- Bob Martel
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- Bob Martel |
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Direct Marketing | Database Marketing | Copywriting | ||
| Create Memorable Experiences To Buy Mindshare Regardless of the business you are in, you are in "marketing" first. You are also in the business of delivering exceptional service, at least you should be thinking this way if you're in it for the long haul. All savvy business owners and CEOs realize this. It's the easiest, most profitable way to retain your best customers. It's the easiest way to build value and set yourself apart and to stimulate word-of-mouth referral business. As Walt Disney said when he created Disneyland: "Serve them so well that they just cannot help but to tell others about us when they get home", or words to that affect. It's your best advertising. A little bit of deliberate, well choreographed, genuine hospitality goes a long way toward building sales, and positioning your business for the future. Focus on the next sale: Going a little beyond expectations has tremendous impact. Here's an example. It's 2:30AM in the lobby of the Sheraton Towers Hotel in Singapore, sometime in 1987. After a 25-hour trip from Boston, all I wanted to do was hit the pillow. The night manager offers me a cool drink during check-in (a Singapore Sling, of course). The bell captain summons a bellman, in tropical whites, pith helmet, gloves, and he insists on carrying all of my luggage by myself. At the room I receive the full tour, including how to open the mini-bar, how to use the phone features, air conditioner settings, and a flashlight-guided walk to the pool to check the water temperature. He refused to accept a tip. "We are here to serve you," he said. Two minutes after he leaves… knock, knock. "Hi, I'm Gloria, your butler. Give me your suits now and I'll press them. Here is some peach pie and fruit. Would you like another Sinagapore Sling?" On my next trip to Singapore I stayed in the same hotel, same room, another Singapore Sling at check-in, and Gloria knocked again, asking for my suits and referencing our previous conversation (from 14 months earlier!). The hotel staff had a system, and employees took computerized notes on each guest to track important information that would help them serve their clientele better on their next visit. What systems can you put in place to consistently deliver extraordinary value? What data do you collect about your customers? How do you use it? The power of a gift: The Japanese culture is well known for its gift giving protocol. The process subconsciously creates a "gift debt," and can start an ever-increasing escalation of gift giving. There is a human need to return the favor or somehow be obliged in the future. In human psychology, it's referred to as the "law of reciprocity". It can be applied very effectively - and appropriately, in your business. This powerful principle is used in fundraising campaigns where you may receive a pin, or mailing labels, or some other "free gift" with the appeal for your precious dollars. "Oh, they sent me a free gift, the least I can do is make a contribution of $100.00" It happens every day in your town. A collective attitude of gratitude: Very few Americans get the opportunity to shop at department stores in Japan. While on a business trip to Tokyo I visited the world's largest department store, Tokyu, at the Ikebukuro train station. Waiting for the doors to open at 9:30AM, we could see the employees preparing for the store's opening. The manager was addressing the department staff, who were lined up at the edge of the aisle. As we entered the store, we were cheerfully greeted with a bow, a smiling face and a warm "Ohayo gozaimasu." (Good morning.) Certainly a memorable welcome, and something you do not normally experience here in the U.S., agree? I'm not suggesting that you adopt the customs of other cultures, but you ought to evaluate your opportunities for showing gratitude to your customers for choosing to do business with your company. When your company shows gratitude, the recipient will usually return the gesture with increased patronage. Reciprocity in action. The magic of a smile: The next time you are at a McDonald's drive thru, look up on the wall inside the window. The server is reminded to smile when you drive up, with a step-by-step script to follow, which is peppered with more reminders to smile. If the franchises train their people to smile, the results must be measurable. Next time you're facing the customer from hell, take a breath, look them in the eyes and smile for as few seconds. You can use this technique on the phone as well. A smile can diffuse a difficult situation, or help you upsell/cross-sell other products and services. Try it. People who are smiled at usually smile back. It's instinctive. Reciprocity in action again. Each of these factors should be an integral part of your marketing efforts. It's really just common sense applied systematically, isn't it? If you want to test the concept of reciprocity before you implement it in business, the next time you have a yard sale offer FREE coffee and donuts in the ad. Station a greeter at the front of the driveway, price your junk high, and watch sales soar. Bob Martel is a marketing consultant, speaker, and direct marketing copywriter. He can be reached at JMB Marketing by e-mail at bobmartel@jmbmarketing.com, or by calling (508) 481-8383. Copyright © 2005 JMB Marketing Group, All Right Reserved |
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JMB Marketing Group |
Voice (508) 481-8383 |
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