perhaps yield a limited result with undue stress, anxiety, worry, and results.

Personal integrity is the core value.   The business owner or owners must have personal integrity that they cultivate into their business, customers and clients and others.

What is integrity? personal and business?

Personal integrity is the foundation required for business success in the long term. It’s impossible to have business integrity without personal integrity. It’s possible to have a perceived and limited short term success without personal integrity…But beware, as all the bricks will tumble hard and quickly when people lose trust and faith, are mistreated, scammed…

Personal integrity is your personal code of conduct for yourself and your business that you follow no matter what. It is your policies of right and wrong for yourself as well as for operating your business.   This code of conduct applies to you, employees and all segments of the business.

Integrity is the key to success because the methods for everyone to follow is open and honest, respectful of employees, vendors, customers and everyone you come in contact with. It is a design for winning, for succeeding… that’s the result you can expect when applied consistently on a daily basis.

Benefits of Living with Personal Integrity and Business Integrity

There are too many benefits to discuss here, so I will share some of those that impacted me the most…. and those I feel most strongly about because I believe they have a massive impact for good of individuals, businesses and everything in the world.

1. I sleep at night like a lamb because I feel satisfied, fulfilled, with no worry about keeping my stories straight because they are factual. I have no regrets because I’ve done the best I could sticking to what is right or wrong and following through on those principles.

The feeling of peace and freedom is truly a blessing.  I share a general story with great humbleness, and with great pride. Why? Because when involved in these circumstances, I was rejected, ridiculed, told I was incompetent, and much more….

My business as a CPA and business consultant involved a lot of detail, facts, circumstances, laws and regulations, and much competition from other similar businesses.   There is no way I could keep the truth and stories in perspective using imagined or unreal circumstances.   Actually, I don’t think anyone can… that’s why once started, the untruths, the made-up stories grow…impossible to remember details that did not happen.

It is possible to take the high road of providing real value and services with honesty and integrity, make a profit, and feel good in your heart and soul, feel worthy, confident and happy.  You can do this too.

2.  Operating with integrity and from a place of truth opens up other people to respond with more openness, honesty and truth, some right now and others in the long term.   Thus we develop a path and example of integrity, benefits and good for individuals, society, business, and the world.
Mistrust leads to more mistrust, to dishonest actions by everyone, and finally to disaster and bad things.   Let’s not go there.

3. When all is open and in truth, it’s easier to accept responsibility for the mistakes we make and move forward always trying to improve.

4. No matter what criticism or rejection is imposed upon you, your inner peace remains because you know what you do is fair, honest, with integrity.

5. I believe more and more people are looking today to re-instate honesty and integrity into their entire lives, into their business, into government and all that impacts them.

That gives every one of us the opportunity to take advantage of that societal stage that will benefit the world, society and us as individuals.

Personal integrity and business integrity starts with the individual person, you and I.   I encourage you to embrace those principles so we increase in numbers to be the majority in our community, state, nation and world.

Barbara Filla Business and Life Coach and Successful Entrepreneur, helps many become the next success story. Whether you’re looking to create and build a successful business, be an ex-corporate CEO of your own home-based business, the next millionaire Mom or Dad, Barbara can assist you to create a primary or second stream of income and greater peace of mind. [http://netwebmarketer.com/barbarafilla/wordpress]http://netwebmarketer.com/barbarafilla/wordpress.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barbara_Filla http://EzineArticles.com/?Business-Success-Mindset—Personal-Integrity-Principle&id=2260800

==================================

To your business success!

Let me help you grow your business today!

Paul Elliott

paul @ MarketingSuccessBlueprint.com

Marketing With Unbelievable Guarantees!™
http://www.MarketingSuccessBlueprint.com/blog

© 2009, Paul Elliott, All rights reserved world wide.

→ 2 CommentsFiled Under: Business · Business Coaching · Copywriting · Internet · Psychology · branding · guerrilla · offline · online · sales




Email This Post Email This Post


The 2 Most Important Questions Your Customer Has

May 8th, 2009 · No Comments

Customer psychology continued –

The sooner and more effectively you answer these two questions, the
sooner your listener will “hear” anything else you have to say.  Of
course there is a reason for this.  When your customer has an
overriding question in his or her mind, that person is
subconsciously “filtering” everything you have to say looking to
see if you have answered that question.  Your customer is only
halfway listening to your “pitch” during this searching process.

“What’s in it for me?” is the number one question in every buyer’s
mind from the beginning of the conversation–spoken or written.
This is frequently referred to as WII-FM.

Your customer wants to know how your product or service will
benefit him or her.  Notice I said, “benefit.”  Benefits are what
you need to stress NOT features.  If you only stress features, you
are risking that your customer will translate those into personal
benefits properly.  Instead, you want to control this process, so
you list the benefits and personalize them in the customer’s mind.

By personalizing I am referring to using such techniques as
feelings or imagination.  Say, “Just imagine how you will feel in
your new dress,” or “Imagine the looks of envy you will get driving
this shiny new car.”  But this is copywriting, and more on that
later.

You want to remove any doubt in your customers’ minds that they
will benefit and greatly with your product or service.  You must
position your product or service in such a manner that the great
benefit to your customer will be obvious to him or her.

The number two question in every buyer’s mind from the outset is,
“What’s it going to cost me?”

You will notice that most marketers will not come right out and
state the price.  Instead, they will show the value and benefits of
the product or service.  However, they often at least say something
to the effect, “This doesn’t cost nearly as much as you may think.”
That will bypass some of the customer’s filtering for the moment
allowing more of the presentation to be “received.”

When reading a web page, you may be one of the many people who will
go right to the bottom of the page looking for the price.  You have
likely noticed that you then have to scroll back up the page some
to actually find the price.  Sometimes marketers are so
short-sighted as to make the price really hard to find or even
force you to click on the “buy button” to see the page with the
price on it.

I say “short-sighted” because this borders on too much “push”
marketing and too little “pull” marketing.  Push marketing is where
the person is pushing the product onto the customer, selling too
hard.  Customers are rapidly becoming more savvy and progressively
less tolerant of this type of approach.  With many more options in
the marketplace than ever before, they are recognizing that they do
not have to put up with the more high pressure sales tactics.

Pull marketing is the technique of giving the customer all the
information he or she needs to make a decision without pressuring
him or her into the buying decision.  If your customer feels he or
she has decided on his or her own to make the purchase, your
credibility is much better and you will have fewer complaints and
returns.

But the real message you want to deliver to your customers is that
trying out your product or service will cost them nothing, if it
doesn’t work out for them.  This is risk reversal.  In other words,
you are assuming all the risk of trying out your product or
service.  The most common form of risk reversal is the “money back
guarantee.”  You offer the customer’s money back if he or she
doesn’t find your product useful.

That truly does facilitate the process.  I’m sure you will agree
that you have felt much more comfortable making a purchase, if you
knew in advance that you wouldn’t be stuck with it if it didn’t work.

Careful pursuit of these principles is part of your integrity as a
business person.  These become much more important to you when you
realize the benefit of the Lifetime Value of a customer.  The LV of
a customer is the amount that person will spend with you over the
lifetime of his or her business relationship with you.  The LV of a
customer should be much more important to you than an individual
sale.  It is the relationship with that person that will be worth
far more to you over the years.

Yes, there will be people who will cheat you, but most are honest
and truly want solutions to their problems at reasonable prices.
Therefore, being generous and always standing behind what do is the
most lucrative policy for any legitimate businessperson to adopt.

In the pursuit of more and better business for you!

Let me help you grow your business today!

Paul Elliott

Marketing With Unbelievable Guarantees!™
http://www.MarketingSuccessBlueprint.com/blog

© 2008, Paul Elliott, All rights reserved world wide.

→ No CommentsFiled Under: Advertising · Business · Copywriting · Internet · Marketing · Psychology · branding · guerrilla · offline · online · sales




Email This Post Email This Post


Words Have Consequences

April 12th, 2009 · No Comments

Yes, words do have consequences.  When it comes to business, the most obvious consequences are that your reader, listener, viewer, or customer standing in front of you either believes and buys or doesn’t. However, the psychology of the words is more subtle and sophisticated than simply buying or not buying.

Words set the “psychological stage,” so to speak, for you and your product or service in your customers’ subliminal (subconscious) minds.  Since that is where 90% of purchasing decisions are made, no business person should fail to set that stage effectively for him or herself.  Remember?  NEVER leave to chance anything over which you can exert some control.

Joe Vitale uses the term “hypnotic marketing.”  Now, he is not talking about actually putting someone in a hypnotic trance, rather that you should be using words and phrases that directly influence the customer’s psyche.  By using trigger words that trigger certain feelings in the person’s emotions, you are speaking more directly to their minds, so to speak.  This is the most effective way to present your message.

Brian Clark of the Copyblogger has made a list of 50 of these words broken down into several important categories in a recent post.  As you begin to employ them in your copywriting, you see that your material will yield greater responses.  Make it a habit to use hypnotic, trigger words in your business marketing.

I welcome your comments.  Join the discussion!

To your business success!

Let me help you grow your business today!

Paul Elliott
paul @ MarketingSuccessBlueprint.com

Marketing With Unbelievable Guarantees!™
http://www.MarketingSuccessBlueprint.com/blog

© 2008, Paul Elliott, All rights reserved world wide.

→ No CommentsFiled Under: Advertising · Business · Copywriting · Internet · Marketing · Podcasts · Psychology · guerrilla · offline · online · sales




Email This Post Email This Post


ASK Them!

April 10th, 2009 · No Comments

As you likely already know, I am a devoted fan to the subject of testing — testing everything.

For those who have never done much testing, this may seem very cumbersome and daunting at times though it shouldn’t be.  Of course, you should test every aspect of your business and marketing–your business cards, brochures, service, products, store’s appearance, advertising, and website–among other things.

That certainly does seem like a tall order, and it is.  However, it should not be done all at once.  Your constant testing of all aspects of your business should be an ongoing and persistent process, one that never ceases.

Keep in mind that there are many people who know exactly what you should do in your business.  They are very close to you!  They are your customers!  But how do you find out what they think? 

You Ask Them!  That sounds simplistic, I know, but your customers will give you a wealth of information about your business, information that will be worth hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars if you act on it … but only if you ask them.

You should have a regular process of surveying your customers–asking them for their opinions on different things.  This has a surprising psychological effect on them.  When they give you their opinions on things, they automatically more closely identify themselves with you and your business.  If you have a restaurant and you ask their opinion on a sample of a new dish you are considering offering, your customers will begin thinking more and more that your restaurant is “their” restaurant.  Now, that’s a very advantageous position in which to find yourself, isn’t it?

When you ask someone to fill out a survey form, you would do well to add a bonus for doing so.  It doesn’t have to be a large one, though there is a place for large bonuses, it merely needs to be a valuable recognition.

There are a number of ways you can get your customers’ opinions.  Of course, you can have a survey/comment form available at the checkout desk of your business with a gift or coupon in exchange for their participation.  The real drawback to this pen and paper system is that all the data needs to be keyed in by you or your staff, so you can effectively use it and compare it with other data about your business.

I have found a much better way for both offline and online businesses.  It is a program called You Ask Them. It is simple to install on your website.  You can actually have several surveys going on at the same time.  If you have an offline business, you can have small sheets of paper printed with the web address of the particular survey you want a customer to fill out.  He or she can go to that address and give you the information you would like from him or her and either receive the gift there or notify you so you can mail it the next day.

A big advantage to this Internet based survey program is that you can get all your information already in electronic form for your analysis.  NO MORE pen and paper data to be keyed in by you or your staff!  You Ask Them takes away the headaches!  You can set up as many surveys as often and as long as you like.  And all your data is right there for you to analyze.

Nothing could be simpler than You Ask Them.  Give it a try today.  I know Mark Hendricks, the man behind You Ask Them, personally.  He has the best programs and the best service of any I have found.  You will only be delighted with his program, You Ask Them.

To your business success!

Let me help you grow your business today!

Paul Elliott

paul @ MarketingSuccessBlueprint.com

Marketing With Unbelievable Guarantees!™
http://www.MarketingSuccessBlueprint.com/blog

© 2008, Paul Elliott, All rights reserved world wide.

→ No CommentsFiled Under: Advertising · Business · Business Coaching · Internet · Marketing · Psychology · branding · guerrilla · offline · online · sales




Email This Post Email This Post


Good? Don’t Bother.

April 5th, 2009 · No Comments

Seth Godin is one of my favorite bloggers.  He always puts out his best stuff and does so regularly.  One of his recent blogs is really on the subject of personal integrity.  He said you should only produce something if it is your best.  He has the proper answer to “good” or “good enough.”

If your work is only “good” or “good enough,” don’t send it!  Don’t burden your readers with such information.  If you do, you soon will have fewer readers.

So, his comments are really about one’s personal integrity.  If it is something that you shouldn’t put out, don’t do it just to fill space.  Have a higher level of integrity.  When you present greater integrity, your customers will much more readily become raving fans.

Yes, I am a raving fan of Seth Godin, not just because he delivers his best but because I have become impressed with his personal integrity.

To your business success!

Let me help you grow your business today!

Paul Elliott

Marketing With Unbelievable Guarantees!™
http://www.MarketingSuccessBlueprint.com/blog

© 2008, Paul Elliott, All rights reserved world wide.

→ No CommentsFiled Under: Advertising · Business · Business Coaching · Copywriting · Marketing · Mistakes · Psychology · branding · offline · online · sales




Email This Post Email This Post


It Won’t Be Read!

March 20th, 2009 · No Comments

Anything difficult to read won’t be! … read, that is!

When you see something that is too difficult to read, what do you, yourself, do?  If your are like most of us, you skip over it or promise yourself you will read it “later” when you “have more time.”  Of course, “later” rarely happens.

Let’s each examine his or her response to something that is poorly formatted.  I’m sure you have gotten emails that go on for many vertical inches of a wide column with no paragraphs, no indentations, no nothing that breaks up the monotonous flow of text line after line.

When I see an email such as that, my heart sinks, particularly when it is from a friend.  I would like to know what my friend has to say, but it will be exceptionally difficult to learn what it is.

On the other hand, if that email or any other form of written communication is from someone unknown to me, I simply won’t make the effort, at the moment or later, to learn what it is about.

Please do not make a written communication from your office or business difficult to read if you want me to read it.  I’m sure you would have the same request of me.

Here are some of the most common errors:

1. Column lines that are too wide.  50 to 55 characters is easily read, but even shorter lines are sometimes desirable.

2. Make frequent, short paragraphs.  In some cases single sentence paragraphs are desirable.  In other cases a single word is a paragraph.   This is done for effect, but it certainly makes for quick, easy reading that has punch, yet flows well.

I understand that this advice makes English teachers cringe.  When you are writing for a grade in English, DO NOT take my advice!

3. Write sentences that are to the point and simple in structure.  They will be easier to read that way.

4. Avoid right justification–a smooth right margin.  A ragged right margin is easier for the human reader, since that makes keeping track of one’s position on the page much easier.  Of course, some years ago that was the “thing” to do.  It looked prettier than a ragged right margin.

5. When psychologists had studied how we read and perceive written material, they found we comprehended less when reading a smooth right margin because we needed to spend more time looking for our place on the page.  Those ragged lines made better landmarks.

6. Never write in all capital letters, unless you are writing a short headline. All capital letters are more difficult for the visual system of the human being to decode, i.e., read.

7. Limit the number of typefaces, font sizes, and ink colors.  Usually 2 of each, occasionally 3, are very adequate.  More of each simply becomes distracting.

Remember, please don’t ask me to read something from your office that is difficult to read.   I’ll pledge the same for you.

In the pursuit of more and better business for you!

May I help you grow your business today?

Paul Elliott

Marketing With Unbelievable Guarantees!™
http://www.MarketingSuccessBlueprint.com/blog

© 2008, Paul Elliott, All rights reserved world wide.

→ No CommentsFiled Under: Advertising · Business · Business Coaching · Copywriting · Internet · Marketing · Mistakes · Psychology · guerrilla · offline · online · sales




Email This Post Email This Post


Building The Affinity Bond

March 18th, 2009 · No Comments

Is psychology important in marketing?  Absolutely!

Yes, the psychology of the intended customer is of paramount importance.  This is the beginning discussion of this essential element in your marketing.  Failure to pay the proper attention to this basic element, customer psychology, will seriously hamper your message and your sales.

While each of us may believe he or she is in a different business, we are all in the same business at the essence of business–building relationships.

As human beings we prefer to make our purchases from someone we know.  The better we know that person, the more comfortable we feel heeding that person’s advice or making a purchase from him or her.

Remember the process?  Know, like, and trust.  First we must get to know a person.  When we have known that person for a time, and perhaps in different situations, we come to like him or her.  Finally, as the relationship builds, we come to trust that person.  We trust him or her for advice and for products or services that reflect his or her ethics, quality, and reliability.

This is a fluid and continuous process that begins before the first contact we have with a potential customer and continues throughout the relationship we have with that person.

But it requires a well-conceived plan consistently and persistently executed to have its greatest beneficial effect to both parties in the relationship.  And, yes, it is distinctly a joint relationship with benefits to each person.

Each contact with a customer or potential customer is a stroke strengthening the “Affinity BondSM.”  The Affinity BondSM begins as a thin, tenuous connection, like a single strand of spider web, but can be built strand at a time with each contact until it is a hawser, which will moor the mightiest ship.

The plan a business person has must begin before the opening of business and should include a system to establish and build the affinity bond with each potential customer.  When such a plan is pursued relentlessly, the results can be truly amazing.  If it is allowed simply to grow on its own with little or no direction, the results at best are mediocre.

Your plan should begin with learning your potential customers’ names and referring to them by name.  You should collect people’s contact information so you may contact them by email, direct mail, phone and, where appropriate, even in person.  Each of these contacts strengthens that connection–builds the relationship–with your customer or potential customer.

Keep in mind that a relationship with the people who approach your business, whether on the Internet or in the community, WILL be built–for better or worse, on purpose or by accident.  Seize control of this opportunity and never leave it to chance.

The importance of this process, done with a plan, cannot be over-emphasized.

In the pursuit of more and better businesses!

To your business success!  How may I help your business grow?

Paul Elliott

Get 2 free ecourses: 1) The 88 Marketing Tips That Will Change Your Life! and 2) 7 Ways to Stimulate Word-Of-Mouth Advertising at http://MarketingSuccessBlueprint.com/blog/

Marketing With Unbelievable Guarantees!™
http://www.MarketingSuccessBlueprint.com/blog

© 2009, Paul Elliott, All rights reserved world wide.

→ No CommentsFiled Under: Advertising · Business · Internet · Marketing · Mistakes · Psychology · branding · guerrilla · offline · online · sales




Email This Post Email This Post


The Irrational Customer

February 20th, 2009 · 1 Comment

Often, we as marketers or business people with the responsibility of sales and marketing are very puzzled by the apparent irrational behavior of customers.  We are amazed by the way customers can ignore compelling logic, irrefutable facts and figures and take a completely illogical action.

Of course, it appears illogical to those of us driven by logic and proof, IF we fail to understand our customers’ thinking and driving needs.  Often, learning to think like our customers is a grueling, unnatural experience.  However, in the business of business there is no substitute for this skill.

A brilliant marketer, Seth Godin, has put it into focus excellently.  Here is a recent blog of Seth’s.  I suggest you become a student of his advice.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

The rational marketer (and the irrational customer)

by Seth Godin

The most common frustration I see, and I see it daily, comes from marketers who can’t figure out why more people won’t buy their product. This particularly afflicts b2b marketers, who ostensibly have rational customers.

Let’s say, for example, that you have a service that can deliver leads for five percent of what it costs to get them via a trade show. Why would any rational business, particularly one that says it wants qualified leads, spend that money on trade shows and not on you?

I mean, I mean, you can PROVE that your system works. You can guarantee it. You can provide testimonials and real-time evidence.  And yet, the person you’re calling on won’t give you money and will spend it on the traditional system, which is a total waste.

You know that your car is more aerodynamic. You know that your insulation is more effective. You know that your insurance has a higher ROI.

You’ve thought about it a lot because it’s your job to think about it. It’s your job to make those charts and tables and graphs and brochures. So you know it.

The problem is that your prospect doesn’t care about any of those things. He cares about his boss or the story you’re telling or the risk or the hassle of making a change. He cares about who you know and what other people will think when he tells them what he’s done after he buys from you.

The opportunity, then, is not to insist that your customers get more rational, but instead to embrace just how irrational they are. Give them what they need. Help them satisfy their needs at the same time they get the measurable, rational results your product can give them in the long run.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

To your business success!

Paul Elliott

Get 2 free ecourses: 1) The 88 Marketing Tips That Will Change Your Life! and 2) 7 Ways to Stimulate Word-Of-Mouth Advertising at http://MarketingSuccessBlueprint.com/blog/

Marketing With Unbelievable Guarantees!™
http://www.MarketingSuccessBlueprint.com/blog

© 2009, Paul Elliott, All rights reserved world wide.

→ 1 CommentFiled Under: Advertising · Business · Business Coaching · Copywriting · Internet · Marketing · Mistakes · Psychology · guerrilla · offline · online · sales




Email This Post Email This Post


How Does Your Business Measure Up?

February 19th, 2009 · No Comments

Most businesses claim to cater to the customer.   They may make a strong point in their marketing and advertising.  Unfortunately, many fall far short of that goal.  Look at some of the experiences Mr. Merholz had with major airlines.
Where do we fall short?  Usually in failing to have true customer service as a part of our corporate culture.  We fail to train all employees in the skills and response we wish to have for each customer.
Don’t let this essential element in your relationship with your customers fall through the cracks!
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Becoming a Customer Experience-Driven Business
by Peter Merholz
4:52 PM Wednesday February 4, 2009

2008 was the year I decided to no longer care about my frequent flyer miles on United. I’ve been Premier for about 5-6 years, and after finally reaching Premier Executive (having flown 50,000 miles on United in 2007), the only perk seemed to be exit row seating. After being charged $150 to change a ticket, and treated as little more than a nuisance onboard (they don’t even offer peanuts!), it became clear to me that “loyalty” is no longer rewarded. I’ve decided that, whenever possible, I would fly Southwest, JetBlue, or Virgin America instead.

This isn’t because of price — most trips my company pays for, and in the past I’m sure I’ve spent a little extra to fly United for the miles. It’s because these airlines demonstrably care much more about my experience with them. In Forrester Research’s Customer Experience Index 2008, Southwest is the only airline to rank in the top 25, whereas American, Delta, Northwest and, yes, United, sit in the bottom 25. Even though they are a low-price alternative, Southwest delivers the better experience. Why? Because customer experience is an organizational mindset. It’s not something a business buys, it’s something a business becomes.

Customer experience refers to the totality of experience a customer has with a business, across all channels and touchpoints. Southwest succeeds because of the care it puts into providing a satisfying journey at a reasonable price — from the simple website to their recently redesigned boarding queues to the friendly staff members who help you, it’s clear that Southwest considers how the customer will feel every step of the way. This even goes for their pricing, which, compared to the byzantine rules of the legacy airlines, is remarkably straightforward, and doesn’t nickel-and-dime you.

Though the business community increasingly recognizes the importance and power of customer experience to drive innovation and positive financial results (witnessed press coverage of such favorites as Apple, Amazon, Proctor and Gamble, and Nintendo), most companies have not successfully embraced it. This is because becoming customer experience-driven is not a snap. It’s more than just embrancing “The Power of Design”, or building empathy for your customers by observing them (though both of these things are important). Nor can you buy a technological fix, no matter what the CRM providers say.

Embracing customer experience is a process, one that requires fundamental shifts in how your business behaves and is organized. In my 15 years working in user experience, particularly my last 8 helping run Adaptive Path, a leading experience strategy and design firm, I’ve learned what it takes for a business to embrace customer experience, and I look forward to sharing this with you. As Southwest Airlines demonstrates, this isn’t about money — in my work, the biggest impact I’ve seen a customer experience mindset have is to help companies understand how they can better orchestrate existing elements to realize new value. I’m sure that sounds like some retread of the dreaded “Business Process Reengineering”, but there’s a key distinction — this isn’t about efficiency and effectiveness and reducing waste throughout your processes. This is about choreographing what you already have (technologies, people, offerings) to better respond to your customers’ needs and wants.

I’m thankful to HarvardBusiness.org to offer me this forum to share my experience. And, let me say at the outset, what I have to say is not definitive. I’m always learning, and hope you are, too. I’d love for this to turn into a continuing dialog about how to successfully change organizations so they embrace customer experience.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

To your business success!

Paul Elliott

Get 2 free ecourses: 1) The 88 Marketing Tips That Will Change Your Life! and 2) 7 Ways to Stimulate Word-Of-Mouth Advertising at http://MarketingSuccessBlueprint.com/blog/

Marketing With Unbelievable Guarantees!™
http://www.MarketingSuccessBlueprint.com/blog

© 2009, Paul Elliott, All rights reserved world wide.

→ No CommentsFiled Under: Advertising · Business · Business Coaching · Marketing · Mistakes · Psychology · branding · guerrilla · offline · online




Email This Post Email This Post


 

 

 


Want More? Keep Rolling on the Next Page >
OR -- check out our archives in the sidebar. We continuosly update this site with fresh new content. For example ...