Now That’s A Novel Idea! Answer Your Customer’s Questions!

The art of conversation can still exist in this digital age, but often it is lacking. And the result is a lack of brand understanding, lessened brand loyalty and ultimately fewer sales.

Recently I read about a small businessman who was getting big leads all because he responded to questions through his website.

The other very smart thing he did was tell people the good things his competitors did too. Really?

Because you may be asking – how did he get all those big leads? Let me begin by sharing with you how easily this was done and how you can do it too.

“I started thinking about the way I use the Internet and how often I am searching for an answer,” said the owner of a pool business in Virginia who was highlighted in a New York Times article earlier this year. “So I realized if I was willing to answer questions people have about pools, I might have a chance to gain them as customers.”

Here’s how this could work for you:

1. Provide a forum on your website for people to ask questions, any question. Then dedicate time at least twice a week to answer the questions fully. This pool owner did and that is how new customer relationships began.

After all don’t you want to buy from someone who has the answers?

2. Put content on your site that presents the question and several forms of the answer and let Google’s search engines find you when people are asking questions. This is also easy to track through visitor counts on your own site.

3. Start a blog, tie it to your site. Use the questions coming in, and give great answers that are fully explained, honest and position you as the expert you are – this is your blog and re-purposes the very questions and answers that are becoming your big sales engine.

4. By learning the questions you become a better marketer, sales person, business owner. You will have fresh information about what is really on the minds of consumers looking for your product. Just keep in mind the top 3 questions you are asked using this method and then build your own sales pitch around the answers.

5. List and mention your competitors. Why on earth would you do this? Back to that wonderful Google search. Even if a customer was Googling one of your competitors, guess what other website would come up? Yours. Pure genius I say – but not easy to convince others to do. You might even create an annual list of top questions, oh yes that is another blog!

It’s a big happy circle. Be open to asking questions, giving honest responses on everything from pricing to what could go wrong and watch the sales cycle begin.

It’s old fashioned communication and it’s definitely what we all need more of!

Marketing is Selling. Do it with purpose.

There are few things more rewarding than spending your career knowing you have purpose. Purpose to your employer, your employees, your community and your customers. The question today is: what purpose are you bringing to marketing your product or service?

Recently we are learning (or re-learning) that purpose-full marketing is what sells best too. There seem to be a lot of terms for this from ‘pro-social marketing’ to ‘marketing for good’ to PR and advertising “conscious capitalism”. My grandfather might say this is how sales have always taken place, sell a good product, do good things, be nice to your customers and your business will grow.

Bottom line: A consumer will buy from someone they feel a sense of connection with.

Shared values, socially responsible practices, even emotional connections are being studied for their value in building customer loyalty.

Have you noticed brands letting you know how they give back or are adding slogans to their brand to let you know their values? Maybe they don’t sell endangered fish species or they do give a percentage of their profit to a local school … the message is that you can be successful and still give back. Maybe giving back encourages success?

While writing this piece I asked myself if I am a socially conscious consumer and though I have not declared my intentions loudly, I do realize I certainly am. There are restaurants I no longer frequent due to their employee policies, gas I won’t buy because of their corporate response to a disaster, insurance I won’t carry because I saw how they treated hurricane victims in need and yes I shop where charities win too.

Take a look at what you are marketing and consider whether or not you are touting the good things your company does. Are you giving a broad picture of why you are and what you value? When done with strong intentions this kind of communicating can be a strong magnet for not only sales but attracting great people to your team. And besides, you will wake up each morning and feel your own sense of purpose and that feels very good. Do it with purpose!

Should Ads Have Headlines? Every ad is a mini opportunity for storytelling.

It is surprising how often I see ads that forget the basics, like the address, website or phone number. Too bad because an ad is an opportunity to tell a very mini-story and move your audience to buy!

If you think of every ad you do as a story to tell – crucial things like where you are located or how to get in touch with you become part of your message

Here is a tip sheet of 10 things to consider as you craft your next ad.

1. Yes you should have a bold headline! And that headline is about what you are selling. Every headline should be short, have an action verb (like come, buy, eat, enjoy, love …) and tell the viewer exactly why they should continue to get “the rest of the story”.

2. Focus on the benefit to the customer not to you. And use straight talk language, no jargon!

3. Have an offer (Macy’s and nearly every restaurant uses this to distraction and it works!)

4. A couple of times a year have a big or fun offer! The goal is to get the customer to know you better, to visit your website, store or speak to one of your representatives. (Think PBS – their annual fundraisers have worked for decades!)

5. Track results (even as basic as website visits or how often the phone rang)

6. When you receive a call or visit, ask them what brought them to you? Then send a thank you back if and when possible. This is another way of building your all-essential customer contact lists.

7. Do you have testimonials? If you do, then use them where it feels natural. If you don’t start today by writing down what your customers are saying – this is far easier than you may think.

8. Don’t be funny, unless that is part of your corporate culture. If you are known as ‘wild and crazy’ then go for it, if not stick to a straightforward message.

9. Ask yourself what do you want your customer to do? Come to your store at a special time, buy a specific item? Then be certain you say that – it is your call to action and the entire reason for the ad.

10. Most important – is your company name, address or website, contact phone number on the ad?

I am often asked about image vs. sales ads. For most companies image ads are nice, but only when you are trying to reshape an image (think: This is not your father’s car). Otherwise make the ad pay for itself multiple times over and SELL.

Here’s to storybook results!

People Buy From You Because of Who You Are

Years ago I was in awe of a speaker who said the most important part of his business was integrity. The room went quiet and a participant said to him “what do you make?”. He said his company made cars, ran hotels and even sold cookies too.

He told the group no one would buy anything from him if they didn’t believe in his company. And if they did believe in his company – they might buy anything.

At a conference just last week a woman whose title was “Chief of Happiness” stood before a group there to learn about Social Media and said we were all starting on the wrong end – it wasn’t about where we communicated with our customers, it was the feeling in what we said. Again the room went silent as her words sunk in. All the conversation in the days before about key words, SEO, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pintrest etc etc. really came down to that sixth sense of getting a message between the words.

She asked – Why should we love a company’s product if the person telling us about it does not? How important is happiness at your organization?

One of the more popular talks on Ted (www.Ted.com if you are not yet hooked) is from Simon Sinek who talks about customers buying because they believe in the company and WHY you exist, not a specific product. His example: Apple. We all know they are about innovation and testing the status quo. Because we see and feel their vision, we clamor to buy an assortment of their products – music, data, computers, TV’s and products yet invented.

FOOTNOTE: The man with the integrity at the top of this blog was Indian businessman Ratan Tata – whose Mumbai-based conglomerate The Tata Group owns the Jaguar car brand among many other. The woman in charge of happiness was from Zappos – the company uses a loyalty business model based on relationship marketing (think about that!).

Lesson here for us – start at your core. Why are you in business – even more specifically why do you get out of bed every day to do the work you do? With that answer your focus, pathway and messaging will be crystal clear. It is my hope that you will find joy in getting out of bed each and every day.

It matters very much – to 53% who are ‘Conscious Consumers’

How we see corporations is getting clearer …

Did you think twice before stopping at a BP gas station after the oil spill? Do you now have a new place to get a chicken sandwich since the anti-gay comments from Chick-fil-A’s CEO (depending on your viewpoint this could be good or bad) ?

From a new study consumers care very much about the attitudes of the corporations they support with their dollars.

My prediction is that this “conscious consumption” will only grow more important in the decades ahead. And well it should, we work hard for our money and if we can feel better about how we spend it, then that is an effort worth making.

What is the social agenda of the company you represent? It matters to more than ½ of all global consumers and according to this new study from Edelman, that’s up from 24% just a few years ago.

Yet precious few corporations do a very good job of communicating their contributions to communities, charity causes, even their employee programs. Why not? Possibly because until now they were not aware of the financial advantage.

One terrific example:

- On a recent 60 Minutes show it was disclosed that nearly all the eyewear in the world comes from one company. The report pointed out one of the few independent exceptions which is Warby Parker eyewear. As I write this I am wearing Warby Parker glasses for computer users and not only love the glasses, I enjoyed doing business with them online.

My original introduction to them came from a magazine article about how Warby Parker gives back – as a recent Glamour magazine article put it “If you’re not already familiar with the brand, for every pair of totally chic frames they sell, Warby Parker donates a pair of prescription glasses to a child in need. Look good, do good!” Read More http://www.glamour.com/fashion/blogs/slaves-to-fashion/2012/10/attention-hipsters-warby-parke

Here is information on how corporations benefit another way, from a recent Forbes piece:

“So what’s the benefit of getting your employees involved in your corporate fundraising efforts? Well, for starters it helps workers feel connected to the best part of your organization’s ethos – its corporate social responsibility values. All of which helps to improve employee engagement, a bottom-line benefit that can’t be underestimated. These days, employee disengagement is rampant, and when workers don’t feel that their company is inspiring them to do their best, productivity losses follow. In fact, the Corporate Leadership Council reports that companies which enjoy high engagement rates have 87 percent lower staff turnover rates and 20 percent better performance.”

When I began my career this position was called “Community Relations” and it was a coveted position to have. It does my heart good to see that all of us are not only paying attention to what corporations are doing for society, but how we are all starting to pay attention again, too.

Would You Buy Anything ‘Sight Unseen’ Neither Will Your Customers – 10 Tips for Taking Photos that Sell

Everywhere we go people have their cell phones held high and are taking photos that end up on Facebook, blogs, email or just about anywhere. As marketers we know that the photos we are taking must not only tell a story, but sell our companies and clients too!

No matter what kind of “camera” you are using to add to your visual arsenal – over the years I have learned some great tips from some exceptional photographers and I share them here with you –

Ten Tips from Professional Photographers!

Tip #1 – Is there red in the photo? It is no coincidence that there is a red carpet at major events … Red attracts the eye and therefore draws you into the image. Many pros I know carry a red hat or find a red flower to put on a desk or behind the subject or a sign with red to include in the photo — ask yourself what is red that you can include in your shot!

Tip #2 – Odd is interesting. When possible include 3 faces, 3 mountain tops or 3 whatever – the balance that comes from one in the center and two on either side – even if they are not lined up – is what you want.

Tip #3 – What’s that growing out of your head? I am surprised at how often I see a beautiful bridal photo with a tree limb seemingly growing out of the groom’s head … take the extra second to see what is behind your photo subject and adjust your viewpoint if necessary.

Tip #4 – Get high. One pro I travel with can usually be found on top of a rock, standing at the top of the stairs or lots of other elevated vantage points – his photos are captivating – look for these kinds of places when you shoot a photo too.

Tip #5 – Sometimes the background matters more! A mountain at sunset becomes even more beautiful when a bird is in the foreground – consider framing your photo first and then waiting for that foreground element to enter the frame. It will!

Tip #6 – Move it! If you move with your subject, the background will show motion and you’ll have energy in the final take.

Tip #7 – Here comes the sun, there goes the sun. Light matters so go early, stay late and think through the mood you are hoping to capture and then match it to the light. Sometimes the light of a fire, a match, a lamp or a reflection is all the light you need, so shut off the “automatic” and capture reality.

Tip #8 – Funny Faces, wrinkled faces, happy faces are all better close up – step into your subjects and let your camera discover those facial cues that send the message!

Tip #9 – Quality – set the camera at top quality and print out your photos on quality paper, both increase the image quality.

#10 – Pets and Children – the best advice I ever got from a pet photographer who also did family photos, was to let pets and children be themselves! There is no controlling either so use a fast shutter speed and take a series of photos quickly. You’ll get “the” picture!

Missed Marketing Opportunities – in the land of automated reminders

Lately I have been getting reminders. Reminders from a new hairdresser, reminders from my dentist, reminders from my doctor. Way way too many reminders. When did everyone decide we were forgetful?

It’s not just one gentle reminder, but in the case of this new hairdresser I received 5 reminders via text, email and voice mail – all asking me to reply! I clicked, responded, replied and still they kept coming.

Just because technology automates a way to “remind” a customer does not mean it is a good thing.

When I asked the new hairdresser why 5 was considered a good number of reminders he told me that it was because I gave the system too much information. “If you don’t want so many reminders then take off your email or your cell number and you’ll get less,” he told me. You know what I was thinking – I don’t need a reminder to remember to find another hairdresser.

Not only do I find this annoying but a huge missed marketing opportunity!

Why not use these “reminders” to tell me about a new product or service, provide a helpful hint or ask me a question? In the case of the hairdresser surely it would be helpful for him to know what my needs or hair challenges might be, right?

That same technology could be used to have a dialogue with me to further connect my needs to these services. It’s a simple formula; maximize opportunities to connect with customers new and old. Those connections build loyalty which leads to referrals and builds strong businesses.

The most aggravating part of these reminders is that not only was the communication one-way – them reminding me over and over what I was supposed to do – but it did not translate into any of these 3 service providers doing what they were supposed to do!

In all 3 cases I showed up a bit early, all forms filled out and checked in with the appropriate hostess or nurse – and guess what – all 3 of them were late! In the case of the doctor more than an hour! Perhaps their reminder service should have notified me of the delay, or better yet the doctor. I found out that a pharmaceutical rep had brought in a surprise food buffet to say thanks the day of my doctor’s appointment and that had slowed down the office!

Even crazier is that when I mentioned that these reminders could be put to better marketing use, all of them looked at me like I was speaking Swahili. Have we gotten so far away from true customer interaction that it now seems foreign to the very people we see frequently and count on for quality of life?

I shared this tale with a new hotel client the other day and it led us to review the customer interaction this hotel was having with its guests, from the online reservation to the check-out process. It was a terrific brainstorming session that led to some very positive and immediate outcomes.

Role playing is an important part of marketing – all of us should figuratively step into the shoes of our customers and let’s be sure we are walking-the-walk of what we are promoting through our marketing. To build repeat business and customer loyalty we need to humanize our communication and build a two- way dialogue that truly connects us with those who support our organizations.

P.S. You only get one chance to make a first impression. No reminders needed, you already knew that.

(And yes, one reminder graphic might have done the trick on this blog too! )