Niche Marketing Matters

This is a re-issue of a previous blog by request:

It seems that we live in a thankless world and this void seems most pronounced in day-to-day business. The ever increasing pace of commerce in the new millennium seems to leave little time for a thank you or even common courtesy. Global competitiveness seems to have sapped us of empathy and compassion. Yes, this is a cynical view of business today but I fear it is true. It is my opinion that we are mired in a deep dark thankless funk that rivals the world of Ebenezer Scrooge from Dickens lore.

For example, advertising is overwhelmingly negative. Charles Schwab, a brokerage company without analysts, ran ads a few years ago showing other Wall Street brokers to be commission-hungry con artists, pushing a bad stock; in the advertisement a full commission broker joked about “putting lipstick on that pig.” The pressure of controversy seems to have gotten the better of them (i.e. Schwab). Although Merrill Lynch was shown by New York City prosecutors to have very similar internal email conversations, CBS, thinking it too controversial, refused to run the ad. (source: The ClickZ Network).

Please note that I am a Schwab customer and that I forgave them for their ignorance and arrogance. Yet, I fear that recent financial events indicate that they were actually right. Who knew?

One only has to turn to YouTube or most anywhere on the web to read the smear campaigns that mocked political candidates in our 2008 Presidential race. Barack Obama was a victim of a Republican smear campaign which spread false information about his family history, religion, and background using a false Wikipedia citation. This is an example of negative advertising at its best with lies included. Regretfully, this negative viral message spread like crazy, misinforming thousands of readers.

Presuming that you buy into my harsh view of current affairs in the world, what should you do?

I suggest that you do the opposite. Greet the world by saying thank you to your customers, colleagues, suppliers, and competitors. Be different than the rest and look for the good in things and be grateful. At the very least, it will make you feel better. I can only imagine the shock on people’s faces when you greet them cheerfully and express good tidings.

William Arthur Ward said that “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” Give the gift of your gratitude. Give often.

Happy holidays.

John Bradley Jackson
© Copyright 2008 All rights reserved.

While at the NXTcomm tradeshow in Las Vegas this week, I had the opportunity to shake hands with dozens of people. The first person I shook hands with offered me a weak and clammy hand, which repulsed me. It got me thinking about this simple greeting and its importance in building and maintaining relationships.

Here is quick history lesson. It appears that people have been shaking hands since about 200 B.C. and it began as a gesture to show peaceful intent and to demonstrate that both parties held no weapons. While some cultures kiss and hug when meeting, most western cultures prefer handshakes for business purposes.

Back to the 21st century, handshakes are a normal protocol, yet there are clearly right and wrong ways to greet each other. Good eye contact is always appropriate with a solid grip. Shake too long and it becomes awkward. Never offer to shake hands and pull away; this is sure to insult the other person.
Here are a few variations on the standard right-handed handshake:

The Business Handshake

The most appropriate handshake connects the web between your index finger and thumb firmly with the other person’s and pump two or three times. This is always appropriate.

The Politician’s Handshake

While shaking hands cover the other person’s hand with your left hand. A favorite of politicians, this should be used only with someone you know well. This two-handed shake can be considered overly aggressive or invasive while the actual intent may communicate sincerity.

The Limp Fish Handshake

Just as it sounds; this handshake is wet, limp, and clammy. Nothing is more repulsive.

The Old Rich Lady Handshake

This is when you offer just your fingertips, rather than your palm, and it indicates a sense of superiority. This technique is most often observed as effeminate and effete.

The Muscle Man Handshake

Yep, you know this one, too. In this scenario the culprit tries to break bones.

The Gangster Handshake (also known as pounding)

This is fist to fist shake of rappers and street people. While it might be appropriate in the “hood”, it is not appropriate in the boardroom.

John Bradley Jackson
© Copyright 2008 All rights reserved.

P.S.
This handshaking protocol applies to Western cultures only—when in Rome, due as the Romans. For example, when in the Middle East & Arab World (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Gulf States, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Yemen, Arab Republic, Iran, and Iraq), use your right hand. The left hand is used only for bodily functions and is “unclean”.

Body language helps us communicate whether or not we are aware of it. A recent university study on how people receive information had the following results:

- 55% of what we learn from others comes from their body language (mostly from the eyes)
- 38% of what we learn from others comes from their tone of voice.
- 7% of what we learn from others comes from the words they say.

What this means to you and me is that our body language communicates a lot of information whether or not we try to manage it. This makes the initial greeting critical to the beginning of a new relationship. While people expect a firm and professional handshake, studies show that we make up our minds about people in the first three to four seconds.

Essentially, we make a judgment based on physical characteristics such shape of the face, posture, eye contact, body type, voice, clothing, and smell. We quickly determine if the new person is friend, foe, or neutral. This mammalian reaction comes from thousands of years of learning to survive and thrive in a hostile world.

Beware that when you meet new customers or contacts that you are being sized up and categorized. To make the best first impression, a smiling face and direct eye contact helps get you off to a good start. A firm, uncomplicated handshake is best; avoid a weak hand shake or an overly aggressive grip. The goal is to be accepted not to dominate. Stand straight but relaxed.

Your voice should be steady and enthusiastic. A happy person has a higher pitch and fast pace, while a depressed or bored person speaks slowly in a monotone voice. An aggressive person can be loud with a deep voice (think growl).

Clothing matters. Have you ever noticed how a person who is dressed-up, even in older or out-of-style clothing, always commands more authority and respect? The impression you make and what you have to say is enhanced by your personal presentation. The goal is to fit in but not to draw extra attention, so beware of flashy or provocative clothing.

Finally, good grooming is essential. Body odor can be offensive in most cultures; also, beware of over doing it with perfume and cologne since this can also be offensive to some. Clean hands and well groomed nails are essential.

Your body language tells a story to others whether you mean to or not.

John Bradley Jackson
© Copyright 2008 All rights reserved.

Customer service reps need to maintain their cool even when customers push all their buttons. Keeping cool is a matter of keeping your self control while helping customers get through their rants. Here are a few ideas on how to maintain your composure when the heat is on.

Be sure to breath. Silly as it sounds, make sure that you are breathing and sending enough oxygen to your brain. Monitor your breathing next time you are upset; I bet you are breathing shallowly or not at all. No wonder you get red faced.

Avoid sharing your anger in e-mails, voice messages, or notes. These messages may come off very heavy handed, yet when the same messages are delivered in-person with eye contact and body language they may appear constructive or helpful.

Consider the use of the expression “I understand”. This phrase will support your goals when the tension is high and when you need to find common ground to form compromises or agreements with the other party.

Monitor you own emotions. When you feel threatened, try not to defend yourself or to shut down when the other person is trying to communicate. The other person may have something that you need to hear (they might even be right!).

Try mirroring the other party’s words. Repeat the exact words that the customer is saying to you; this keeps you focused and helps demonstrate your openness. Say something like, “Let me see if heard you correctly. When I do this……”

When you feel like blowing your top or saying something you might regret, take a break. Put those feelings aside and deal with the issue later. You will be surprised how often the issue is minimized by doing this.

Throwing a fit in the workplace seldom does any good. More likely, people will not feel safe around you. You could be labeled as unpredictable and people will avoid you and your nasty behavior. Before long your reputation will impede you from getting things done.

Stay cool with hot-headed customers by managing your own emotions.

John Bradley Jackson
© Copyright 2008 All rights reserved.

“Promise only what you can deliver. Then deliver more than you promise.”
- Author Unknown

Many customers hesitate to buy because they fear that they might make the wrong decision and regret it later. This fear dominates the purchase decision and may kill the selling opportunity altogether.

One way to minimize this fear, or even eliminate it altogether, is to offer a guarantee. This is not as crazy as it sounds. Presuming your product or service is good and you have few complaints, a guarantee might help you sell more. For the prospective customer, maybe the guarantee will help minimize the risk of doing business with your firm.

Here is the trick: you probably already have an implicit guarantee. For example, if a customer calls you with a quality problem, don’t you fix it or replace the defective product? Don’t you normally bend over backwards when the unhappy customer calls? Of course you do, because it just makes good business sense to do so.

The point is that most of you already have a guarantee policy and just don’t put it your e-mail promotions or your purchase agreements. Think how powerful it is to tell a prospective customer that you guarantee your work, your product, or your service.

Some consumer product based businesses offer guarantees that are “money back” regardless of the customer issue. This type of guarantee is a branding feature, which helps differentiate the business from the competition. I have found “money back” guarantees to be most successful when used for low-priced consumer products and services.

There also seems less impact and greater financial risk for money back guarantees when selling industrial products or high priced goods. For example, you don’t see money back guarantees on Honda automobiles.

Satisfaction guarantees are often a better alternative for these products; promise to make things right, but you don’t give away the farm in the process. Also, don’t confuse a guarantee with a mere cancellation for convenience. I have seen guarantees backfire when a customer is given unconditional cancellation privileges. This can be particularly injurious to long-term service contracts, when the full contract period is needed to ensure sufficient margin.

Finally, like most new ideas, you should test this guarantee first. Try out the guarantee on a customer or customer group. See what happens. With a successful trial, a customer-wide roll-out will go more smoothly.

John Bradley Jackson
© Copyright 2008 All rights reserved.

How to Earn Customer Referrals

The best sales person is a happy customer; it sounds trite, but a happy customer is much more believable than your best sales pitch. If only you had more of them.

Now let’s be clear about a few things. Just because a customer says that they are happy does not mean that they will buy from you next time. The sad truth is that satisfied customers change providers all the time. Maybe it will be because of price or a lack of attention by the sales rep or some new feature offered by a competitor.

Customers who refer your firm to someone else seldom change providers. If you can only ask your customer one question to determine his or her level of satisfaction with your product or service, you need to ask, “Have you recommended our company to a friend?” It is one thing to say that you will refer someone and another thing to actually do it. Real advocates are people who actually recommend your firm to their friends. They are not people who just talk about it.

Creating this type of customer loyalty is hard work, but it can be done. Here are a few tips:

- Always say thank you. I recommend personal note cards as a follow up to every order or after a meeting. This personal touch is almost lost as a business practice; do this and you will be noticed, if not admired.
- Always ask for feedback on the buying experience. Do this in-person and by survey. Make your firm easy to do business with; eliminate inefficiencies and problems today.
- Consider a service or product guarantee. This will take the anxiety out of the purchase. In practice, they are seldom exercised, but when they are you being told that you have big problems to fix.
- Measure everything. Monitor all your customer facing processes. Catch problems before they fester.
- Try to anticipate customer needs. Call them first and remind them if they are low on stock. Let them know of product changes or improvements.
- Hold quality meetings with your staff. I bet they know where things could be improved; sometimes, you just need to ask them. Let them know it is OK to give you negative feedback. Create incentives to improve your products and processes.
- Welcome customer complaints. A customer who complains is giving you a second chance to make things right. If you can fix things, you could end up with a customer for life.
- Offer incentives to customers who refer you to other customers. Reinforce this great behavior. It won’t take much either; it might cost you a lunch or tickets to the theater. It is worth it.
- Never over commit. If you cannot meet a customer’s expectations, don’t take the order. The downside risk too great.
- On the flipside, always exceed expectations. Deliver sooner or better or more than quoted. Be excellent!

Finally, whenever a customer compliments you on a job well done, say thanks and ask for a referral. If they cannot think of anyone, it means that you have more work to do.

John Bradley Jackson
© Copyright 2006 All rights reserved.
My new book “First, Best, or Different” is now available at www.firstbestordifferent.com!
Please buy my book!

It is cliché that the little things you do make the difference with your customer, but it is true.

I read a story the other day by author Mac Anderson about a grocery store “bagger” (or a box-boy as I grew up calling them), who had devised an idea to make his customers happy. Much like a fortune cookie, he would drop a small piece of paper with positive or happy quote in each customer’s grocery bag as they left the store. On the back of the note was his name.

This special touch went on for a few months before the store manager discovered it; the manager noticed that the line for the register where the special bagger worked was always longer. As it turns out, customers wanted to get their special quote of the day even if it took a few minutes longer. By the way, it is worth noting that the bagger had “Downs Syndrome”.

The quote was a small act of kindness, but it made a difference. It made me think of the ways that others have made me happy or made me feel special. One that came to mind is my Pharmacist at Rite-Aid named Anna. Although Anna must fulfill prescriptions for hundreds of different customers every week, she always greets me with, “Hi John.” Candidly, I don’t go to the pharmacy that often, yet she always remembers not only my name, but also the names of my wife and kids. I cannot tell you how she does this memorization, but I will say it does make me feel special. And, I always look for her when I go into the store.

Another special touch came from my Dentist “Dave”. The other day I had a crown on one of my molars come loose just prior to a week-long business trip. Schedules would not allow me to get into the dental office that day, so I agreed to keep the crown and go in to see him when I got back from my trip. About an hour later there was a knock at my door and there was my dentist. He had a major appointment cancel, so he jumped into his car and drove to my house with his dental instruments and glue. He popped the crown back in my mouth and I went on my business trip with smile.

What can you do to make a difference?

John Bradley Jackson
© Copyright 2006 All rights reserved.
Please visit my website at www.firstbestordifferent.com

Thank You.

I cannot think of a more powerful phrase that is never said enough to our customers: thank you. And, it is so easy do.

Here are a few ways to tell your customers thanks:

1. Call them. Yes, you will get a voicemail, but go ahead and leave a message. Say something like, “I am calling to say thank you for your business. Your ongoing support means a lot to me. Thanks.”
2. Send a postcard with the same message next time they place an order.
3. Set up a lunch with your favorite client in appreciation of their patronage.
4. Include a post-it note on your next invoice with a handwritten note of appreciation.
5. Send an e-mail with a photo of you holding sign that says thank you.
6. Send a FedEx package with chocolates and a thank you card.
7. Make a donation to your customer’s favorite charity in their name.
8. Send flowers or a plant.
9. Send them a discount coupon for future use.
10. Send them tickets to the movies.

As your mother told you, it is the thought that counts.

Thank you to my readers!

John Bradley Jackson
© Copyright 2006 All rights reserved.
Please visit my website at www.firstbestordifferent.com