GEORGE: Ah you have no idea of the magnitude of this thing. If she is allowed to infiltrate this world, then George Costanza as you know him,Ceases to Exist! You see, right now, I have Relationship George, but there is also Independent George. That's the George you know, the George you grew up with -- Movie George, Coffee shop George, LiarGeorge, Bawdy George.
JERRY: I, I love that George.
GEORGE: Me Too! And he's Dying Jerry! If Relationship George walks
through this door, he will Kill Independent George! A George, divided
against itself, Cannot Stand!
http://www.seinfeldscripts.com/ThePoolGuy.html
As a small business owner – with a life – we know that unlike megalo-corporations with many departments and divisions, it is our persona and our actions and inactions that speak directly to the nature of the business we own and operate.
Confession: In the early days of my professional life, I had ‘work’ me and ‘party’ me. The work me was replete with articulate work voice, meticulous appearance, and all of the apropos brands festooned about my person. I was a rainmaker, and the high-rolling investors I worked with expected nothing but the best. They got the very best, personal, respectful, and thorough service from me. …Then there was the party me. A nightlife animal – a-hootin’ and a-hollerin’ a-whoopin’ and a-wailin’ - the things-get-going-around-12:30am life of the party. Goodness help me if those worlds collided.
Inevitably, as George and I ultimately learned, worlds always collide. If you’re not yourself when you’re being yourself – when are you? Rather – which ‘you’ is the real you?
Like it or not, your ‘you’ is your business. If you’re reading this blog, you have likely have chosen to venture out and do our own thing – and in doing so, there are two key things that small business owners must accept: consistency and transparency.
We cannot be separate people living separate lives based on our location or time of day. In the eyes of our customers, we are our business.
Much as I’m not interested in seeing my doctor or teacher out at the bar pounding shooters or ‘faced on Facebook, our customers don’t want to see us acting in a manner inconsistent with the trust we have built with them through our business persona.
It takes time, money and substantial effort to build a customer base. We all know the stats regarding cost of keeping customers v. finding new ones. Why take a chance jeopardizing the business you have worked so hard to build?
This doesn’t mean that we can’t have fun, it just means that if you don’t want your worlds to collide, live in one world! Inject your awesome, unique personality into daily business life and make the choice to simmer down the things you wouldn't want your best client/customer to see.
World-meld into your favorite you - trust me, it's much easier this way.
Showing posts with label Facebook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Facebook. Show all posts
Friday, May 7, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
“Never invite a customer in, only to disappoint them.” – Leonard Rydell
Eighty years ago (or even twenty) inviting customers into a business was primarily advertising-driven; businesses were local and customers knew their shopkeepers. Businesses advertised in local newspapers, fliers, through interesting signage (think the famous Burma-Shave promotions), and in-store posters. Word of mouth played a part, but an individual’s sphere of influence was limited both in size and in geographic scope.
Interaction took place physically at the place of business, and was typically limited to two individuals - buyer and seller. When things went awry and unhappy customers emerged, damage control was done on an individual basis.
The expectation was, that advertised items would be in stock and there would be an adequate number of knowledgeable staff available to help customers. Phones were answered promptly and politely, questions were answered, and when it was time to commit to purchase, the customer would pay the advertised price.
Never invite the customer in, only to disappoint them. It’s pretty simple business.
In the digital age, the rules of interaction have changed. A growing amount of business is conducted without any interpersonal contact, and even major-ticket items may now be purchased online. The internet (and specifically Social Media) is the fastest, least expensive, most immediate, and potentially the most effective means of interacting with customers today.
The potential for great success exists, and with it, the potential for customer-service nightmares exist as well…
Earlier this month, I was enjoying a lunch of a brand-name prepare-in-the-microwave noodle product when I bit into something that made my teeth zing. I felt a tiny chip in the enamel on my front tooth, found the bit of glass that had come pre-packaged in the lunch. No larger than a peppercorn, it certainly is not enough to kill someone, yet not many enjoy the concept of ingesting glass.
I dug the wrappings from the trash and saved them, thinking the subsidiary of a major food company would want to know about the issue and investigate, then emailed the lot numbers to their online customer service email address. Two days later, I sent the same email to their larger parent company. Two more days later, I sent the email to the major brand name parent company. It’s now been a week and a half since I found glass in their product, yet no one from any of their companies has contacted me.
My sphere of influence here in Minnesota may not be huge, but after nearly two weeks of no response, I tweeted my small little group of global followers (a few over 1000) with the name of the product and my experience. I also posted it to my Facebook page, and encouraged my friends and Twitter followers to share my experience. Now, I’m sharing the experience with you.
I will not be contacting a lawyer, nor do I want free noodles rotting in my garage – I simply wanted acknowledgement that my issue had been noticed. Instead, what could have been resolved with a very simple apology and a promise to look into it so that no one else was eating Kung Pao Noodles-n-Glass, has been shared across the internet. A negative customer-service experience extending far beyond just co-workers and family was disseminated with the push of a single button.
The digital age has dramatically changed the way we conduct business. We shop online, buy from chain stores and if we choose to use the self-scan lane, we can avoid all human contact. Yet increasingly, when things are wonderful (or awful), we turn to our global network of friends, fans and followers to share our experiences.
What are customers finding when they visit your online place of business?
Do you have current blogs, specials and ‘news,’ or is it information several months old?
Do your links work and direct people to the correct page?
Is your contact information easily accessible and in multiple spots?
Are your customer service emails being answered within an hour?
Are you monitoring what’s being said about you and your competition on Twitter?
The internet is an open invitation to the 1.6Billion people on Earth with internet access. Set aside time each day to focus your 2010 marketing efforts to ensure that when you’re extending an online invitation, you’re not disappointing your guests.
Interaction took place physically at the place of business, and was typically limited to two individuals - buyer and seller. When things went awry and unhappy customers emerged, damage control was done on an individual basis.
The expectation was, that advertised items would be in stock and there would be an adequate number of knowledgeable staff available to help customers. Phones were answered promptly and politely, questions were answered, and when it was time to commit to purchase, the customer would pay the advertised price.
Never invite the customer in, only to disappoint them. It’s pretty simple business.
In the digital age, the rules of interaction have changed. A growing amount of business is conducted without any interpersonal contact, and even major-ticket items may now be purchased online. The internet (and specifically Social Media) is the fastest, least expensive, most immediate, and potentially the most effective means of interacting with customers today.
The potential for great success exists, and with it, the potential for customer-service nightmares exist as well…
Earlier this month, I was enjoying a lunch of a brand-name prepare-in-the-microwave noodle product when I bit into something that made my teeth zing. I felt a tiny chip in the enamel on my front tooth, found the bit of glass that had come pre-packaged in the lunch. No larger than a peppercorn, it certainly is not enough to kill someone, yet not many enjoy the concept of ingesting glass.
I dug the wrappings from the trash and saved them, thinking the subsidiary of a major food company would want to know about the issue and investigate, then emailed the lot numbers to their online customer service email address. Two days later, I sent the same email to their larger parent company. Two more days later, I sent the email to the major brand name parent company. It’s now been a week and a half since I found glass in their product, yet no one from any of their companies has contacted me.
My sphere of influence here in Minnesota may not be huge, but after nearly two weeks of no response, I tweeted my small little group of global followers (a few over 1000) with the name of the product and my experience. I also posted it to my Facebook page, and encouraged my friends and Twitter followers to share my experience. Now, I’m sharing the experience with you.
I will not be contacting a lawyer, nor do I want free noodles rotting in my garage – I simply wanted acknowledgement that my issue had been noticed. Instead, what could have been resolved with a very simple apology and a promise to look into it so that no one else was eating Kung Pao Noodles-n-Glass, has been shared across the internet. A negative customer-service experience extending far beyond just co-workers and family was disseminated with the push of a single button.
The digital age has dramatically changed the way we conduct business. We shop online, buy from chain stores and if we choose to use the self-scan lane, we can avoid all human contact. Yet increasingly, when things are wonderful (or awful), we turn to our global network of friends, fans and followers to share our experiences.
What are customers finding when they visit your online place of business?
Do you have current blogs, specials and ‘news,’ or is it information several months old?
Do your links work and direct people to the correct page?
Is your contact information easily accessible and in multiple spots?
Are your customer service emails being answered within an hour?
Are you monitoring what’s being said about you and your competition on Twitter?
The internet is an open invitation to the 1.6Billion people on Earth with internet access. Set aside time each day to focus your 2010 marketing efforts to ensure that when you’re extending an online invitation, you’re not disappointing your guests.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Top 10 Reasons Small Business Should Venture into Social Media
Twitter has over 50 million visits each month. In January of 2009, in the US alone, over 14.8 billion online videos were watched. (http://www.kenburbary.com) Data from istrategylabs.com indicates that the 35-54 year old demographic on Facebook is the fastest growing group of new users, with a growth rate of over 276% in the last six months. During the same time, the 55+ demographic has seen nearly a 195% increase, and the 25-34 year old demographic is doubling every six months. (http://www.istrategylabs.com/2009-facebook-demographs-and-statistics-report-276-growth-in-35-54-year/old/users)
So, why should you, as a small business owner care about the Twits and Facebookers?
So, why should you, as a small business owner care about the Twits and Facebookers?
The power of the internet is amazing and is growing exponentially - in the blink of an eye.
*****
1. Now is the time to position yourself as an online resource.
Traditional advertising is becoming passé, and people are looking not to be ‘sold’ as much as have their problems solved. Becoming a well of information for your customers positions your business as an entity there to help, not just sell.
Consider this example: As most product information can be found on the internet, by the time people enter a retailer to make a major purchase, they have typically done at least 3 months of research and already know the bottom-line-price, warranty information, safety statistics, comparable products and service needs.
Companies should position themselves as a resource by not only providing price and product information, but becoming a proactive assistant to their buyers. For example, an auto dealer could perhaps offer an online tutorial of how to change a flat tire, or a checklist of winter safety items to pack for kids heading off to college; an appliance store could have an online stain-removal guide or free downloadable college kids cookbook of simple recipes that require minimal ingredients and short preparation times. Possibilities are endless!
2. Position yourself as a leader in your industry and your community.
Consider this example: As most product information can be found on the internet, by the time people enter a retailer to make a major purchase, they have typically done at least 3 months of research and already know the bottom-line-price, warranty information, safety statistics, comparable products and service needs.
Companies should position themselves as a resource by not only providing price and product information, but becoming a proactive assistant to their buyers. For example, an auto dealer could perhaps offer an online tutorial of how to change a flat tire, or a checklist of winter safety items to pack for kids heading off to college; an appliance store could have an online stain-removal guide or free downloadable college kids cookbook of simple recipes that require minimal ingredients and short preparation times. Possibilities are endless!
2. Position yourself as a leader in your industry and your community.
Social Media is still a relatively new phenomenon in the Midwest. We have let our friends on each coast set the trend and this one stuck and is only growing. By becoming involved early, your business looks like a trendsetter, and when your demographic starts joining Twitter, or searches you on Facebook, and you’re there and already established, it shows that you are forward-thinking. Imagine the frustration of scouring the phone book for your business number, and not finding it listed! The internet is already the phone book for generations X, Y and next – make sure you’re listed in their ‘phonebook.’
3. Early players have access to the most desirable ‘names,’ so the earlier claim your web space, the better!
3. Early players have access to the most desirable ‘names,’ so the earlier claim your web space, the better!
If you own Zyskowski-Johnstone Feed-n-Bait, you may be able to wait a while before someone else scoops up your business name. However, if you are in Minnesota, and you market social media (for example) SocialMediaMN or any combination thereof, may be scarce these days. Get in early and claim your space! Even if you aren’t ready to jump into the Social Media pool just yet, that’s okay. Get your name registered until you’re ready to roll – that way it’s there, it’s yours and it’s unique!
4. Social Media is accessible.
4. Social Media is accessible.
How-to articles and books abound both online and at your local bookseller. Most are written in layman’s terms and are free of the scary techie speak that was so prevalent in the early years of the internet. Most of the applications used are on a WYSIWYG format, or (What You See Is What You Get) and as easy to use as a Windows or Apple program.
5. Social Media is :::wait for it::: FREE!
5. Social Media is :::wait for it::: FREE!
Well, mostly free, as you will need to make a time investment into your Social Media program. However the majority of the platforms that you could choose for your business Social Media are delivered to your customer’s homes, offices, favorite coffee shops, libraries, at no cost to you. Imagine! You can target market your customers – hand pick them by the thousands – for free.
6. Social Media is global.
6. Social Media is global.
A specialty business in Des Moines my have just the exact piece needed to round out the perfect collection, but no one in Tulsa carries that model. By becoming involved in Social Media (and the key word here is involved) you are able to reach niche markets previously unattainable, in seconds. One retailer I work with was able to help a customer halfway across the country, by connecting her with someone to answer her specific questions when her local resources were unavailable.
7. Social Media is immediate.
We all know how customers share their experiences with their circles of influence. Customer Service 101 stuff. But in the Twitter era, even standing in line at Starbucks can become newsworthy (or at least tweet-worthy). What does this mean for your business? Everything! A customer with an issue can and will spread the word about your service throughout their social networks, and those people can all respond, comment and add their experiences as well. All, in a matter of seconds. On the flipside, a customer such as the woman mentioned above will share her positive experiences likewise. What we learned about happy vs. unhappy customers no longer holds true – happy, neutral or unhappy, it’s all shared. So capitalize on positives.
8. Capitalize on positives and have your customers spread the word.
8. Capitalize on positives and have your customers spread the word.
What if your business offered a special for every customer that mentioned your name or your specific product on Social Media? That is very possible and often accomplished quite successfully on Twitter. As we speak, customers are “Re-Tweeting” a link to some savvy business’s special offer. Each “RT” spreads from one social network to another like wildfire. If the right offer is made, the results will be extraordinary.
9. You will know if your efforts are successful or not, where, when, and to whom.
Unlike hit-or-miss mass mailers of the past with the traditional 1-10% response rate, coupons, messages, etc. can be targeted to specific demographic groups with the ease of a button click. One client has a Facebook ad targeted to both males and females, single and married, with a high school education or more, aged 25+ and that are not already connected to the business on Facebook. Micro-target your business to the people that are already listening and already interested. Then make great use of the multitudes of analytics (also FREE) that are already out there to determine the best approach for your business.
10. Know what’s being said about your business – and your competition’s!
Tools are available for you to log on – even with out an account – and see who is saying what about whom. On Twitter, on can literally, in a matter of seconds, target every single person that used a key word unique to your business. For example, one could read tweets from people within a 5 mile radius of Zip Code 55104 that used the word “quilting” from August 15, 2009 to October 27, 2009. You get the picture. It’s huge, it’s powerful, and it’s out there.
There is only one downside to becoming involved in web-based marketing. Outdated websites, dusty blogs and unanswered tweets just sitting out there in cyberspace for the world to see make your business look, well, not so good… So whether you choose to start out small or go whole hog, once you begin, make sure you continue your program.
The web is not getting any smaller and ignoring it won’t make it go away. It’s never to late to get involved in Social Media, but the sooner you choose to become a part of this amazing, powerful and free marketing resource, the sooner you’ll be ahead of the curve, and likely ahead of your competition as well. Happy Selling!
If you need assistance getting started, or just want some personal attention to decide the best Social Media forums for your business, the good news is that help is available! With the global (Reason #6) nature of the internet, help is just a click away, regardless of your geographic location. HarkHerold.com offers an array of Social Media services, including set up, maintenance and promotion of online accounts. ©HarkHerold.com, 2009
9. You will know if your efforts are successful or not, where, when, and to whom.
Unlike hit-or-miss mass mailers of the past with the traditional 1-10% response rate, coupons, messages, etc. can be targeted to specific demographic groups with the ease of a button click. One client has a Facebook ad targeted to both males and females, single and married, with a high school education or more, aged 25+ and that are not already connected to the business on Facebook. Micro-target your business to the people that are already listening and already interested. Then make great use of the multitudes of analytics (also FREE) that are already out there to determine the best approach for your business.
10. Know what’s being said about your business – and your competition’s!
Tools are available for you to log on – even with out an account – and see who is saying what about whom. On Twitter, on can literally, in a matter of seconds, target every single person that used a key word unique to your business. For example, one could read tweets from people within a 5 mile radius of Zip Code 55104 that used the word “quilting” from August 15, 2009 to October 27, 2009. You get the picture. It’s huge, it’s powerful, and it’s out there.
There is only one downside to becoming involved in web-based marketing. Outdated websites, dusty blogs and unanswered tweets just sitting out there in cyberspace for the world to see make your business look, well, not so good… So whether you choose to start out small or go whole hog, once you begin, make sure you continue your program.
The web is not getting any smaller and ignoring it won’t make it go away. It’s never to late to get involved in Social Media, but the sooner you choose to become a part of this amazing, powerful and free marketing resource, the sooner you’ll be ahead of the curve, and likely ahead of your competition as well. Happy Selling!
If you need assistance getting started, or just want some personal attention to decide the best Social Media forums for your business, the good news is that help is available! With the global (Reason #6) nature of the internet, help is just a click away, regardless of your geographic location. HarkHerold.com offers an array of Social Media services, including set up, maintenance and promotion of online accounts. ©HarkHerold.com, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Great free sites that social media beginners may not know about!
So as a part of this blog, I promised to take you along on my journey into the digital age. Let's start with some basic tools that I find invaluable.
By the way, all of these are COMPLETELY FREE. Nada. Zip. Zilch cost to get started or maintain. ALL are essentially Windows or Mac-based, so they are EASY to use and require no additional web or computer skills.
LinkedIn - For business and making connections, research, networking and general happy business-y thoughts. http://www.linkedin.com/in/erinherold
Facebook - Great reconnection tool for people that you want to stay in touch with - but don't have the time to make connections with each person, every day. (Friend me at HarkHerold)
HotMail, Yahoo, Gmail, Rocketmail - Each and every one of them are free webmail sites. Set up one or multiple for yourself, your family, your kids, your business - the possibilities are endless. Additionally, once you set up these accounts, you can often import your contacts from Outlook or other programs directly into the site. THEN, you can take those contacts and upload them directly into LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter (see next) and many other programs to see if your connections are already on the site. harkherold@hotmail.com
Twitter - Yeah. I didn't get it either, until I started dinging around on the web a bit more. It's fantastic. If you wanted to find someone within a 5 mile radius of any zipcode, that tweeted a question about quilting between January of 2008 and today, you can do that. It's an outstanding business tool as well, as you can connect very quickly with other professionals that share similar interests - even beyond quilting! For the first week or so, just get on and lurk - see what others are saying, who you'd like to connect with, and what's being discussed (see next for Tweetdeck). I'm addicted. Love it. In fact, I'm taking a course in online social media and am now connected to three people across the globe that have taken the same class. Great resources I'd never otherwise have found!
@harkherold
Tweetdeck - ...so you're not ready to fully commit to Tweeting, but you're curious about what's being said out there. Or what someone is saying about your company or competitor. Tweetdeck is your tool! You can pull in your Facebook pages to see live updates, and link your Twitter account (or not) for up to the minute updates on your followers. BUT the real beauty of Tweetdeck is that you can choose keywords to monitor throughout the site. For example, last week, a young woman with a Saturn VUE in California had a flat tire. I know this because I made a column that would pop up all Tweets that contained "Saturn" and "problem" - I arranged to have her speak with the Parts Department here in MN. While she chose to go a different route - everyone with "Saturn" keyworded, or her followers, or "problem" keyworded, could watch the drama unfold in live-time. Talk about making an impression! IN.VAL.U.ABLE. Period.
Then the last site I'll pump today is the one I found today - Weebly. Weebly allows anyone to create and host their own webpages - ENTIRELY FREE. Again, as simple as creating a Word document, you can make a website - I did! That's all for now! Stay tuned! http://erinherold.weebly.com
By the way, all of these are COMPLETELY FREE. Nada. Zip. Zilch cost to get started or maintain. ALL are essentially Windows or Mac-based, so they are EASY to use and require no additional web or computer skills.
LinkedIn - For business and making connections, research, networking and general happy business-y thoughts. http://www.linkedin.com/in/erinherold
Facebook - Great reconnection tool for people that you want to stay in touch with - but don't have the time to make connections with each person, every day. (Friend me at HarkHerold)
HotMail, Yahoo, Gmail, Rocketmail - Each and every one of them are free webmail sites. Set up one or multiple for yourself, your family, your kids, your business - the possibilities are endless. Additionally, once you set up these accounts, you can often import your contacts from Outlook or other programs directly into the site. THEN, you can take those contacts and upload them directly into LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter (see next) and many other programs to see if your connections are already on the site. harkherold@hotmail.com
Twitter - Yeah. I didn't get it either, until I started dinging around on the web a bit more. It's fantastic. If you wanted to find someone within a 5 mile radius of any zipcode, that tweeted a question about quilting between January of 2008 and today, you can do that. It's an outstanding business tool as well, as you can connect very quickly with other professionals that share similar interests - even beyond quilting! For the first week or so, just get on and lurk - see what others are saying, who you'd like to connect with, and what's being discussed (see next for Tweetdeck). I'm addicted. Love it. In fact, I'm taking a course in online social media and am now connected to three people across the globe that have taken the same class. Great resources I'd never otherwise have found!
@harkherold
Tweetdeck - ...so you're not ready to fully commit to Tweeting, but you're curious about what's being said out there. Or what someone is saying about your company or competitor. Tweetdeck is your tool! You can pull in your Facebook pages to see live updates, and link your Twitter account (or not) for up to the minute updates on your followers. BUT the real beauty of Tweetdeck is that you can choose keywords to monitor throughout the site. For example, last week, a young woman with a Saturn VUE in California had a flat tire. I know this because I made a column that would pop up all Tweets that contained "Saturn" and "problem" - I arranged to have her speak with the Parts Department here in MN. While she chose to go a different route - everyone with "Saturn" keyworded, or her followers, or "problem" keyworded, could watch the drama unfold in live-time. Talk about making an impression! IN.VAL.U.ABLE. Period.
Then the last site I'll pump today is the one I found today - Weebly. Weebly allows anyone to create and host their own webpages - ENTIRELY FREE. Again, as simple as creating a Word document, you can make a website - I did! That's all for now! Stay tuned! http://erinherold.weebly.com
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