Are You Patiently Persistent In Your Marketing Tactics?
It's amazing how much time and budget companies expend on reaching out to -- uh
, basically, a whole bunch of strangers. (Didn't we learn not to talk to strangers?) While we all know that investing to retain your existing customers is a whole lot more effective than throwing dollars out to attract a new (and rather cold) market, many business owners do not make that same leap when developing your marketing strategies. Marketing plans still follow the same, stock, inside-the-box focus on trying to convert buyers who are so far off from your company's current footprint.
If you're finding an ever decreasing ROI from your marketing efforts, it would be wise to consider shifting your marketing focus over to your fan base -- that means your current customers.
When Tony Hseih, CEO of Zappos decided to make customer service his #1 priority, he did it by overdelivering. Not only does the shoe etailer have a giant "footprint" (pun intended) in the online world with 1000's of choices, but it also has free shipping on all orders-both ways-with a 365 day return policy. For many, that would be enough, but no, Tony decided to really raise the bar and automatically upgrade EVERY order to overnight shipping.
The customer reviews rave about the speedy delivery. Shoppers are thrilled about placing the order and getting their shoes the next day. It's as close as you can get to instant gratification through hard good delivery.
What are you doing to raise the bar on customer service in your business? What is that little "extra" for your customers you can add that is unique and uncommon?
If you think you can't raise the bar because you're trying to run your company lean and mean, then instead of spending more consider just shifting some of your funds out of your marketing budget. My informal survey of the results is that we can apply the 80/20 rule where you give 20% more in way of customer service, you may just find you'll hit that zone of gaining 80% in referral business.
Not in the hard goods business you say? You're a doctor, a lawyer or someone else who trades time for money? Ok, so while upgrading shipping might not be applicable to your business there are lessons for you here. For example, do you check in with your clients to make sure their questions are answered and their needs met? Do you give without expectations of something in return?
If you start asking the right questions and you're really listening, you might be surprised. One lawyer said he didn't realize how often his clients were confused on matters but didn't actually ask for full explanations until he asked them if they understood and they said "no."
1-Take the time to listen to your clients. It sounds simple but in this era of rushed lives making a simple human connection (which doesn't happen if you're not really listening) can make the difference between a loyal client and one who's neutral or worse, dissatisfied. Jot down notes about them and include them in their client file. Go beyond noting birthdays, hobbies, pets, recent vacations or just names of children.
Focus on highlighting what is making the most noise in their lives -- caring for their elderly parents? ... dealing with a college kid who is struggling to get into college? ... health issues that are a thorn in their side? ... having challenges selling their home? ... (you get the idea). You might send your client a referral to a highly successful college prep coach you know. The point is, help them where they hurt the most whether it's in their personal lives or in their business lives. You don't have to resolve their issues, but it's always the thought that counts!
2- Focus on giving. The main paradigm shift that needs to occur is that you may be far too premature in asking for referral business from their clients before you ever demonstrated stand out value to that client. WIIF is typically the default channel playing on your AM station ... meaning what's in it for me on the ALL ME station when you really need to shift into What's in it for THEM.
So, what can you give to your clients that won't break the piggy bank? Here's what all businesses want (and it's free!). Give referrals and/or helpful information without expecting anything in return. We have all seen places like coffee shops, dry cleaners and healthclubs who hang up a bulletin board for their patrons to tack their promotion pieces and business cards.
I once heard of a story about a CPA who took this concept even further. If you would like to reap more effective results than the bulletin board business card method, follow along. The story goes like this: One of the CPA's clients was a realtor who specialized in multi-million dollar estates. So, the CPA selected 8 of the realtor's home listings, blew them up to 16X20 photos and hung the framed estate listings on his office walls where he gets a lot of traffic during tax season (in the hundreds).
The wall pieces naturally illicit his other clients to simply ask what they're there for, at which time the CPA gives them the realtor's business card and talks for 2 minutes on what an excellent realtor the guy is. We all know that word of mouth endorsements are more powerful than any other form of advertising. The realtor's phone rang from his CPA's endorsements, which lead to additional home sales for the realtor. The realtor had his CPA top of mind and naturally ended up doing the same for him. Now, notice the story in the example did not mention any framework of the CPA charging a referral fee or the realtor initiating the idea to the CPA with some kind of finder's fee incentive. That's the thing with giving. Just as we teach our children during Christmas, "you don't give to receive; you give because you want to give."
3-Ask questions with genuine curiosity. This is the best way to build relationships with others. Ask personal, "getting-to-know-you" questions like "What do you do for fun?", "What got you into the business you're in?", "How long have you lived in this area?", etc. Plus, ask business related questions like "What type of people could I introduce you to that would be most helpful to you and your business?", "What types of vendors do you buy from?" "What types of companies do you sell to?" "What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most?.... Least?...."
However, you don't want to sound rehearsed or stiff. All that does is make you sound uninterested (or worse, fake). Be curious about getting to know and understand your clients as people first. After all, no one does business with companies; we do business with people.
Remember, relationship building brings you raving fans and over time of putting this practice into habit you will reap the harvest of plenty of referrals right back to you.
But, don't expect your harvest to sprout up overnight. Think of it like a slow cooker. Let your relationships build and deepen over time. (but, not time, as in you only reach out to them once a year). I would liken the art of generating more referral business from existing clients as a recipe that only works in a slow cooker, but too many service professionals are trying to get those same results using the microwave.
Note that you should not start your new resolution to experiment with this paradigm shift if you go into it still expecting immediate results. You can't slow cook in an hour. For best results you should slow cook for at least 8 hours. Likewise, boosting client referrals and creating raving, loyal fans takes time only after consistent, patient effort. Although it doesn't happen in an instant, the results are worth it! You should prepare to make this "lifestyle" change in the way you view your clients... in your daily efforts to help your clients (beyond their needs of just the services you are actually paid to provide.)
4 - Toot your horn! If you don't play the music, no one else will play it for you. Recognize each and every client who refers you to new clients -- not only thanking them individually, but publicizing it to all of your other clients. This can be easily accomplished through your client newsletter communications. By adding a few sentences that detail how and why they referred your company as you are expressing recognition and gratitude, in doing so you are also training your other clients how to do the same.
Make this unique customer service concept of relationship giving apart of your new marketing plan (not separate from it). Word of mouth marketing is the most powerful form of marketing in any business. So, in closing, what powerful words are you own clients saying about you?
by: Yoon Cannon
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