published Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 at 5:01 pm by
Craig Barnes
I was meeting with a group of other business owners earlier this week and the topic of customer experience came up. The discussion centered on how to manage it for best outcomes.
Various ideas were tossed about. Some said they charged their operations staff with the responsibility. One person said it was part of his sales manager’s duties. A side discussion broke out about the value of customer satisfaction surveys and whether you could rely on the results.
I was purposely listening more than talking. Lord knows there were plenty of opinions being expressed.
And yet for all of the ideas I heard, there was one conspicuous by its absence. I suggested that in order to manage the customer experience you have to first decide where that experience begins.
The companies who get it understand that the experience begins with each and every person in an organization. Each decision, idea, policy … everything … has to be weighed against how will it benefit the customer.
It seems so simple, but how many companies can you think of who don’t get it?
Do you?
published Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 2:56 pm by
Craig Barnes
Are you as amazed as I am about how many people do not return phone calls? Insane.
As marketers, making a connection with prospects and customers is our lifeblood. Think about all the opportunities you have to gain insight into others’ thinking, needs and concerns when you engage in the simple act of conversation.
But, if you participate in what I call ” selective return”, you are probably short-changing opportunity. You know, it’s the practice of pre-determining what the person who left you a message wants, or what the outcome of the call will be. I think that’s just plain egotistical.
A mentor taught me a long time ago that if one wants to build a reputation of respect for other’s time and efforts, return phone calls and do so promptly. This mentor is a CEO of a Fortune 500 Company. Ask anyone who knows him and they’ll tell you that he is a master relationship builder … with customers, prospects, competitors, suppliers … because, among other things, he returns phone calls. He once said to me, “you never know when you might meet the person whose call you ignored.”
Sometimes the person you’re calling back may not like the message you’re delivering, but I guarantee they will appreciate the fact that you took the time to call.
Seems so simple, doesn’t it?
published Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 1:05 pm by
Craig Barnes
Do you know this old parable? A man has a large boulder in his back yard, and every day he goes out a hits it with a sledgehammer in a effort to reduce it to ruble so that it can be removed. Each day he hits it one time. This goes on for a year. And on the last day of the year, he swings the sledgehammer, and it cracks and crumbles in to a million small pieces.
The question is: Was it the last strike of the hammer that cracked and crumbled the boulder, or was it the result of the man’s daily efforts?
If you’re not converting as many leads as you would like, chances are you are not going out back and paying attention that that boulder.
Having a lead nurturing program is essential to reducing sales costs and increasing profits.
Companies with organized, systematic programs to reach back to leads are the companies who enjoy an above average conversion rate.
It takes constant attention.
Leads convert at different times for different reasons. And if’ you’re not staying in contact with your leads, engaging them in value-based conversations, then you are short-changing your efforts.
Seth Godin had a great point in his blog today when he asked why more companies don’t consider the lifetime value of a customer. You can’t convert what you ignore.
You’ve paid for the lead. Leverage that spend and increase your marketing your ROI.
(Image courtesy of Corbis)
published Monday, June 1st, 2009 at 10:43 am by
Craig Barnes
I often get a quizzical look from prospects and clients when I tell them there is a difference between “generating” leads and “capturing” leads.
What do I mean?
Companies spend money to generate leads, right? ( if you’re in retail substitute customers for the word leads)
Once generated it’s time to maximize return by capturing as much information as possible about that lead. Most important is capturing contact information. With this in hand you can now initiate an organized lead nurturing program. You will likely have to provide something of value in return for that information. It could be a free report, a time sensitive discount offer, etc.
Let’s face it, every lead doesn’t convert immediately. And depending on your particular enterprise, your conversion cycle may be longer than others. You can’t afford to let leads simply evaporate because you couldn’t convert them today.
I’ll talk about the essentials of a lead nurturing program in a future post. Take time to hone your lead capture process and boost your marketing ROI.
published Wednesday, April 29th, 2009 at 1:21 pm by
Craig Barnes
What is the last thing you said in an ad … an email … a conversation with your prospects that actually got them excited about your business or service? If you can’t remember, it’s time to get to work.
Which of these do you think a prospect is more likely to respond to:
1. Our Services Can Save You Money.
2. Every New Customer Saves At Least 35% When They Use Our Service
Obvious, isn’t it?
Think about it … If you’re spending money to generate business, the surest way to boost your marketing ROI is to make certain that what you say, and how you say it is compelling and offers the prospect every reason to make you their preferred choice. It does not matter if you’re selling software, solutions to combat eye wrinkles, engineering services … the same applies.
I know it sounds simple, but simple is often overlooked.
I was meeting with a group of other business owners earlier this week and the topic of customer experience came up. The discussion centered on how to manage it for best outcomes.
