It was a light-hearted and hilarious but strictly business session with everyone enjoying being educated about the more personal facts of life. Yeah, yeah, libido was on the list too of course :).
The burly, macho, VIP corporate men were politely challenging the petite, feminine representative of a health and beauty company, but were clearly not taking her very seriously! BUT the feisty woman from the public-listed company returned their questions with a volley of facts and evidence that knocked them into respectful acceptance.
"Why should we believe your claims?" "But there are other products which say the same thing!" "How do we know that these results can really be achieved?" These were some of the questions she faced. Familiar? You know what? ANY respectable business person ought to be able to defend their products and services in ways that earn respectful acceptance shouldn't they. Sure, you may not get an immediate sale for a variety of reasons, but you surely are earning their willingness to recommend what you are promoting, and with pride too!
As with personal leadership, respect gains an audience which then leads to customers who will recommend other customers to you. Branding stands apart from the types of selling that are quick-fixes.
What are some areas for you to highlight? Track records, innovations, awards, research, testimonials, profitability, etc AND also e prepared to defend how negative aspects are handled - projecting a bed of roses without the thorns raises more suspicion than confidence among discerning customers. Which assets will help you to be planted firmly in the minds of potential customers?
I'd be absolutely delighted to help you with promoting your competitve advantages and watch you build customer retention and loyalty! Call me at 6-03-21697704?
BRING ME THE BRAND, I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Friday, January 28, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
3 Tales of non-payments
1 "Aaargh! WHY did they tell me the cheque was ready when it wasn't!!! The business owner was not pleased about having her lunch meeting shortened in vain and her time wasted in going after a payment that she was unable to collect. Yes, the conversations among us then revolved around various ways and means used to collect payments from clients who delayed them, simply because they wanted to buy time. Not pleasant :(
2 "Hey I have a proposal for you! If you give us a 10% discount we'll pay you this week" "WHAT! but you had already signed a contract for the full amount and we've done the work you asked for!" Aha! Now this particular client was actually trying to wrangle a reduction AFTER getting what they wanted. Cheeky!
In both cases the suppliers were simply not going to do business with those companies again, AND they spread the news among their circles too. That's baaaaad publicity and shakes the consumer's confidence in the reliability of the brand's name, and so inviting their competitirs to enter their markets and steal a piece of the pie. Hmmmmmmm
3 "I'm really sorry we can't pay for the extras even though we know that it was an emergency. We got approval from the Committee for your original quote and can't change that now." "Well we can't deliver the rest if our payments are not covered" "We really value our relationship over the years and want to continue doing business with you, so please just tell us how we can make it worth your while, separately from this contract?"
Wow! Now this shows appreciation for the Brand's services doesn't it? And the compensations that were arranged were high-value meetings with new clients accompanied by glowing testimonials. The promise of a higher worth than was sacrificed loomed ........ hehehe. How about that for Brand Value eh?
Are YOU offering something your customers are willing to stay with you for? That's what Brand Building is about - customer loyalty and their bringing new customers to you too! Nice eh? Want some ideas on how to keep your customers in and your competitors out? Call me at 6-03-21697704 and we'll start work on that.
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
2 "Hey I have a proposal for you! If you give us a 10% discount we'll pay you this week" "WHAT! but you had already signed a contract for the full amount and we've done the work you asked for!" Aha! Now this particular client was actually trying to wrangle a reduction AFTER getting what they wanted. Cheeky!
In both cases the suppliers were simply not going to do business with those companies again, AND they spread the news among their circles too. That's baaaaad publicity and shakes the consumer's confidence in the reliability of the brand's name, and so inviting their competitirs to enter their markets and steal a piece of the pie. Hmmmmmmm
3 "I'm really sorry we can't pay for the extras even though we know that it was an emergency. We got approval from the Committee for your original quote and can't change that now." "Well we can't deliver the rest if our payments are not covered" "We really value our relationship over the years and want to continue doing business with you, so please just tell us how we can make it worth your while, separately from this contract?"
Wow! Now this shows appreciation for the Brand's services doesn't it? And the compensations that were arranged were high-value meetings with new clients accompanied by glowing testimonials. The promise of a higher worth than was sacrificed loomed ........ hehehe. How about that for Brand Value eh?
Are YOU offering something your customers are willing to stay with you for? That's what Brand Building is about - customer loyalty and their bringing new customers to you too! Nice eh? Want some ideas on how to keep your customers in and your competitors out? Call me at 6-03-21697704 and we'll start work on that.
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Efficiency + Charm = Loyal $
Drat! That thump, thump, thump, was a flat tyre! And I was in a hurry too! My regular mechanic quickly changed to the spare and I dashed off paying nothing.
While new tyres were being fitted later - yeah, they were due anyway - a stranger looked on. Mr broad shoulders, bulging biceps & a macho crew cut stood out in his light coloured shirt while others wore dark ones. He looked over, nodded, and paid my car a compliment - yes, this was THE boss of the chain of car tyre & service outlets. Before it, I'd been going to another one that was also his - why did I switch? Same chain, same services, but .............. !!!
You can identify with me can't you, when I say that being only minimally knowlegable makes me feel silly when what needs fixing is explained to me? Well, that feeling of inadequacy hasn't gone away and is compounded by my lack of Chinese dialects and their lack of English when we attempt to sort things out.
Well, at the previous place I did not feel they were taking me seriously (they kept giggling, honestly!) while in this outlet I do. The guys are very patient in trying to explain so that I can understand (e.g today I heard 'element' when he meant 'alignment') and show lots of consideration too. Their manner was the first reason I changed over, but the reason I stayed all these years is that their work is always reliable - when they've given advice or an estimate of when something needed to be changed its been accurate, and they've consistently maintained my cars in good order. Yes, my friends have been recommended there too, because I feel comfortable. Different outlets, different brand behaviours - which do YOU think makes more $?
Behaviours of staff can be critical to retaining customers. Recently someone asked for stock phrases for her staff to use in awkward situations so that her customers would feel cherished.
Now, THERE's an idea for enhancing customer relationships! Combine friendly phrases with genuine smiles and gentle tones and voila! an instant improvement in customer care! Call me on 6-03-21697704 and say what awkward situations you'd like to improve and you too can have reassuring stock phrases on hand to draw from :)
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
While new tyres were being fitted later - yeah, they were due anyway - a stranger looked on. Mr broad shoulders, bulging biceps & a macho crew cut stood out in his light coloured shirt while others wore dark ones. He looked over, nodded, and paid my car a compliment - yes, this was THE boss of the chain of car tyre & service outlets. Before it, I'd been going to another one that was also his - why did I switch? Same chain, same services, but .............. !!!
You can identify with me can't you, when I say that being only minimally knowlegable makes me feel silly when what needs fixing is explained to me? Well, that feeling of inadequacy hasn't gone away and is compounded by my lack of Chinese dialects and their lack of English when we attempt to sort things out.
Well, at the previous place I did not feel they were taking me seriously (they kept giggling, honestly!) while in this outlet I do. The guys are very patient in trying to explain so that I can understand (e.g today I heard 'element' when he meant 'alignment') and show lots of consideration too. Their manner was the first reason I changed over, but the reason I stayed all these years is that their work is always reliable - when they've given advice or an estimate of when something needed to be changed its been accurate, and they've consistently maintained my cars in good order. Yes, my friends have been recommended there too, because I feel comfortable. Different outlets, different brand behaviours - which do YOU think makes more $?
Behaviours of staff can be critical to retaining customers. Recently someone asked for stock phrases for her staff to use in awkward situations so that her customers would feel cherished.
Now, THERE's an idea for enhancing customer relationships! Combine friendly phrases with genuine smiles and gentle tones and voila! an instant improvement in customer care! Call me on 6-03-21697704 and say what awkward situations you'd like to improve and you too can have reassuring stock phrases on hand to draw from :)
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Is it just a sales pitch?
"Hey you called back!!!" She was absolutely delighted to get a sale, and chatted a bit more, asking about my work. "What do you mean by Brand Behaviour?" Jane wanted to know. And WHY did I call her back?
"I'm with the X hotel group now, and they have really good offers" she'd said when Jane called a few weeks prior. But hmmmmmm - Iwasn't ready to decide on getting the membership.
It's been many years since I first bought a hotel privilege card. My family, friends and I have enjoyed good times (including a holiday at a lovely resort) at discounted prices, and the years have taught me to project how to use the cards before deciding which chain to buy into.
This time, chain X had opened a hotel near my office, which meant that it would be a nice place to take my staff and clients to. BUT what values would we get?
One of my foreign principals was in town, staying at one of the hotels in the chain, and I phoned several times as part of our business dealings. The staff were always both courteous and efficient, but hey! you'd expect that from an upmarket brand anyway, wouldn't you?
But what REALLY clinched it was when I called about private meeting facilities and was directed to the Manager in charge. He was soooooooo helpful and went out of his way. Hmmmmm! This I'd like to buy into! And I did, with no regrets.
So how do Brands maintain the quality of their services without Managers breathing down the necks of their staff? It really boils down to 1) identifying the service touch points customers encounter, 2) setting out the standards to be maintained, and 3) measuring those standards against feedback from customers.
Sure, the ways of getting feedback are numerous and the 'mystery shopper' is a good one for ensuring repeat business through high quality Brand Behaviors.
Have you got your service touch points mapped out? This is a fun activity that takes just half a day to do, and brings HUGE rewards! Want me to facilitate a session for you? Just call me at 6-03-21697704 and we're on!
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
"I'm with the X hotel group now, and they have really good offers" she'd said when Jane called a few weeks prior. But hmmmmmm - Iwasn't ready to decide on getting the membership.
It's been many years since I first bought a hotel privilege card. My family, friends and I have enjoyed good times (including a holiday at a lovely resort) at discounted prices, and the years have taught me to project how to use the cards before deciding which chain to buy into.
This time, chain X had opened a hotel near my office, which meant that it would be a nice place to take my staff and clients to. BUT what values would we get?
One of my foreign principals was in town, staying at one of the hotels in the chain, and I phoned several times as part of our business dealings. The staff were always both courteous and efficient, but hey! you'd expect that from an upmarket brand anyway, wouldn't you?
But what REALLY clinched it was when I called about private meeting facilities and was directed to the Manager in charge. He was soooooooo helpful and went out of his way. Hmmmmm! This I'd like to buy into! And I did, with no regrets.
So how do Brands maintain the quality of their services without Managers breathing down the necks of their staff? It really boils down to 1) identifying the service touch points customers encounter, 2) setting out the standards to be maintained, and 3) measuring those standards against feedback from customers.
Sure, the ways of getting feedback are numerous and the 'mystery shopper' is a good one for ensuring repeat business through high quality Brand Behaviors.
Have you got your service touch points mapped out? This is a fun activity that takes just half a day to do, and brings HUGE rewards! Want me to facilitate a session for you? Just call me at 6-03-21697704 and we're on!
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
The Platinum Rule? Maybe not
Mum! The emperor is NAKED!!! yelled the astonished lad watching the grand parade. Oh yeah! His royalness got into that situation by being treated the way he wanted to be treated by his suppliers.
Does that happen today though? Guess what! At a dinner party a friend was proudly telling us of his newest wife's gift to him - how unique and expensive it was. Lovingly, she had taken him to the store to choose it himself. THEN "Darling, may I use your card? - the limit on mine is not enough" Ahem.
Well, people who have $ to spend are commonly surrounded by those who are willing to make them feel powerful, and all parties are happy with the outcomes. 'Willing buyer, willing seller' as they say. This is not unusual and a popular sales strategy; but what does it have to do with Branding?
Simply: Branding is about creating entry barriers for your competitors while nailing down your desired customers. It's about repeat sales that are sustainable, NOT just emotional appeal that a challenger can seduce your customer away with. If a product or service retains its core values while being flexible to suit a customer, then repeat business is VERY achievable. But when a Brand wavers in delivering what it stands for, that's when customers will go for whatever the better offer seems to be. Your competitive advantage then erodes along with your percieved value.
So, how can you know what your customers really want from your Brand? What are the core values of your product or service? Can you re-package them to suit trends without sacrificing the essence of your Brand?
You get the answers from a well-designed system for getting measurable feedback, and responding to what your customers want without sacrificing your Brand. You'll be able to diversify and appeal to a variety of customer types, anywhere, anytime. 'Standardize your core values but differentiate your offerings' is the name of the game :)
If you'd like a system for getting feedback, or a workshop on Strategic Customer Care, just call me at 6-03-21697704? Glad to help you prosper from customer retential and sustainable sales!
BRING ME THE BRAND, I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Does that happen today though? Guess what! At a dinner party a friend was proudly telling us of his newest wife's gift to him - how unique and expensive it was. Lovingly, she had taken him to the store to choose it himself. THEN "Darling, may I use your card? - the limit on mine is not enough" Ahem.
Well, people who have $ to spend are commonly surrounded by those who are willing to make them feel powerful, and all parties are happy with the outcomes. 'Willing buyer, willing seller' as they say. This is not unusual and a popular sales strategy; but what does it have to do with Branding?
Simply: Branding is about creating entry barriers for your competitors while nailing down your desired customers. It's about repeat sales that are sustainable, NOT just emotional appeal that a challenger can seduce your customer away with. If a product or service retains its core values while being flexible to suit a customer, then repeat business is VERY achievable. But when a Brand wavers in delivering what it stands for, that's when customers will go for whatever the better offer seems to be. Your competitive advantage then erodes along with your percieved value.
So, how can you know what your customers really want from your Brand? What are the core values of your product or service? Can you re-package them to suit trends without sacrificing the essence of your Brand?
You get the answers from a well-designed system for getting measurable feedback, and responding to what your customers want without sacrificing your Brand. You'll be able to diversify and appeal to a variety of customer types, anywhere, anytime. 'Standardize your core values but differentiate your offerings' is the name of the game :)
If you'd like a system for getting feedback, or a workshop on Strategic Customer Care, just call me at 6-03-21697704? Glad to help you prosper from customer retential and sustainable sales!
BRING ME THE BRAND, I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
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