Category Archives: Principle 8 Deliver More

May 13 2 comments
Principle 2 Communication, Principle 3: Endorsement, Principle 8 Deliver More

Four More Different Words

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Create Powerful Client Networks

Sage Seth Godin says you or your company "have the opportunity to create value by connecting their clients to each other."  This idea is the most powerful underpinning of Word of Mouth (WOM) marketing.  In fact, in addition to value for your clients, you have the chance to create a sales phenomenon if you’re excellent.

Your entire business to include product and service design AND marketing plan should be built with this directive in mind.  In fact, your customer service system should be be embedded with this philosophy.

Word-of-Mouth marketing and Social Media consultant Jeremy Epstein cements the point:

Create an environment (aka a platform) where folks can learn from each
other and your position as Social Object is strengthened, which is
exactly what you want.

Sales professionals (and/or their marketing colleagues) who believe referrals are the lifeblood of their business need to become Social Objects.  Yes, what you learned in high school is right — it’s a popularity contest and it’s cool to be different.

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Photo credit:  Gaping Void — More thoughts on Social Objects

So how do you become a Social Object?

Besides the now obvious combination of traditional and Web 2.0 (there, I said it) vehicles such as write a book, write articles, hold a seminar, blog, exploit LinkedIn and Facebook, how can you create value for with your prospects or customers?

  • Create a monthly or weekly public event featuring a different client each time. 
  • Celebrate a personal victory or achievement for your client to which their friends, family members and clients are invited
  • Hold a case study review of your top clients inviting their clients to participate
  • Throw a surprise party for your client (How do you do that? Stay tuned)

So, please comment, how do you turn your client into a Social Object?

May 08 0 comments
Principle 1 Niche, Principle 2 Communication, Principle 8 Deliver More

Four Different Words

Unique service; deliver differently.

I go to Starbucks because I’m part of a large demographic who feels rich when they spend a relatively small amount of money on a lifestyle luxury to receive a consistently stronger cup of coffee in an easy to find meeting place.  I keep coming back because they manned-up and replaced my prescription eye-wear when it was accidentally misplaced by one of the store’s management a few years ago.

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People talk about you when they are surprisingly delighted.  Do more than your customer expects and they will talk about you.

Solve a problem or fulfill a desire better than the rest of the marketplace.

Find out what customers expect and then come to agreement and publicize what they can expect.

Tell a story people enjoy believing and then make it necessary for them to be a part of it.

Mar 22 2 comments
Principle 8 Deliver More

Who Cares?

WecareYou’d better care.

There’s no better way to lose a customer or prospect than to appear indifferent.

From the very first communication, customers want to personally connect.  They want to be heard and understood and expect a personal response. 

What do most companies do to their future and current customers when they answer the phone?  They make their customers listen to an assortment of options to then listen to yet another set of options to which they make them leave a message or indefinitely hold for the "next available customer service representative. It’s OK because they first say, "your call is important to us," just not your time.  It’s more important that they save money by hiring less people to promptly answer your less important call.

There’s no better way to win a customer for life than to compassionately fix a mistake.

I’ve always said, I’d much rather fix a mistake with a WOW than give the customer only what they expect.  That’s not to say that we don’t have EXCELLENT delivery systems, but that’s exactly it, they’re designed to deliver beyond expectations.  However, as people are the medium for which systems are designed, mistakes happen.  When we make a mistake, we now have the opportunity to make them clients for life.  The first thing to do is to admit the error immediately.  Then, do something outrageous to fix the problem.  Check out how Microsoft fixed a mistake while servicing one of their Xbox customers.  My favorite comment reads:

marketing ploy by microsoft.. clearly he doesn’t ‘need’ all that free stuff.. its just to get attention.

And what’s wrong with that? 

One revelation in a salesperson’s life is the need to under promise and over deliver.  To find out about the other 9 big turning points in a sales person’s life, order your FREE, groundbreaking report, "The 10 Big Breakthroughs in a Sales Person’s Life."

 

Mar 06 0 comments
Principle 8 Deliver More

You Need to be the First one your Customer Thinks About

When your Client or Prospect has a need you can fill, you’d better be the first one they think of.  Patrick Williams started a list about what customers expect. To help them remember or know about you,

  • Customers want to see you do what you say when you say you’re going to do it
  • They want you to be better than they expect
  • They want you to do something so unexpected they can tell all their friends, family and coworkers about it
  • They want to be remembered
  • They want to trust you
  • Customers want to be gently lead
  • They want to see and hear from other happy customers

What do your customers want?  Add to Patrick’s list with a trackback or comment.

What do salespeople, business owners and consultants want?  Imagine tripling the number of ideal prospects you meet with and then achieving the highest possible prospect-to-client conversion rate possible.  What would your business look like, then?  Order the seminal FREE whitepaper, The 10 Big Breakthroughs in a Sales Person’s Life.