How many times have you seen a sign or message announcing this is “CUSTOMER APPRECIATION” day, week, or month? I’m sure, like me, you see them all the time. It is one thing that drives me absolutely nuts whenever I see a “Customer Appreciation” sign. Every time I see this, I want to stop the car, rush into the business, and ask one simple question…

The post STOP “Customer Appreciation” first appeared on WOM10.

The post NOW is the time to…BUILD TRUST first appeared on WOM10.

Blogging is dead…a phrase that has been going around for as long as I can remember since I started my business over 8 years ago…and it’s still going around.

Lots of reasons people think blogging is dead…here are just a few…

• Takes too much time to read
• Little value in some of the “pimping” blogs (those selling products disguised as being helpful)
• Self-centered ranting with little value
• Extreme views trying to gain attention but again, no value
• Things move too fast to spend reading blogs
• Lots of other social channels to get information quickly

You might have some of your own or have heard others from your colleagues. And I don’t disagree with most of these items on the list above…

But three key questions keep coming back to haunt us…

1. Where does our audience go to get “the story” in more than 140 characters or short bursts?
2. How does our audience “get to know us” and what we are passionate about?
3. Where can our audience get our deepest insights and knowledge that can truly “help” them?

Content Marketing…the new phrase for today that is designed to help answer these three questions. It is hot and it is coming at us like a Tsunami from every direction. Why? Because all the other crap being thrown at us by companies on all the social channels isn’t working…it isn’t getting our attention…it isn’t causing us to take action…it isn’t helping and it isn’t working.

In reality…content marketing is “blogging reincarnated”…blogging with a different name associated with it…a new name on the same solution. The same problem exists today that has been around from the beginning time when it comes to marketing…companies trying to connect with their audience to sell them stuff. We thought social media would be the holy grail…it isn’t and won’t be for the way most companies use it. But it works famously well for those using it the way it was designed. What’s missing?

VALUABLE, HELPFUL, INSIGHTFUL, THOUGHT PROVOKING CONTENT…the stuff those who are connected to their audiences write in their blogs.

You don’t have to call it Blogging…you can call it Content Marketing if you feel better about it. But in the end, it is blogging reincarnated with a different name and different package attempting to do the same thing blogging was originally designed to do…HELP YOU DO BETTER AT WHAT YOU DO BEST!

The post Blogging “Reincarnated” first appeared on WOM10.

The key message from their study, “Giving Customer Voice more Volume,” was summarized perfectly, “Customer experience is one of the most critical determinants of brand strength and business growth. Yet most organizations and senior marketers suffer from major blind spots and gaps in the way they interact, handle and respond to customer issues or problems,” says council executive director Donovan Neale-May.

The truth be told, it is far easier than companies believe it is to actually understand the customer experience their customers want.  At least 8 out of 10 companies I talk with make this process far more complicated than it should be.  And as such, either delay the process or make it so difficult that their customers choose not to participate or contribute since they know it won’t do any good.  Are you one of those organizations?  If so, my free advice is STOP making it so complicated and your customers will reward you for your simplicity.  Hope this helps.

Blaine

Blaine Millet

Customer Experiences Inc.

The post When will they get it… first appeared on WOM10.

In this article, Tom said, “If you can’t get people to pay for what they love, we’re all out of business.” WOW – this was a great statement not just for Newsweek magazine but for the world of business.  Think about it.  If you don’t create a customer experience where your customer doesn’t “love dealing with you” how long, in this competitive climate called a recession are you going to last?  This is something i have espoused for years and years that is you don’t have a customer experience that customers love and they don’t absolutely love dealing with you, Trust and Loyalty are always going to an elusive goal. 

If you take anything away from Tom’s message it is this.  Get someone to honestly evaluate your current cusotmer experience from an objective perspective.  NO, ididn’t say do another lame survey.  I said understanding the CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE and the PROMISES that go along with being able to deliver on this experience.  Get help in understanding the Promises your customers want from you and figure out how far off you are in being able to deliver on these promises and FIX IT or you run the risk of going the direction of the print media – extinction.

Understand what it takes for your customers to LOVE dealing with you and what PROMISES they want you to keep every day and you will have LOYAL customers that TRUST you and wouldn’t go anywhere else.  And in these difficult times, isn’t that what everyone wants?  Hope this helps…

Blaine

Blaine Millet

Customer Experiences Inc.

The post Love it or… first appeared on WOM10.

What we need is for the media to point out all the things that are RIGHT and GOOD for a change – where are those journalists and media people when you need them.  Well, I found one and I wanted to dedicate this post to him and his publications/media.  His name is JOE KENNEDY, publisher of EastsideBusiness.  I just read his column, “Words from the Publisher” and I was so pleased and excited I wanted to CONGRATULATE him and HONOR him for taking a stand and leadership in this area – WAY TO GO JOE!!

Allow me to quote some of what he says directly from this column.

Despite the type of news you may be getting from other media outlets, Eastside Business and Eastside Life newspapers are choosing to stay positive – it sure beats the alternative!  in fact after almost 4 years in print, I finally made my first company policy – we will not use the “E” or “R” words in our publications.  We will stay positive and want you to as well.

Joe, I can’t compliment you enough – this is AWESOME. Does this mean everything is fine and all the bad will go away – certainly not, nor is he saying it will.  But while we are sitting in all the muck, why not look up at the sunshine and the sky and enjoy the beauty around us – that is what I believe Joe is saying.  None of us will be better off for continuing to talk about the problems – only the solutions.  I, for one, will be the first one to walk behind Joe.  Attitude is everything and we have shown that as a nation we don’t let this kind of thinking and talking take us down.  So to ALL the other media sources out there – GET A LIFE AND GET THE MESSAGE – we don’t want to hear about it any longer.  Thanks Joe.

Blaine

Blaine Millet

Customer Experiences Inc.

The post Joe, way to go – you ‘da man… first appeared on WOM10.

Let me give you a very simple answer.  It is NEVER too late to do planning.  It is ALWAYS better to start than to think you missed the window and wait.  So the rule to never forget – when in doubt, PLAN!!

I just read an article by Gladys Edmunds in USA Today about planning and it made me want to share it with you with one addition to what she is saying.  Her article, “Here’s a Mission for you – Make a Great Statement,” talks about the importance of having a crisp and clear Mission Statement.  She gives a couple of good examples and shares some experiences on companies that don’t even have one, whether it is a good one or not.  I completely agree – a Mission Statement is important for any organization.  

However, it is only one piece to the puzzle.  The Mission is simply your statement of what you are going to do over XXX years to help you achieve your Vision, guided by your Values.  In essence, it falls out of your Vision.  The key to a Mission statement is that it helps put some framework around your ability to create Strategic Goals and subsequently Actions to achieve these goals.  So is a Mission Statement important? Absolutely, but just as important as the other components of planning.

OK, now here is where I extend the conversation.  Planning WITHOUT ACTION is a waste of time.  The best developed plan isn’t worth the paper it is written on if there isn’t a steady, consistent focus by top management (yes, the CEO and President) to make sure it gets implemented and action occurs.  I know, this sounds pretty basic.  But I have to tell you that in my 15 years of doing strategic planning for companies, I see a number of them never get implemented – how sad.  There is such great thinking and great ideas developed by some incredibly bright people that never see the light of day because they don’t move beyond the planning stage.

So my piece of advice for the new year is simple. PLAN, PLAN, PLAN – just make sure you IMPLEMENT the plan so you can celebrate all your hard work and efforts.  And remember, “celebrate the little things because they always add up to something great when you do.”

Happy New Year,

Blaine

Blaine Millet

Customer Experiences Inc.

The post It’s that time of year… first appeared on WOM10.

The question they have asked is “Where does content end and marketing begin?”  Interesting question for sure and I’m sure the answers will be all over the map.  Let me give you my opinion on the topic.

First, the question is already “leading” the reader by suggesting content comes first and marketing second – logical conclusion.  I think you can certainly argue both ways, depending on what you are trying to accomplish.  For example, if you already have some deep content and IP that is focused in a certain area, then for sure content must come first.  This would estblish your credibility based on the work you have already done.  Customer Experiences Inc. is in that situation.  We created our consulting methodology and wrote a book on the content about how to create “consistent” and “reliable” customer experiences that will build totally awesome experiences and build unsurpassed loyalty (slight commercial here).  The other option is if you don’t have the depth of content, marketing would come first so you can test out what the market responds to and then either build or acquire the content to support it.  Your choice, but to answer the question depends on where you are with content when you start – stronger or weaker.

Since we are in the “stronger” category and had the content to start, we would believe the marketing follows the content.  Now the question is “where does it begin after content?”  To me, it can’t begin soon enough once the content is determined – not created.  For example, once you have the concept and ideas worked out and you know the path you are going to follow, test and communicate, marketing should start.  This is the point where you start to get the audience “educated” that what you have is available.  Now, this only works if you can actually produce the content in a reasonable time frame.  If you market too early, the audience will be disappointed (and you will actually end up losing more than gaining) because the content takes to long to deliver.  But if the timeframe is within reason, you should start to educate and develop the mindset of the customer that the content is coming.

Once the content is available, the marketing continues to mature and evolve as the content is released to the market – becomes more detailed, specific, customized by market segment, etc.  This evolution of marketing is what helps bulld a stronger following and gets the customer more committed to your content because they see how it specifically fits their needs.

Finally, as the content is in full “production” you unleash all the marketing you can and allow others to see the depth and richness of the content, by segment and by area.  This is what helps “link” the company to the content and begin to build a “following” of readers.  It is at this stage where the content should be very specific to the segments and you should have been collecting feedback from these segments along the way so it is “tailored” to their specific needs. 

This Blog Feed is a very interesting project – can’t wait to see if it really works and how it works.  Stay tuned…  Thanks for reading.

Blaine

Blaine Millet

Customer Experiences Inc.

The post Blog FEED – where does content end and marketing begin… first appeared on WOM10.

The post Taking it just a little farther makes all the difference… first appeared on WOM10.

First, Step One – Decide you will invest in your customers.  When the economy is down, NOW is the time to invest in your customers.  I just read a report that gave some interesting numbers.  For example, a 20% increase in loyalty can yield up to 70% increase in profitability.  Cut it in half, cut it in a quarter or some fraction, it still generates higher profitability – that is the key message.

Step Two, understand your customers true loyalty triggers and drivers.  Take the time, invest in your customers and find out EXACTLY what it is that they want from you in these difficult times.  This is the time when most companies simply cut prices and feel this is being “customer-centric” – WRONG.  All this tells your customers is that you were over priced before and now you are trying to be more realistic.  What they really want is better service and more focus on their needs in their difficult times – that is the bond they want.  Trust me, they are waiting to tell you but you have to know WHAT TO ASK to get the right information.

Step Three – TELL THEM what you are going to do different.  The key is to make sure they know what you are doing BEFORE you do it.  Don’t just surprise them and test it out, tell them what you are going to do so they know what to expect.  They will be excited to see what happens and how you are going to deliver on these promises and services.  Don’t be afraid to tell them what you are capable of doing – just don’t tell them something you can’t deliver on. That will backfire and be worse than doing nothing.

Step Four – DELIVER, DELIVER, DELIVER.  Do what ever you have to do to deliver on these loyalty triggers and promises you make to your customer and what you are telling them you are going to do.  If you really want to do the best job, link to your business processes (this is what we talk about in our book, “Creating and Delivering Totally Awesome Custome Experiences“) so you can deliver “consistent” and “repeatable” awesome customer experiences to delight your customers.

Step Five – TELL THEM AGAIN what you are delivering and then ask them how you are doing – measure what you just told them and delivered to them.  Think about it – you now have three touchpoints with the customer – you told them twice and you delivered once.  What other program do you have that allows you to touch your customer with information they want to give you and get from you anyway – none that I have found.

I hope this helps a bit more and gives you a bit of additional insight.  The key to remember is make a concerted and active decision that you are going to focus on your customer more than ever in these difficult times – and don’t do it with price.  Do it with what they really want and what will last far longer than a quick price cut – delivering the experience they want and that will differentiate you and give you a competitive advantage.  Best of luck…

Blaine

Blaine Millet

Customer Experiences Inc.

The post 5 Additional Steps to Customer Domination… first appeared on WOM10.