Marketing Wisdom Archives - Page 29 of 38

INSIDE JOKES USUALLY MAKE BAD NAMES

August 1, 2012 by Scott Flood

When people are naming a business or a service, they frequently struggle with finding the right name. In many cases, some private joke provides the inspiration. But be careful, because what strikes you as funny might not have the same impact on prospective customers.

I recall a restaurant that opened up under the name Crazy Chef. Somehow, I got past the apprehension and went in, where I had a pleasant lunch. I inquired about the name, and the server said the owner was known as “Crazy Nick” among his friends, who thought Crazy Chef was the perfect name for his place.

KEEP SURVEYS SIMPLE TO BOOST RESPONSE

July 25, 2012 by Scott Flood

Planning to mail or email a survey to your customers or other stakeholders? Want to increase the percentage of recipients who will respond?

The best way to get a longer list of respondents is to start with a shorter survey.

THE PORCELAIN INDICATOR OF CUSTOMER SERVICE

June 6, 2012 by Scott Flood

Want a quick indication of a company’s commitment to customer service? It’s a simple gauge that works just as well for restaurants as it does for retail stores, as for gas stations, as for professional service providers.

Just take a look at the bathroom. No, I’m not kidding. The condition, cleanliness, and comfort of a restroom speak volumes about what a company thinks about its customers (and often, its employees).

GREAT CUSTOMER CONTACTS ARE TRAINED, NOT BORN

May 30, 2012 by Scott Flood

Companies that want to be better at customer service will often put a great deal of effort into trying to hire the “right” people. “If we just find the right people, everything will fall into place,” they believe.

It’s true that there are a lot of people out there who view helping others as a calling. And there are people who may not be quite as dedicated, but who genuinely enjoy seeing customers walk away with a smile and a promise to return. But if you simply place even the most well-meaning people into your customer-service settings, you probably won’t get the results you want.

GIVE FRONTLINE STAFF THE AUTHORITY TO FIX THINGS

May 16, 2012 by Scott Flood

I called the quick-service restaurant with a large carry-out order, and was told it would be ready at 5:45. At exactly 5:46, I walked in and discovered that nobody had started to prepare my food. The manager muttered an apology and snapped at the crew to get to work, then disappeared from sight.

A smiling teenage employee walked up and said, “Sir, if you’d like to have a seat, I’ll bring your order to you when it’s ready.” I thanked her and declined, primarily because I wanted to watch the kitchen crew prepare my food. I’m funny that way, especially after the cooks have just been scolded.

CUSTOMERS HAVE THE ANSWERS

May 2, 2012 by Scott Flood

Businesses and organizations often struggle to understand why they’re not performing as well as they’d like. In many cases, the answer is a lot closer than they realize. If they took time to talk with … and genuinely listen to … their customers, they would develop a much stronger understanding of what they’re doing right, and what needs to be improved.

In his landmark book The Customer-Driven Company, Richard Whiteley cites many successful companies that aggressively pursue input from customers, and then build what they’ve learned back into their products and processes.

CONNECT THE UNFAMILIAR TO SOMETHING FAMILIAR

April 25, 2012 by Scott Flood

At a time when new technologies seem to appear every day, most folks are becoming overwhelmed. While they’re impressed by all the new features and opportunities, and while many can see at least some of how these new advances will benefit them, the sheer volume of information is pushing a growing number of people into overload.

How can you help people understanding something new and unfamiliar without overwhelming them? A tried-and-true tactic is to connect that unfamiliar object or process with something that’s very familiar and quite simple. It’s a tactic effective copywriters have used for decades, and it’s even more applicable today, because it can help to overcome resistance to new ideas.

SUCCESS STORY: BLENDING THE OLD WITH THE NEW

April 18, 2012 by Scott Flood

Being an established business or organization can easily cut both ways. On the one hand, longevity can inspire confidence and respect. But on the other, it can easily saddle you with an image that’s old-fashioned and stodgy.

That’s a particular problem for community-based banks. While they may be the bedrock of their communities, many have been slow to modernize and embrace technologies that their aggressive big-city counterparts have promoted.

IF YOU INNOVATE, YOU MUST EDUCATE

April 4, 2012 by Scott Flood

Three cheers for the companies that are dedicated to developing the new and the exciting! The companies that aren’t satisfied with what’s already available, or who have recognized an entirely new way to accomplish something. The companies that are constantly focused staying at the forefront of their industries. If you run (or work for) one of those companies, I’d take my hat off to you (if I wore a hat).

But when you take on the mantle of “innovator,” you also assume the responsibility of an educator. That’s because when you stake out new territory, it’s new to everyone else, too. The advantages and superiority of your new approach may be obvious to you, but they may not be quite as clear to the rest of the world.

TODAY’S READER IS A SCANNER

March 28, 2012 by Scott Flood

Busy, busy, busy. We’re going this way and that way, and it seems that we have less time for everything. That effort to cram more into every day has had a pronounced effect on the way people read. A generation ago, people tended to read at a more leisurely pace. They’d start at the beginning, finish at the end, and savor everything in between.

The shortage of time and the speed of finding information on the internet has fundamentally changed the way people read nearly everything. Instead of savoring, readers are skimming; breezing through articles, books, and documents at a pace that would have been considered speed-reading in the past. They look for what matters in a document, and zero in only on those points that seem to be most important.