It's about the small things

This is somewhat related to my recent posts.
I recently went to a new place to get my oil change. They informed me when I called that they top off all fluids as well as change oil and filter.

Long story short, I got my car back and looked at the windshield washer fluid was still at the same level it was when I dropped it off. (empty)

I realize it's a small thing and probably only costs 85 cents. However, as a consumer, I can see they didn't fill my fluid up, what else, that was more complicated didn't they do?
Yes, I called them and told them I was disappointed. They told me I could come back and get it filled up. I won't be doing that, more of my time and money to go back there to let them fix and issue that they should have done right away. They did not even apologize, just said I could come back in to fill it up. So instead of "sticking" it to them and making them put that 85 cents of fluid in, I am not going to give them my business (two vehicles) and I will probably not speak highly of them when talking to my family and friends. (potential customers)

Why do you care? Are you doing the small things that make a difference with your customers. When people get an oil change they expect to get their oil changed, however they don't expect to get their car vacuumed, or their dash wiped off. What would that cost the buisness to do that? However what kind of investment is that in that customers probability of returning? It's the small things that will keep you in the customers mind next time they or their friends need your services. Also if you do something wrong, say I am sorry, it is my fault, I screwed up. People don't take blame anymore, they simply pass it.

Social Media, is it right for YOUR BUISNESS?

Click on the title above to watch the short video:

Is Social Media a fad?

Or is it the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution?

Welcome to the World of Socialnomics

No soup for you... WRONG

Yes, times are tough. Yes customers are very price conscious. Yes there are less customers than 3 years ago.

YES, there are things you can do to grow market share right now.

There are ways to increase business without cutting expenses.

Think hard about your business, what can you do, even quirky that will differentiate yourself from the competition and make your customer feel special.

I recently read an article about a couple that went to a new restaurant in town. It was a nice place, with decent food, and it was priced about right. So it was just another "place to eat." At the end of their meal the waitress brought them their check with a little To Go cup filled with soup.

The waitress said thanks for dining with us. This is one of our new soups, please let me know what you think about it" WOW!!!

What just happened:

1. The customer is now special- they feel involved in the restaurant
   
2. The customer will now experience your restaurant tomorrow when they eat the soup


3. The customer may even call or come back in to let them know about the soup rating


4. Everyone likes something free (remember that bad economy?)


5. This customer has now put your business in a different category than the others
   
   What can you do that will make your customers remember you, come back to you, and possibly talk positively about your business to others

Here are a few different/quirky/cheap ideas that I was told worked:

• put candy in your next order you ship
• 1/2 price oil change to your new customer - they will now come back and you will develop a relationship with someone - think about the long term profits for that $10 coupon
• Free Home Re-inspection for a Home inspector - come back for free after the repairs have been made to ensure they are done properly
• How about a free soda with every gas fill up? Where would you always fill up?
• Get a new customers phone number and call them the next day and thank them for giving you the opportunity to service them.... think about it, if someone did that to you, would you remember them the next time you need their services?

Lastly, a good rule to live by, which is always free: Under Promise...Over Deliver!

What is your Brand?

BRAND
It's a word that gets thrown around a lot in my business.
I truly think not everyone knows what their actual brand is. Your brand is not what you think or want it to be. It is what the public or your potential customers think of you.

For example: If you were to ask 100 people about ABC Pizza what would they say?
It's the first few things that people think about when they think of your company.
It's whether you have a good price, it's if your on time, it's your person who answers the phone, it's if they'd return to your business, plus 100 other things that they percieve of your business.

The one thing that you can control is how you interact with your customer.
Remember: If someone has a good experience with a business they will tell 2-3 people. Unfortunately, if they have a bad experience with a business they will tell 8-12 people.
Bad news carries a lot easier than good.
Treat people as they want to be treated!

A lesson in Branding, again...

I told you in a past post that stealing is not always a bad thing. http://knoxvillemarketing.blogspot.com/2009/05/steal-and-succeed.html

This is an article from Phil Bernstien's blog, who got the article from the Wall Street Journal:

Branding Still Has Value
June 28, 2009 ·

Branding’s gotten a bad rap lately. In an economy that has made marketing money increasingly difficult to come by, it’s not unreasonable to want a measurable return from every single dollar invested.
Because branding campaigns generally don’t have a measurable response mechanism — or even an offer to respond to — it’s easy to conclude that they don’t have any effect.
Sometimes they don’t.
And sometimes, a paragraph like this one jumps out of a Wall Street Journal article:
On a recent afternoon, at a supermarket in Chicago, Laura Gilligan confronted a salad-dressing aisle filled with dozens of varieties spread across two dozen brands. After staring for nearly a minute, Ms. Gilligan, a computer-company manager, chose Kraft Foods Inc.’s cucumber-tinged light ranch. “There’s too many choices,” she said. “I just went with Kraft because I know Kraft.”
What caused her to choose that dressing? It wasn’t a coupon, or a direct-mail pitch, or an email, or a pay-per-click ad. Kraft will never be able to figure out what “worked”.
And yet, something did. Faced with “dozens of varieties spread across two dozen brands”, shoppers often just grab something familiar and throw it into the cart.
What “worked” was the years, and dollars, that Kraft invested in building the Kraft brand.
This doesn’t mean that the direct-response advocates are wrong. But they aren’t completely right. Even in today’s economy, there’s real, tangible value in good branding.

A Wedding Commitment

I was thinking about a way to brag about my new marriage, and still make it marketing related.
Well.... I'll give it my best shot!
During the ceremony the Reverend said one line that has stuck with me since. He said "It's not about choosing the right partner, it's about being the right partner."
How this relates to marketing is: Think about one of your partnerships. If you know the other person in the partnership has faith, confidence, and wants you to succeed, won't that make you work that much harder for success?
It's that way with your advertising partner (your account executive). Your account executive wants your advertising to produce results and be successful. Have confidence and work together with your marketing partner to help ensure success. This is much better than trying to constantly threaten to cancel, look elsewhere for lower rates, or fire them for the next "hottest" thing out there. In contrast to my Reverend, there is something to be said about at least choosing a partner that does make sense for you, then working together with that partner on reaching your mutual goals.

PS. Nicole and I got married last weekend back in Wisconsin. Had a great outdoor wedding at my parents home. We are leaving for 7 day cruise in the Bahamas next week!!
Thanks to all the congratulations I have received thus far.

Glass Analogy for Advertisers

Most clients spend a little bit of money (water) in a lot of different places (glasses.)Of course there is a good reason for each one of these marketing glasses. Unfortunately, they are only putting a little bit of money (water) in each glass. This keeps you message “muffled” with the other 2,000 marketing messages seen daily.Clients have found if they take the money they have been putting in their 8-10 glasses and put it only 2-3 glasses the impact is soars. The reason for this is now you are “owning the audience” and being top of mind with the glasses that you are filling.The first dollars that you put into the glass do little. It is the last bit of water you put into your full glass that generates the most results!