Archives for create

Space Shuttle to Mars—Now That’s Customer Service!

December 7, 2012

Starbucks, visionary leaders! 

I don’t go to Starbucks for the coffee. 

Let’s face it, I can pick up a coffee from the local Yum Yum Donuts down the street. Why is it that I’m willing to possibly go out of my way, wait in a line and pay more money for a cup of coffee? It’s all the details surrounding the actual purchase of said coffee.When I grab a cup of joe anywhere else I get just that, a cup of coffee in a styrofoam cup. The end. At Starbucks I get a coffee experience!

How Starbucks Builds Trust

Starbucks knows me. They know you. They know us so well, in fact, they’ve created an experience we didn’t even know we wanted. They took the simple act of selling coffee and turned it into an art form. That’s what building trust is all about. Getting creative. Going above and beyond to consistently surprise and delight those that you love. In business it’s turning the act of selling into the art of serving. Starbucks has done this successfully by paying attention to the details surrounding the coffee. 

Consistency – coffee how you want it every time in any store all over the world
Availability – locations everywhere, including the grocery and the airport
Atmosphere – relaxed, warm and inviting
Sound – familiar tunes and new artists provide background entertainment
Trained Associates – not just coffee servers, but baristas who know coffee
Extras – healthy snacks, hearty sandwiches and decadent confections that pair perfectly
App – find a location and pay with ease
Community – local flavor breeds familiarity
Rewards – spend money, get free stuff
Communication – consistently sharing what’s happening

Notice, I listed nothing about coffee—their claim to fame.

Experience a Connection

People buy from people. People buy an experience. Every company, whether B2B or B2C, is similar to Starbucks. The unique opportunity exists to create a more powerful connection at every customer touchpoint. Fascinate, surprise and delight, just like Starbucks. Doesn’t that sound like alot more fun than “selling”!

Creating this kind of experience takes more than just special cups and a fancy title for your sales people. It takes real planning. And not the kind that happens at the annual company budget meeting. It takes clear positioning, strategy, creativity and a willingness to step outside our comfort zone. In his bravest and most challenging book yet, The Icarus Deception, Seth Godin explains why true innovators focus on trust, remarkability, leadership and stories that spread. Starbucks has successfully created a trust by focusing on the customer experience. By being remarkable. By making their customers part of their brand story.

It’s time to re-examine every customer touchpoint and design a more remarkable customer experience, like Starbucks. It’s time to stop pleasing and start serving. Let’s surprise and delight in 2013. Whose with me?  

(Excuse me, I’ve got to finish my venti iced coffee with cream now—aaaaahhhh!)

Make your presence felt.

 

Allison DeFord POSTED BY: Allison DeFord| 1 Comment

The Adult Version of a “Time Out”

August 31, 2012

Take an Adult Time Out

 

When was the last time you stopped?

Went off the grid?

Took an adult time out?

Afraid everything will fall apart while you’re gone? Research proves that you are your most creative self when you stop thinking. Stop doing. Stop reacting. Just be. Even 5 minutes a day can make a huge difference.

Try it and see what happens. The results will amaze you.
Here’s to creating the life you want!

(photo courtesy of me)

Allison DeFord POSTED BY: Allison DeFord| Leave a comment

Create the Life You Want

January 5, 2012

According to the Chinese zodiac, 2012 is the Year of the Dragon–an auspicious symbol of good fortune and power. Sounds good, right?! I say, “bring it!” After weathering several extremely challenging years I think we’re all up for a positive and powerful new year. Let’s shake it up!

Funny thing is, some of us think good fortune and power simply befall us, like rain or winning the lottery. I’d rather not leave it to chance. So, can we make good fortune and power happen? How much control do we really have? I have a sign that sits above my desk that reads:


 

 

 

 

 

This inspires me every day to be proactive instead of reactive. As Wayne Gretsky said, “don’t skate where the puck is, skate to where it will be.” Often times we “think” ahead, but don’t ever make a plan. As the great Steve Chandler says, “When the WHY is clear, the HOW will appear.” I love this! And it’s true. Instead of just “thinking” about our goals this year, let’s take the “year of the dragon” by the tail and shake things up. CREATE THE LIFE YOU WANT.

I hear the same phrases echoed all the time within the building products industry…”I take two steps forward and three steps back.” “I could spend all day just answering email and voicemails.” “I’m trying to do more with less.” “I don’t remember the last time I spent time thinking about the business.” Any of this sound familiar? This year can be different. All you have to do is create it.

I’ve been on a personal journey for the last couple of years. A journey to find clarity and balance. After working with an amazing mentor and coach (Peleg Top), engaging in workshops and Mastermind groups and pouring through countless books and blog posts, several things have become crystal clear.

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To create the life you want:

[ 1 ]  STOP
Really! Just stop. Commit to spend time just thinking every day. Even if it’s just 15 minutes. Allow yourself the time to be quiet and just think. You’ll be amazed at what percolates in that space that you opened up. (I didn’t think I had the time to stop either; give it a try.) Create that space for yourself.

[ 2 ] START WITH THE WHY
When the WHY is clear the HOW will appear. Ask yourself why you want to accomplish something… why you want to lose weight OR exercise more OR gain market share OR reposition your brand. If I say, “I WANT to exercise more,” do you think I’m actually going to stick to that? Accomplish anything? Now, if I say, “I am going to exercise more because I want to lower my cholesterol by 50 points and lose 20 pounds by June.” The likelihood of me actually exercising more is inevitable because I have two distinct WHYs. The HOWs start showing up all around me…the gym across the street, the workout DVD’s I bought and didn’t use yet, the dog that needs walked. Start with why.

[ 3 ] PRACTICE SELF LOVE
I know this is a subject that women are very familiar with. We discuss it often. But I don’t know that men are really talking about self love. (Now, get your mind out of the gutter) Most of us partake in varying degrees of self-criticism on a daily basis. You may be the guy whose dad never told him he was good enough or the gal with major body dysmorphia OR maybe, you’re already practicing self love every day and you can move on to number 4. The need to practice self love has never been greater. There are many ways to do this. Talk to yourself positively every day. Write yourself love letters. Smile in the mirror. The HOW, in this case, isn’t the hard part. It’s the WHY. Practice self love because it will have a profound impact on how you show up in every situation and on those around you. PROFOUND! Start loving yourself more every day.

[ 4 ] DON’T BE AFRAID TO FAIL
I was asked by my mentor what I would do if I wasn’t afraid. Have you ever asked yourself this question? So many times it’s fear that stops us from reaching our goals. Fear is only an emotion, not a brick wall. Why do we give it so much power? What are we afraid of? Most of the time it’s failure and/or rejection. You avoid asking a girl out for fear she’ll reject you, right?! My mentor also has a wonderful saying that addresses this very thing…“Yes Lives in the Land of No.” (thank you, Peleg) Each no is one step closer to a yes. Whether it’s dating or business. Trying answering the question, “What would I do if I wasn’t afraid?” 5,127 prototypes later, just ask James Dyson.

[ 5 ] BE ENCHANTING
Guy Kawasaki put out a great book in 2011 called, “Enchantment: the Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions.” Kawasaki argues that in business and personal interactions, your goal is not merely to get what you want, but to bring about a voluntary, enduring, and delightful change in other people. How do you become enchanting? He recommends the following attitudes and actions:
• Be a baker, not an eater; a baker sees the world as an opportunity. I can bake bigger pies. Different flavors. Different shapes. It’s unlimited. 
• Default to “Yes”; think about what you can do for people then say yes and do it.
• Create products that are DICEE (Deep, Intelligent, Complete, Empowering and Elegant) Create products and programs that will engage people.
Become enchanting. You’ll connect on a deeper level and reap the rewards. 

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No, this isn’t a complete list! This is obviously a very partial list of of essential attributes and actions you can adopt this year…right now. You can create the life you want. Slow down, enjoy regular think-time, take actionable steps to meet your goals, be good to yourself and enchant those around you. Now, go take 2012 by the tail and don’t just make it a great year…make it a great life.

Here’s to connecting on a deeper level this year.

Year of the Dragon Symbol

 

Allison DeFord POSTED BY: Allison DeFord| Leave a comment

How Design is Helping Building Materials Companies Thrive

September 23, 2011

 

Awhile back, I was talking to Festool Marketing VP Michael Williams and asked him what is the driving force behind the company’s growth. His answer, “We design tools that will have an impact on our customers lives. We have a common vision.” This resonates in Festools credo as well:

“At Festool, we design our power tools…
To solve problems.
For the way work happens.
With your comfort in mind.
To save time.
For quality, reliability and flawless execution.
For healthier environments.
To work together.

A key word in Williams’ answer is DESIGN. In a sea of “quality” and “solutions” and “customer service”, here is just one example of a company in the building products industry that’s leveraging design to gain critical advantage over their competition. But isn’t design just about logos and annual reports and websites? True, these communication tools are an important part of your brandhood, however, there is something much bigger at work here.

In the wake of Steve Jobs resignation  from Apple, there are lessons to be learned. He wasn’t trained as a designer or engineer, but was a user of technology himself. He was a visionary. As Jobs told Inc. magazine in 1989, “You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try and give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.” It isn’t necessarily about market research anymore. It’s about prolific thinking. It’s about focusing on the customer at all times and staying true to your brand truth. Design plays a major role in everything from marketing and advertising to production processes and supply chain.

“From GM to 3M, in boardrooms
and on Wall Street, in Silicon Valley
and on Madison Avenue,
design matters more than ever.
-Linda Tischler, Fast Company

A perfect example of this is the 99-year old quietly creative innovator, 3M. Why would a $27 billion dollar giant, best known for it’s notes, tape and sponges, have any need to hire a 26-year old designer from Milan? They were already successful. What would design ad to the mix? Sales, that’s what. From the redesign of their mini-projector to his new line of tape dispensers , Mauro Porcino has had a profound impact on 3M’s bottom line. Think “double”.

Fast Company reported this month, “In an economy with fewer ad dollars to go around—U.S. advertising fell 14% in 2009 and recovered only 5.4% last year—brand equity is at a premium.” So, do you spend millions on brand awareness or take a step back and design a better experience. I believe in starting with the experience. People ask me all the time, “So, I have X to spend on advertising…what should we spend it on?” My answer is always the same. “Slow down and take look around you before you start throwing money at a billboard campaign or hosting a golf tournament.” What’s worked in the past? What’s currently in play? How do customers feel about your brand? Where do they go? What are they talking about? What would serve them? When was the last time you walked through your buying process “like a customer?” If all that’s in order then let’s take a look at the customer touch points and design a strategy. There’s no faster way to erode brand equity than to throw a bunch of money at brand awareness only to have customers irritated or disappointed once they respond.

What’s Working Well

At one time Festool had a monster marketing budget and sold many things to many people. This worked well for a long time, but they knew it could be better. By aligning sales, marketing and upper management, the Festool team speaks the same language now. They know exactly who their customers are and what drives them. They also know who their customers aren’t. No more selling all things to all people. Design is driven by design. Festool took a step back to design a better approach. To have a better understanding of customers needs and desires. Their attention to detail is second to none. Their system of tools is not only extremely efficient, but beautifully designed—not to mention highly coveted by building professionals and enthusiasts alike.

Design Matters

You don’t have to be Apple or Nike to realize good design matters. From marketing strategy and product design to photography and messaging—company’s in the building products industry are thriving on design. What used to be considered an after-thought or “something your nephew could do” is now at the center of what’s driving corporate America. Finding an edge is becoming harder. As Farenheit 212′s Mark Payne notes, “Design is differentiation made visible, visceral, and experiential. Creativity and innovation are emerging as disciplines because we have no other choice.” Design, in other words, can be the critical competitive advantage.

Is design a part of your current brandhood? Why or why not?
I want to know.

Here’s to creating a sensation, my friends.

Allison DeFord POSTED BY: Allison DeFord| Leave a comment

10 Ways to Create a Sensation Around Your Brand – Part 3

June 18, 2010

CREATE EXCITEMENT -
Make your brand
the life of the party!

“It’s just moulding,” a client once said to us. “How can you depict moulding in a way that’s exciting?” We get those questions a lot, and my first thought is this: at some point, 20 or 30 years ago, one could have said it’s just coffee. Or, it’s just a phone. Think of the exciting brands built around those simple, everyday things we once took for granted—and now can’t live without.

Do your customers feel a sense of enthusiasm and assurance every time they read about, hear about or engage with your brand? You can create excitement around your brand and make it the life of the industry party—but you’ve got to do more than just “show up.”
Here’s how:

Dress to kill.

You wouldn’t arrive at a festive party wearing your blandest outfit. Your brand shouldn’t either. Think of your brand’s identity as the first thing people see. Well-tailored implies class. Bold is hard to forget. Make sure your logo and identity system are making the right impression.

Make a grand entrance.

Announce your arrival with the brand equivalent of trumpets sounding. Prior to a tradeshow or industry event, generate some buzz via email blasts or social media channels like Facebook® and Twitter®. Offer incentives such as a cool t-shirt or water bottle (branded with your dressed-to-kill logo) or give away something fabulous like an iPad. Once at the show, they’ll be looking for you instead of the other way around.

Strike up conversations.

People are most interested in themselves. Get to know your customers well by creating an online community like Festool’s Owners Group Forum. This forum not only gives Festool owners a place to share ideas and experiences, it gives the company firsthand access to opinions and customer profiles they might not otherwise get. Concurrently, they’re conversing on Facebook® and Twitter®. Festool also keeps their audience informed each month through eNews.

Mingle.

Don’t linger with the same people for the entire party. Talk to different customer segments uniquely. They each speak their own language, and response can be far greater when you talk to them one-on-one. WindsorOne™ is doing this right. Their sponsorship of the Katz Roadshow is an example of a national manufacturer gaining targeted exposure at both the dealer and consumer levels. They have different messaging in place to converse with architects and homeowners too, using multiple mediums effectively to create brand excitement.

Be confident.

Confidence is inviting and exciting! You’re an industry expert; don’t hesitate to hand out knowledge and know-how for free. Consider regularly publishing white papers about current issues and trends, and post them on your website. Share product knowledge and effective selling techniques. Arm your audience with your tools and enthusiasm. And don’t worry if writing isn’t your forte. That’s what copywriters are for, and good ones are worth every penny.

Wear a lampshade.

While “wearing a lampshade” at a party traditionally signals that someone has been over-served, it does make for a memorable moment. You can create your own moments at trade shows and in-store demos and events. A memorable theme, giveaway or presentation generates excitement around your brand and gets people talking.

Change it up.

Remember to take note of how your party experience went. Tweaking and repeating is essential for maximum impact. By consistently “changing it up” from quarter to quarter, year to year, you create excitement. Customers will perceive that something’s always happening at your company and with your product lines. You’ll be the happenin’ brand they expect to see at every party.

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Here’s to creating a sensation! Let’s get started.

Allison DeFord, Trailblazer
allison@felteverywhere.com


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10 Ways to Create a Sensation Around Your Brand – Part 2

May 20, 2010

CREATE CURIOSITY -
Never Be Boring

 

A common assumption in B2B marketing—particularly so in the building products industry—is that because you’re reaching out to abusiness instead of a consumer, you don’t need to be “creative.” Or different. And certainly not fun.

Just inform the target audience that you’ve been in business for 50 years, you have what they need, your prices are fair—and the orders will come. Right?

Not in today’s competitive, cinch-this-belt-any-tighter-and-I’ll-stop-breathing market. The simple truth: Boring brands don’t spring to mind first when there’s a need. The ones that do have interesting things to say, and do so in a way that resonates. They’re perceived as dynamic, relevant and authoritative.

So how do you become the interesting brand? So interesting that customers and prospects are curious to see what you’ll say or do next?

For starters, say and do things regularly.

Introduce new products. Issue special offers or discounts (a different one each month?). Hold product demos in your trade show booth. And communicate with your target audience about what you’re doing at least once a month—via e-mail, snail mail, social media or blog. In other words, get on their radar and stay there.

Shift to customer-centered advertising.

Instead of talking about the company behind the product, focus on the benefit to the customer. And be thematic. We created an ad campaign for Würth USA, depicting product benefits—the sharpness of a blade, the speed of a degreaser and the accuracy of a fastener—in an unexpected way. (see the campaign.) The ads still honored Würth USA’s 40-year history in the maintenance and repair industry, but the primary focus was on the product and the user. The campaign increased brand awareness in the U.S. by 14% in the first year.

Leave a popcorn trail of information.

Be THE source for useful information about the building products you sell: Create lists of top sellers in specific product categories. Survey your customers about a hot topic and share the results. Produce a video or slide show demonstrating how to use a new product. Identify the greenest products in your line and show applications for them.

Dispense this information via your e-newsletter or blog or social media channels, then archive it on your website in an organized way that’s easy to navigate. Soon you’ll have a library of information your customers want and need—one they’ll return to again and again.

Give it a name.

Introducing a new product? Don’t just identify it: urethane resin flexible mouldings. Give it an identity: Valuflex™. (Incidentally, this moulding from EL & EL Wood Products was used by a contractor in my own home, and I love the results. Would I have remembered “urethane resin flexible moulding” and mentioned it here? Probably not.)

Products aren’t the only nameable aspects of your brand. Instead of “July’s Special Offer,” try something like “July’s Things-You-Can’t- Live-Without Sales Event.” Your blog, e-newsletter, and the online library mentioned above could also benefit from memorable, brand-centric names.

Use social media to leak the story.

Remember that new product you’re about to introduce? The one with the intriguing and memorable name? Pique curiosity before the launch with a teaserly Tweet such as: “Coming June 1st … the most innovative accessory yet for fine cabinetry and furniture manufacturers.” Closer to launch, post photos of the product on your Facebook page. Use LinkedIn to conduct a poll related to the product, then share the results.

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Social media is an easy and effective tool for communicating with customers and prospects. If you’re not yet taking advantage of these tools—and you haven’t yet created a strategy to apply them to your business—we can help. Look for your copy of “Social Marketing 2.0 – Advanced Tips for Building Products Professionals” to arrive via regular mail later this month.

Remember, there are people like you and me behind those businesses you’re marketing to—people who respond to brand messages on an intellectual and emotional level. Keep them interested (read: curious) and they’ll keep you top of mind.

Here’s to creating a sensation! Let’s get started.

Allison DeFord, Trailblazer
allison@felteverywhere.com

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