Downturn in Economy?

As small business owners, we do not typically operate under the same constraints faced by major corporations. We don’t require Board approval to make changes to our marketing strategies, we have greater flexibility with the content and direction of our marketing programs and have the ability to efficiently and effectively market ourselves with minimal expenditure.

The economic downturn has caused many companies to downsize their non-revenue and ‘non-essential’ departments.

By taking time and seriously considering long term goals for my business, I have utilized my new-found free time to maximize efforts in expanding my offering and taking a long, hard look at how I have been marketing myself.
When employed full-time, my small business was more of a dream than an active reality. I ordered the supplies needed to have the ability to launch my business when the timing was right. My office is filled with fantastic marketing materials for, ironically, my online marketing business. I have a few clients that I work with on a regular basis, but did not have the time to take on new commitments.

Post-layoff, I took the time to beef up my website, order third-generation business cards that now present the image I want to sell to my clients. The businesses I worked with in my past professional life have now become clients and prospects – they know my ethics, they recognize my abilities, and we have a pre-established positive relationship.

For established small business owners, I encourage you to seek out new ways of building your business. If you have a website, but are not active on social media – now is the time! Most of the tools are free; establishing accounts, finding a preferred social network stream aggregator to monitor your business presence online, and getting involved in the newest trends.

Early adopters of internet ‘trends’ have the luxury of being among the first to get your brand name populating search engines, generating traffic through online gaming programs, and being involved in your area’s online community. It takes time, yes, but if you are experiencing a slowdown in traffic, the time is available – it’s how you choose to use it.

Seek out online communities in your area and become active. Share your personality first and product second with thousands of people in your area, for absolutely free.

If you are not internet savvy, or just simply don’t get it, that’s fine – there are plenty of former professional marketers with years of experience just starting their own companies to show you the way and assist you in your efforts. Think of how you began your business, how you wanted to share your product or your skills with the world and re-energize that dream.

Downturn is only that for those that stay below the wave. Grab your board and rise above it. The view is endless!

But it's ME!

I am a raving fan of my family doctor. He is thorough, attentive and patient, the staff is knowledgeable and efficient, and even the lab does their work with little to no discomfort. Yet, at the four minute mark on hold listening to how “important” my call is, I begin to feel a wee bit put-off.

I know the wonderful receptionists give the very best service to all of their guests, yet I am experiencing a frustration that many of us have felt when things aren’t as personalized, as timely, or as efficient as we believe we deserve. It’s what I term the “but it’s ME” factor.

The soothing hold music is on its second loop at the six-minute mark. Six minutes and ten seconds after I dialed – a 2010 eternity – my call was answered. Of course, I got great service.

So what happens when your guests call or email you? Your raving fans no doubt have a very strong, “but it’s ME” factor, occasional users are having their suspicions confirmed either positively or negatively about their decision to use your company, and new guests have nearly as strong of a feeling of “but it’s ME” as your raving fans. We all want answers NOW, simply because it’s me.

We have a company-wide standard that all emails are personally acknowledged within 20minutes of receipt, and have a year-end goal to reduce the wait time to six minutes. After two unanswered rings, phone calls roll to another sales consultant and in-house guests are greeted between 10-20 seconds of entering the building.

Standards have been set in order to improve the quality of the customer experience. As with goal setting, if an organization is without a guideline for the speed at which we acknowledge our raving fans or newest customers (both should be the same by the way), we tend to get lost in the moment – a very dangerous place. Being lost in the moment can lead to customers seemingly getting in the way of us doing our jobs.

“Ugh – another phone call. Sheesh, when am I going to get this paperwork done?”
“My emails just won’t stop coming today!”
“It’s one thing after another!”

Sound familiar? Customers can’t get in the way of us doing business – they ARE our business. When we’re the ones providing the product or service, we need to adopt the “of course I can, because it’s YOU” attitude toward each of our customers.

When guests feel that we place the same importance on their questions, needs or concerns that they have - and they know that we understand and we care - we can leave everyone with their, “but factor” feeling really good about us and the way we do business.

By the way, the doc’s office just personally called to let me know that my concern was taken care of, I’m sure they did that just because it’s me.

Feeling adrift in the ocean of Web 2.0?

Social media is kind of like an ocean’s wave: vast beyond comprehension, powerful and deep, yet gentle enough for anyone to dip their toes; it can transport information (and ultimately product) across the globe, and it can destroy those passively taking in the scenery in record time.

The thousands of groups, services, news and information gathering sites, social networking sites, video-sharing sites, etc. are like shells deep enough in the water to swirl around with each passing wave, but not too large to get swept out to sea and lost forever.

Carrying this forth, we are the sand – 1.6 Billion of us online at differing depths into the sea of Web 2.0. Each of us with different levels of interest in participation, each of us safe in our own shells with our own groups, sites, etc.

Just because we may not see the ocean for the sand, trust me - it’s out there. It can be very scary, but just like any other adventure, social media involvement begins with a few small steps:

1. Prepare yourself to let go of the old advertising paradigm. Devising a sale and plopping an ad in the paper isn’t going to cut it anymore, and gimmicks only work when they truly connect with customers. Most of us aren’t up for any unnecessary time-wasters and are looking for valuable information, not a schmaltzy sales pitch.
2. Prepare yourself to really listen to your customers. Gone are the days of being able to ignore customers, because someone new was just ready to walk in the door anyway… They’re not flocking anywhere, and if you get a customer, you’ve got to genuinely work to keep them.
3. Prepare yourself to really hear what your customers are saying. Yeah, see point 2 about that…
4. Dig in and listen to what’s being said about you, your business, your competitors, your industry, your area, etc. Pack up your ego and embrace the concept that you can’t get better until you get honest. Sometimes, that honesty will sting. But, like a flu shot, the sting only protects you from something more insidious. Learn from what’s being said.
5. Look and see who the ‘influencers’ are and see what they are saying and who is listening to them. The Web’s not a popularity contest although some might think that way…), it’s a valuable resource. Learn who gets heard in your market area and initiate conversation.
6. Do not do not do not hop into the Social Media ocean with a hearty hi-ho sales pitch. You will get pushed under. ‘Nuf said. Save the sale for later.
7. Here’s the toughie – begin interacting with influencers and groups – as YOU, not as your business. The old phrase that still is true online is that customers don’t care what you know, until they know that you care; that you’re listening, responding and being a part of something bigger than your business.
8. Have fun! Social media is about letting the world see you first, getting to like you second, and then listening to what you have to say.

Safe sailing!

Motivate this.

One of my favorite websites has always been www.despair.com. The name alone is inspiring enough to want to click just to see what such a site could possibly have to offer...

What visitors find is a glorious culmination of every poor customer service event, failed sales call, or negative fear-based emotion all rolled into one-sentence witticisms to which everyone can relate.

So as business professionals, how do we prevent ourselves from becoming poster children for regretful service and outright sales failure?

The Boy Scouts said it, and it's critical: Be prepared. But beyond that, quit sabotaging yourself and be prepared to succeed.

• Be prepared for questions - questions are good! It's the silence you've got to worry about. Questions are often not contrary, but rather a crystal-clear look into the visceral purchase motivators for your guest.
• Be prepared to involve your customer. It sounds so simple, but many veteran salespeople go into an auto-piloted spiel and forget to pause and let the customer participate in the presentation. If we learn to interact and ask our guests pertinent questions, they listen more closely to what we are saying, and will formulate invaluable questions to help them begin visualizing themselves using your product or service.
• Be prepared to write the sale - then stop selling. If we've been hearing a few 'no' responses in a row, an enthusiastic 'YES!' can be unnerving. We naturally start to second guess what we've said and reiterate, and ultimately talk ourselves out of a sale. After a hearty, 'Let's do this!' Excitedly answer, 'OK!' and get out the necessary tools to complete the sale. Don't try to show more features and confuse the issue. Don't offer things in a different colors or levels or anything. They bought what you're showing them. So let them buy already!
• Be prepared to be challenged. Some people will only buy from people that can provide intelligent, informed answers and show grace under fire. It's easy to sell to the person who says yes all the time; it takes moxy to sell to a grouch. Confidence grows from knowing your business inside and out. Hey, you chose it as a profession, now dig in and do your homework!
• Be prepared when things go wrong. Working with a car dealer, it was always the most painful, awkward situation when we gathered the whole team - sales, service, office - around an excited new owner and their shiny new car, showcased front and center on the showfloor for all to see. We would say a little cheer for them, hoot and holler a little, and swing wide the doors for the proud new owner to drive off into the sunset... And every once in a while, all anyone would hear would be a faint little 'click' from under the hood. Managing those shattered customer expectations was a challenge, but when handled correctly, those disappointed owners became raving fans.

A very wise man named Leonard Rydell once said, "Don't invite the customers in, just to disappoint them."

Consider your personal experiences with both superior and dismal customer service. Then consider how you treat both your favorite customer, and your worst living nightmare of a curmudgeonly guest. If they differ, visit that website. One of those posters could be about you.