Archives for communicate

How Many Licks Does it Take?

May 15, 2012

Remember that old commercial for Tootsie Pop® when the boy asks, “Mr. Owl, how many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a TootsiePop®?” Mr. Owl replies, “One, a two, a three…a three.” Funny that we still remember it now, thirty years later. Coincidence? I think not!

Ever thought about how many random things have to happen in order for you or your sales people to meet a new customer? It CAN be very few, but most often it takes “more than three” and timing can be everything.

I was at the Word of Mouth conference in Austin last week and had the privilege of being part of a conversation between a sales rep and his customer. The epiphany between the two was how serendipitous it was (they didn’t actually use that word) that they met over ten years ago. How several random conversations and common connections led to what is now a profitable and long-standing relationship for both parties. Don’t get me wrong! Several things had to occur along the way to nurture this long-term relationship. Excellent customer service, product availability, on-time deliveries, etc.

What’s ironic though are the random acts and coincidences that happen daily that we sometimes take for granted. Somebody moves from one state to another and had they not they might not have ever joined that LBM group and connected with Tom at Bastanchury Building Products and, therefore, wouldn’t have the amazing and profitable relationship they have today. If you hadn’t taken the time to send that handwritten note to John at Custom Manufacturing he wouldn’t have been able to introduce you to Steve, whose now your largest customer and was the best man at your wedding. 

You and your team work really hard to sell potential customers on your products and services, but maybe what you need to do is serve. A handwritten note, lunch for no reason, flowers to take home to their wife on their anniversary or just a shoulder to lean on during a tough time. A few random ways to serve that lead to those long-lasting relationships that build your business.

So, just how many “licks” does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a TootsiePop®? The world may never know….now, go out and create some serendipity by doing random things.

And make your presence felt!

P.S. Be sure you don’t miss a one golden nugget – subscribe to the Felt blog. 

Allison DeFord POSTED BY: Allison DeFord| Leave a comment

29¢ Water for $50 – An Offer Your Customers Can’t Refuse

May 8, 2012

Ice cold and irresistible!
Ever been in a situation where you’re dying of thirst and you’d pay just about any amount of money for an ice cold bottle of water? Seriously, you’re so thirsty and so far away from any kind of precipitation, you’d pay $50 for a 29 cent bottle of water.

A compelling offer is just like an ice cold bottle of water in the middle of the Mohave. Irresistible!

How do you make your offer this irresistible? In the building products industry, it doesn’t always feel that easy, does it?! You’ve got these amazing widgets to sell and you send your sales team out there to beat the streets, pound the pavement, drop in on customers and convince them why they need train loads of your stuff. Why are they still beating you up on price? Why don’t they understand how irresistible your quality products are?

Remember, first you need to sell what people WANT to buy. Then make sure you’re talking to the right people at the right time. You know that old saying, “right place, wrong time”…sometimes you have the right audience, but you’re talking to them at the wrong time. And, be still my heart, sometimes you’re not talking to them at all. This boils down to knowing what your audience is struggling with; knowing how to solve these challenges and knowing what they want to buy.

Then you take your product or service and craft it into a compelling pitch … an offer they can’t refuse. If the value is clear, the decision is easy.

Here’s an exercise from author, Chris Guillebeau, that will help you put together the offer your audience won’t be able to refuse.

Remember the Magic Formula:
The Right Audience + the Right Promise + the Right Time = 
Offer You Can’t Refuse

BASICS

  • What are you selling? _______
  • How much does it cost? _______
  • Who will take immediate action on this offer? ________

BENEFITS

  • The primary benefit is ________
  • An important secondary benefit is ________



OBJECTIONS



What are the main objections to the offer?

How will you counter these objections?

TIMELINESS

There’s Good News
The good news is that when you understand what your customers want and how they want to buy your job and that of your sales people gets so much easier. When an offer they can’t refuse comes along at just the right time the perceived value is much higher. Remember to think about value the way your customers do, not necessarily the way you would like them to.

As you follow your marketing blueprint, think carefully about how you can create a more compelling offer. Then take it out into the world! 

Here’s to making your presence felt and quenching that thirst.

Allison DeFord POSTED BY: Allison DeFord| 1 Comment

Social Media Is Not About You

February 3, 2012

It's not about you. 

There is a great deal of hesitation in the building products industry around whether or not to add social media to the marketing agenda. You all know by now that I am a firm believer that social media is here to stay and is a fantastic way to converse with and listen to your audience like never before.

There is also some confusion as to what social media is about. The simple answer, it’s not about you. It’s about your customers. I came across some enlightening dialogue this week from a blogger that I admire, @margieclayman. I think she sums it up nicely. (Thank you, Margie)

Enjoy! 

Social Media should not be about you.

It should not be about you getting a high Klout score.

It should not be about you getting perks.

Social Media should not be about you gaining ground as you tear others down.

It should not be about you calling out everyone (and their mothers and their fathers.).

It  should not be about you scraping money off of people who believe you can help them.

Social Media should not be about you building your case as to why you are the greatest human ever.

It should not be about you making a list.

It should not be about you bad-mouthing a list you didn’t make.

Social Media should not be about you and your ego.

It should not be about you finding a platform where  you can feed unadulterated BS to other people who may buy it.

It should not be about lying to see if you can get away with it.

Social Media should not be about you recreating definitions to better suit your purposes.

It should not be about you offering silver bullets.

It should not be about you maliciously spreading rumors that ruin peoples’ lives.

Social Media should not be about you. It should be about the people you help, the companies you grow, and what you are able to accomplish with this new and powerful tool.

So I’m interested to know, do you agree with this? What do you think Social Media is about?

Allison DeFord POSTED BY: Allison DeFord| 1 Comment

Say Something New…To Your Inner Circle

August 30, 2011

How to Make Every Employee a Brand Ambassador

It’s a known fact that employees who UNDERSTAND the brand promise and BELIEVE in the brand work harder—and better.

Most importantly, when employees see themselves as brand ambassadors, they create BRAND DIFFERENTIATION for your customers—something hard for your competition to replicate.

(Think about it. Your competitors can match you in each of the 4 P’s of marketing: product, price, promotion and placement. It’s the PERSONALITY of your brand—its people—that truly separates you from the pack.)

This differentiation becomes part of your competitive edge, and your employees can provide that edge. But only if they understand your goals and philosophy and feel empowered to uphold them in their daily dealings with customers.

So how do you impart that understanding and sense of empowerment?

In Guy Kawasaki’s latest book, Enchantment, he says “the single best thing that a company could do to enchant its employees is to provide them with a MAP.” This allows your employees to “MASTER new skills while working AUTONOMOUSLY for a company with a higher PURPOSE than simply making a buck. The company should be making the world a better place in some way or another.”

Guy’s theory is that in a recession, cost-cutting efforts don’t have to impact how you enchant your employees. Paying them reasonably is only one part. You must use mastery, autonomy and purpose to enchant (MAP). Here’s how:

1. Teach them how to do their job better. Offer classes. Bring in specialists. Give them access to online info, blogs and/or training.

2. Help them set goals, then get out of the way. Remember, a sense of autonomy is key to building brand loyalty and ownership among employees.

3. Show them the bigger purpose your brand has in the world. For example, FedEx’s purpose is to give people peace of mind when they absolutely, positively have to get something delivered.

4. Trust them to make the right choices. Empower your employees to go the extra mile and do the right thing for a customer in need.  I omitted the reference to your transmission story, since non-subscribers reading this blog entry won’t have that context.

5. Don’t forget what it’s like to do their job. Empathy is powerful.

6. Celebrate achievements in a creative way. Think small and meaningful vs. big and expensive. Thank you notes go a looong way.

7. Remind employees that “you want them.” Verbally, in writing and in action.

8. Recognize employees in meaningful ways. Get business cards for everyone, even the warehouse guys. Give them an email address at the company. Make sure they have a workspace and that it’s inspiring in some way.

The bottom line: Enchant your employees and they will enchant others. They are your brand ambassadors.

Do you have other ideas for the list? What do you say to your inner circle? Leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you.

Here’s to creating a sensation and saying something new!

Allison DeFord POSTED BY: Allison DeFord| 1 Comment