I was most perplexed! WHAT was I missing? The couple is extremey successful, owning several homes in different countries; the company they are with is rock solid with a fantastic Brand Heritage; but I remained very uncomfortable in their presence without being able to put my finger on it.
Then BINGO! Friends were very interested in knowing more about their products and services, but what I witnessed was horrifyingly insensitive. Excited by the keen interest my friends had, their promoter go SO carried away that she force-fed them with an overload of information AND literally held them captive by plastering them with products during lunchtime. Sigh! You should have seen it! They were ravenously hungry (so was I) and had another appointment to go to, but were stuck in their seats. I was aghast and helpless.
My friends were too polite to protest - perhaps that was part of the problem; others might have just stormed off. But they complained afterwards and the promoters reputation was irreparably damaged! I was in the doghouse too :(
You know, building relationships is terribly multi-faceted as we're all different, but being sensitive and respectful is essential for sustaining those we want to keep. Sure there are ppl who'll endure anything as long as there is $ to be made, but then again there are others who won't.
It's about the cultural fit - about HOW things are done to please customers and retain them. Hard selling tactics gain in the short term, but also foster high fallout rates. I really do believe that sales tactics ought to be the end result of marketing strategies that benefit and retain customers, NOT just to fulfil unrealistic quotas.
Why waste time and resources on damage control? If you'd like me to be a sounding board for a campaign you have in mind, just call me at +603-21697704? Together we can weigh the pros and cons and plan for how to please the type of customer you want for a particular product or service.
BRING ME THE BRAND, I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Excuses, excuses - FEAR of Change
"Excuse me, but I have to leave in 15 minutes because the Vice Chancellor is coming to visit my Faculty and I must be there". He sounded quite distressed, and you know what? His pained face showed it too :(
I was in a roomful of very experienced lecturers, most of them with Doctorates - provedn experts in their subject matter. ALL of them had voluntarily signed up for the day-long activity in new methods of Teaching and Learning. My team mate (also with a Doctorate and who is my long time research partner) and I were demonstrating our work with using mobile phones as part of the process of Learning.
Pandemonium reigned during the first part of our program - it was chaotic! The distinguished lecturers were trying very hard to link mobile phones with Teaching and Learning. But in less than 30 minutes, would you believe they were thrilled by the chaos? But WHY you ask? Well, educators know that 'meaning' comes our of learning something, and chaos is one form of an experience to learn from - well, if we allow it to be, that is. This roomful of Professors was absolutely delighted that their eyes had been opened to how their students want to learn, and were SO excited about crafting new ways to teach hehehe :)
What about that Professor who said he had to leave? He never did, and was happily engaging with using his mobile phone in ways he'd never tried before. SUCCESS! Mission accomplished!
And WHAT does this have to do with building a Brand? It proves that Marketing (education and awareness) comes before sustainable Sales (transactions) and is essential for building strong relationships with your target audience(s).
Are you having difficulty with selling a good product or service? It helps if you identify WHO you are marketing to, and HOW they want to buy. I'd be glad to offer some suggestions - just call me on +603-21697704.
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
I was in a roomful of very experienced lecturers, most of them with Doctorates - provedn experts in their subject matter. ALL of them had voluntarily signed up for the day-long activity in new methods of Teaching and Learning. My team mate (also with a Doctorate and who is my long time research partner) and I were demonstrating our work with using mobile phones as part of the process of Learning.
Pandemonium reigned during the first part of our program - it was chaotic! The distinguished lecturers were trying very hard to link mobile phones with Teaching and Learning. But in less than 30 minutes, would you believe they were thrilled by the chaos? But WHY you ask? Well, educators know that 'meaning' comes our of learning something, and chaos is one form of an experience to learn from - well, if we allow it to be, that is. This roomful of Professors was absolutely delighted that their eyes had been opened to how their students want to learn, and were SO excited about crafting new ways to teach hehehe :)
What about that Professor who said he had to leave? He never did, and was happily engaging with using his mobile phone in ways he'd never tried before. SUCCESS! Mission accomplished!
And WHAT does this have to do with building a Brand? It proves that Marketing (education and awareness) comes before sustainable Sales (transactions) and is essential for building strong relationships with your target audience(s).
Are you having difficulty with selling a good product or service? It helps if you identify WHO you are marketing to, and HOW they want to buy. I'd be glad to offer some suggestions - just call me on +603-21697704.
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Square pegs in round holes
Oooooo the platters of food were simply yummy! A group of us (who said we weren't hungry, LOL!) had descended on the restaurant and decided to share a few delectable dishes among us so that we wouldn't eat too much - yeah right!
Well anyway, yes, the food and thirst quenchers were so good that we promised ourselves to visit again in the not-too-distant future. Then, it was time for 'afters' and coffee became a topic of conversation.
"You should taste the special coffee at my chain" new friend said, and went on to describe it quite evocatively. She works at a chain owned by someone who prides himself in knowing what the best is, and to having it served at his up-market outlets too. BUT one of his outlets was not doing well, and they were in the expensive process of re-locating it. WHAT had gone wrong??????
The food was good, the drinks were good, the service was good, the furnishings were classy - and, all the other outlets were doing well, soooooooo? Well, it so happened that when the market planning was being done they had over-estimated the tastes of those who patronized that particular mall, and so the volume of sales was less than desirable. The situation had more to do with a poor cultural fit than with anything else, and that had resulted in heavy $ losses.
Has that ever happened to you? Ever felt like a square peg in a round hole? When you realize that your environment and you are incompatible, don't blame yourself if you have tried to make the adjustments and it has not worked out. Just move on, because the core values of your products and services won't be well received. At the personal level, you may be misunderstood, no matter how hard you try. At the retail level, the volume of sales probably won't justify the overheads. Hanging in there heroically might cause heartache in addition to $ losses :(
If you are experiencing losses and aren't sure why, do call me at 6-03-21697704 and we can go over the manyfacets of marketing and sales that affect your type of business.
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Well anyway, yes, the food and thirst quenchers were so good that we promised ourselves to visit again in the not-too-distant future. Then, it was time for 'afters' and coffee became a topic of conversation.
"You should taste the special coffee at my chain" new friend said, and went on to describe it quite evocatively. She works at a chain owned by someone who prides himself in knowing what the best is, and to having it served at his up-market outlets too. BUT one of his outlets was not doing well, and they were in the expensive process of re-locating it. WHAT had gone wrong??????
The food was good, the drinks were good, the service was good, the furnishings were classy - and, all the other outlets were doing well, soooooooo? Well, it so happened that when the market planning was being done they had over-estimated the tastes of those who patronized that particular mall, and so the volume of sales was less than desirable. The situation had more to do with a poor cultural fit than with anything else, and that had resulted in heavy $ losses.
Has that ever happened to you? Ever felt like a square peg in a round hole? When you realize that your environment and you are incompatible, don't blame yourself if you have tried to make the adjustments and it has not worked out. Just move on, because the core values of your products and services won't be well received. At the personal level, you may be misunderstood, no matter how hard you try. At the retail level, the volume of sales probably won't justify the overheads. Hanging in there heroically might cause heartache in addition to $ losses :(
If you are experiencing losses and aren't sure why, do call me at 6-03-21697704 and we can go over the manyfacets of marketing and sales that affect your type of business.
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
PAMPERED PARKING
OMG!!! What am I going to do??????? Dash it!
A sign saying 'Parking full' is disastrous when going to meet a client, but then again it's become increasingly common :(. So, I've taken to calling ahead to ask for advice on where to park.
Aha, guess what! There's a new take on this town when someone says "just follow xxxxx then go yyyy and you'll come to spaces reserved especially for you" WOWEE!!! That makes it really easy to do business with such clients and creates positive branding for them too, doesn't it?
How often are we cheated of a customer just because of circumstantial hurdles and barriers between them and us? Sob, sob - we may not even know. Sigh. Is there a way forward?
Well it is really a lot of fun to work out the process of doing business with someone, then coming up with ways of making it easier! All it takes is a bit of brainstorming, lots of paper, a good dose of chuckles, some honest analysis and feedback and voila! You too can build your brand by making it easier for customers to do business with you. Nice way to reduce the competition, eh?
I'd be glad to help you chart it out, and to make innovative suggestions you can use too! You know what to do - just call me on 603-21697704
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
A sign saying 'Parking full' is disastrous when going to meet a client, but then again it's become increasingly common :(. So, I've taken to calling ahead to ask for advice on where to park.
Aha, guess what! There's a new take on this town when someone says "just follow xxxxx then go yyyy and you'll come to spaces reserved especially for you" WOWEE!!! That makes it really easy to do business with such clients and creates positive branding for them too, doesn't it?
How often are we cheated of a customer just because of circumstantial hurdles and barriers between them and us? Sob, sob - we may not even know. Sigh. Is there a way forward?
Well it is really a lot of fun to work out the process of doing business with someone, then coming up with ways of making it easier! All it takes is a bit of brainstorming, lots of paper, a good dose of chuckles, some honest analysis and feedback and voila! You too can build your brand by making it easier for customers to do business with you. Nice way to reduce the competition, eh?
I'd be glad to help you chart it out, and to make innovative suggestions you can use too! You know what to do - just call me on 603-21697704
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Product placements WOW your customers!
Remember seeing a line of red cups embellished with the words 'Coca Cola' on the judges table in a popular series? They caught your eye EVERY week didn't they? What about that jar of Nescafe displayed during a movie? Or those oo la la gowns at red carpet events shouting out the names of their designers? Woo hoo! Those brands surely made their mark to millions of viewers in just a short time!!!! Can you imagine what that kind of exposure is worth in advertising $?
Yes, this is a great method for getting the attention of consumer without making an obvious sales pitch. And it really has WOW appeal to audiences too as the benefits are instantly obvious. You know what? It can be done with a host of other items with just a dash of creativity.
Recently I planned an event for a restaurant that's launching it's 'eat well' menu - a marketing plan to launch a new product (technically). It featured very special goodies for customers, in line with the theme, like chocolates with health-giving properties in their novel centres, and the sponsorship of a global leader in health supplements to give customers a certified reading of some areas of their health. So, not only does the restaurant get advertisements, but so do the other participating companies get shout-outs as well, and everybody profits!!! Cool huh?
Yes this way of co-branding really does add exposure to your products and services and can be used in many ways. Want some ideas or even a platform? Call me at 03-21697704 and get what you need.
BRING ME THE BRAND, I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Yes, this is a great method for getting the attention of consumer without making an obvious sales pitch. And it really has WOW appeal to audiences too as the benefits are instantly obvious. You know what? It can be done with a host of other items with just a dash of creativity.
Recently I planned an event for a restaurant that's launching it's 'eat well' menu - a marketing plan to launch a new product (technically). It featured very special goodies for customers, in line with the theme, like chocolates with health-giving properties in their novel centres, and the sponsorship of a global leader in health supplements to give customers a certified reading of some areas of their health. So, not only does the restaurant get advertisements, but so do the other participating companies get shout-outs as well, and everybody profits!!! Cool huh?
Yes this way of co-branding really does add exposure to your products and services and can be used in many ways. Want some ideas or even a platform? Call me at 03-21697704 and get what you need.
BRING ME THE BRAND, I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
It's about the packaging, peeps!
Hmmmm - the notes in the corner caught my eye - why leave that foreign currency idle? Might as well cash them and put them to work eh? I was dashing off to an event in an up-market location and stuffed the notes into my bag to convert them while I was out and about as there'd be money changers there for sure.
The particular mall is SO well managed, lots of parking spaces, staff, access points, vending machines etc - wht a breeze! They have invested much in attracting their customers. And as the escalator reached the lower ground level, lo and behold! a foreign currency exchange booth was right before my very eyes. Wow! I could get the exchange done now, instad of having to stop later on.
The notes were placed on the tray and he took out his calculator. Punch, punch, punch - shove; a slip with a printout of what my notes were worth to him. WHAT? Why is your rate so low?" He grinned and pointed to the well-maintained surroundings and made his defence. In truth, the rate varied only marginally BUT I could have bargained for a better deal had it been a more earthy location, and got a few $ more.
The trader was clear about how to get the most for his wares: by committing to a higher rental with all its trimmings, he gained access to a target market from whom he could get higher margins. Interestingly, over dinner that evening someone talked about how one of the outlets in their chain was in the wrong type of mall and was not attracting the segment of customers they wanted, while other outlets were doing just fine! And you know what? They were in the expensive process of cutting their losses and re-locating it, to reach and capture their desired type of customers.
What do these accounts say? In business it is almost critical to define which segment of business you want to attract, and then have an integrated marketing plan to attract and retain them. How products and services are positioned and packaged have a great impact on reaching your desired customers. The result? You'll get the margins that you have planned for. If you want to attract average income - position your image just so, if you want to attract a particular niche e,g, tech-savvy customers, well that takes a different positioning too. Aiming for mass markets? Pricing counts, then! All of it is a total package, integrated to deliver what you have planned for and to buffet yourself against turbulence, and avoid unnecessary expense. Well worth the effort in terms of profits and peace of mind too :)
I'd be glad to outline a marketing plan for you and you could use it to re-position your business to be even more profitable than it already is. Am just a phone call away - call me at +603-21697704.
BRING ME THE BRAND, I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
The particular mall is SO well managed, lots of parking spaces, staff, access points, vending machines etc - wht a breeze! They have invested much in attracting their customers. And as the escalator reached the lower ground level, lo and behold! a foreign currency exchange booth was right before my very eyes. Wow! I could get the exchange done now, instad of having to stop later on.
The notes were placed on the tray and he took out his calculator. Punch, punch, punch - shove; a slip with a printout of what my notes were worth to him. WHAT? Why is your rate so low?" He grinned and pointed to the well-maintained surroundings and made his defence. In truth, the rate varied only marginally BUT I could have bargained for a better deal had it been a more earthy location, and got a few $ more.
The trader was clear about how to get the most for his wares: by committing to a higher rental with all its trimmings, he gained access to a target market from whom he could get higher margins. Interestingly, over dinner that evening someone talked about how one of the outlets in their chain was in the wrong type of mall and was not attracting the segment of customers they wanted, while other outlets were doing just fine! And you know what? They were in the expensive process of cutting their losses and re-locating it, to reach and capture their desired type of customers.
What do these accounts say? In business it is almost critical to define which segment of business you want to attract, and then have an integrated marketing plan to attract and retain them. How products and services are positioned and packaged have a great impact on reaching your desired customers. The result? You'll get the margins that you have planned for. If you want to attract average income - position your image just so, if you want to attract a particular niche e,g, tech-savvy customers, well that takes a different positioning too. Aiming for mass markets? Pricing counts, then! All of it is a total package, integrated to deliver what you have planned for and to buffet yourself against turbulence, and avoid unnecessary expense. Well worth the effort in terms of profits and peace of mind too :)
I'd be glad to outline a marketing plan for you and you could use it to re-position your business to be even more profitable than it already is. Am just a phone call away - call me at +603-21697704.
BRING ME THE BRAND, I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Oh no!!!!! Big boys don't cry in public do they?
Gulp! The big guy's eyes turned pink and teary as we spoke. What now?????
There I was, listening intently to the man seated across from me. He looked a toughie and was the owner of a chain of outlets which he and his wife had taken great pains to build, successfull too wey hey! Now they were ready to expand, and we were meeting to discuss enhancing their Brand. What had set him off?
Well, I had asked "What is your tag line" and suddenly he became very emotional. His voice choked and his eyes filled with tears. Wow! Talk about passion! The couple had begun with a vision, stayed unwaveringly with it, built upon it, and now had a profitable niche to tap into. When hfe told me their tag line, I saw immediately why they had been successful - they and their staff LIVED it! And their clients were simply delighted.
So, why did they need me then? Weeeell, this couple had substance and strategic implementation, but their Brand was not widely enough known. That means they were undervalued, and found that expanding posed a few challenges because of that.
You know what one of the things I noticed was? He knew their tag line (ahem, you'd be surprised that some business owners don't) implemented their tag line, their tag line reflected the essence of their Brand and kept attracting customers, BUT it appeared NOWHERE on their promotional material! Fancy that huh?
The pity is this is SOOOOOOO common among business owners! We're so in love with our brand and know it so intimately that we forget to educate others on what our business is about. OUCH!!!!
I actually sat for hours facilitating some very senior planners from a financial institution once, and, they did now know what the essence of their Brand was, leaving them open to competitors. They knew their tag line, but not the essence of what their corporate culture was supposed to deliver. So, they too were undervalued. :(
And you? Do you know what customers see in you that makes your services desirable? Can you identify the essence of your brand? If you'd like my help to crystalize it so that you can shout it out, deliver it, and lock your competitors out, just call me on 03-21697704 :)
BRING ME THE BRAND & I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
There I was, listening intently to the man seated across from me. He looked a toughie and was the owner of a chain of outlets which he and his wife had taken great pains to build, successfull too wey hey! Now they were ready to expand, and we were meeting to discuss enhancing their Brand. What had set him off?
Well, I had asked "What is your tag line" and suddenly he became very emotional. His voice choked and his eyes filled with tears. Wow! Talk about passion! The couple had begun with a vision, stayed unwaveringly with it, built upon it, and now had a profitable niche to tap into. When hfe told me their tag line, I saw immediately why they had been successful - they and their staff LIVED it! And their clients were simply delighted.
So, why did they need me then? Weeeell, this couple had substance and strategic implementation, but their Brand was not widely enough known. That means they were undervalued, and found that expanding posed a few challenges because of that.
You know what one of the things I noticed was? He knew their tag line (ahem, you'd be surprised that some business owners don't) implemented their tag line, their tag line reflected the essence of their Brand and kept attracting customers, BUT it appeared NOWHERE on their promotional material! Fancy that huh?
The pity is this is SOOOOOOO common among business owners! We're so in love with our brand and know it so intimately that we forget to educate others on what our business is about. OUCH!!!!
I actually sat for hours facilitating some very senior planners from a financial institution once, and, they did now know what the essence of their Brand was, leaving them open to competitors. They knew their tag line, but not the essence of what their corporate culture was supposed to deliver. So, they too were undervalued. :(
And you? Do you know what customers see in you that makes your services desirable? Can you identify the essence of your brand? If you'd like my help to crystalize it so that you can shout it out, deliver it, and lock your competitors out, just call me on 03-21697704 :)
BRING ME THE BRAND & I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
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