The following aren’t necessarily in the order of importance, but if all are implemented you can’t help but succeed.  Next to each To-Do is a link for more information:

1. Create Data Base of your clients.  You need all pertinent data like name, address, email, spouse’s name, birthday for them and their spouse, and whatever data you need.  I would also get the data of every family member.  http://www.kenvarga.com/news/a-method-to-collect-information-to-create-your-customer-database/

2. If possible, connect with your customer/clients weekly. 

3. Dominate your market by becoming the expert that everyone goes to when they need what you offer.  http://www.kenvarga.com/news/dominate-your-market/

4. Do Special Events.  IE:    "Give A Little And Get A Lot— how this simple principle can cause a crowd of people to market your business to the world!  http://www.aweber.com/b/1Bvci

5. If possible, do a 30-minute radio talk show in your local area.  In it, address the pain the listeners are in and how you are able to help them.  http://www.aweber.com/b/1LBOq

6. Each time a customer buys from you, put the transaction in your data base and have an employee call to thank the purchaser for being your customer.  Ask the customer: “Why do you purchase from us and not our competition.” They will give you information that you can use to create more customers. 

7. Create a Referral System where you bring your customer/client from being a customer to becoming an advocate of your business.  http://www.kenvarga.com/news/growing-through-referrals/

8. Make sure your advertising is responsive and measurable.  Create a free report.  http://www.aweber.com/b/1Q_wC

9. Upsell.  Create a package of your products and offer them to your customers as a package.  http://www.kenvarga.com/news/promotions-you-can-take-to-the-bank/

10. Inspect what you expect.  I used to call my own office to make sure my people answered the way they were taught.  http://www.kenvarga.com/news/inspect-what-you-expect/

Technorati Tags: database creation, dominate market, free report, measure advertising, referral system, special events, upsell

I personally feel that there is some sort of mediocrity that has infiltrated most businesses.  Needless to say, I hate shopping and only do it with my wife Barbara.  Over the last 6 months, I’ve created a list of some of the things I heard when shopping and that turned me completely off.  Here they are:

1. “If you purchase this item now, you will help me meet my quota for the month. “ It meant to me that this individual was not really successful and was using me instead of helping me with why I should purchase that item.  What he should have said was something like:  “This (whatever) has been very popular and our customers are excited about the results they are getting.”

2. “We can deliver your item sometime next week and will call you when we are in your neighborhood.”   This clearly showed that they were making it convenient for them rather than convenient for me.  Very selfish.  They should have said. “We can deliver this to you next week.  What day and time is convenient for you?”

3. “That’s not my department.”  They didn’t even tell me who or where to go to find my item.  They should have said: “I know the right person who can help you with that item.  Please come with me.”

4. “Oh my God.  It’s been so hectic for me this morning.  I barely made it to work, traffic was terrible, my Mom is sick and I had to take my dog to the vet, and my leg hurts.”  I didn’t want to hear about her problems.  I wanted to purchase what I was there for and get out.  All she had to say with a smile was, “Good morning, I’m glad to meet you.”

5. “You’re the first person who has complained about our service.”  This statement was made to make me feel inferior and to imply that I was a troublemaker and that the company could do no wrong.  He should have said,   “Even though we receive many compliments about our product, we know there is room for improvement, so I’m beholding to you for making me aware of the problem.”

6. Here’s another problem, one I encountered just this week while I was talking to a sales rep.  She said, “Tell me your name again and why you are here.”  It made me feel as if she didn’t listen to me in the first place.  We walked out and will never shop there again.  She should have said, “Mr. Varga, as I understand you, when you wife got home, she noticed a rip in the blouse where the security sensor was taken off. Right?   Then let me help you with that.”

7. When my wife wanted to exchange an outfit she bought for another one, she was told: “That’s against our policy.” Wow! Turned my wife completely off. She wasn’t asking for her money back, just to exchange to a different size.   The sales rep should have said: “Mrs. Varga, while that is against our policy, I believe we can find a way to accommodate your request.” Doesn’t that sound better?

8. Last but not least.  When we walked into a store we heard, “Sorry, it’s closing time; you can’t come in.”  This told me that this person wasn’t trained properly, as all of the above weren’t trained properly, and should have said, “As you can see, the store is closing now, but I will be happy to stay and help you.”

Could any of your reps be unknowingly telling your customers what they don’t want to hear?  Might you also say the wrong thing when you are having a “bad day”?  Or when you are rushed?  

How can you make sure this doesn’t happen in your business?  Let me know.

Technorati Tags: customer experience, customer loyalty, Customer Retention, customer satisfaction

Customers may not remember what you said, but they surely will remember how you made them feel.

It is very important to cultivate direct connections with customers and clients. Give them your direct phone line. Invite them to call you and let them know you are willing to help them in any way you can.

When you offer advice or information without immediate return, you gain a huge amount of influence with that customer.

This to me is building for the future. It very well may be beneficial down the road. So treat each person well, and take care not to get sucked into your own importance or self-hype. 

Make people feel special and they will come back for more.

How do you make your customers and clients feel special? Tell me in your comments below.

Technorati Tags: customer experience, customer loyalty, Customer Retention, customer satisfaction

Every business person has specific goals they are striving to achieve.

These can include everything from increasing their market share and sales, to reducing operating expenses, to streamlining the business, to being creative and taking share from the competition.

Here’s another worthy goal.

Invest the time to learn the key objectives of each of your customers. Then determine how your products or services can help them achieve their targets.

In some cases, you may not be able to help them, but you might be able to recommend them to someone else who can assist them. When you do this you will be recognized and remembered.

The more you can help them achieve their goals the more valued you will become.

Under promise and over deliver. This has been my motto for the last 40 years. As old as this expression is, it is still one of the best ways to stand out from the crowd.

Far too many people make commitments to their customers and fail to follow through as promised. It is easy to fall into this trap, especially for service-oriented occupations. We have every intention of delivering on a promise, but often unexpected circumstances crop up that prevent us from doing so. While once in a while this is acceptable by most people, frequent occurrences will drive your customers to your competition.

Consistently helping your customers achieve their key goals and objectives will put you above the crowd.

Let me know your thoughts.

Technorati Tags: being above the crowd, business goals, customer goals, customer satisfaction, differentiating a business, differentiation, standing out

I’ve often had experiences dealing with businesses that were very negative. One time the experience is good, and the next time bad. Why?

I use the phrase, “Repetition is Reputation.” When you are consistent, you build the trust of individuals.

Influence and branding are built on consistency. People like knowing what to expect. You can wow them or over-deliver, but do it consistently.

Make it easy for potential customers to understand who you are and what you do, and they will be more likely to say “YES” when you approach them.

Have any of you had the experience of dealing with someone who wasn’t consistent? Share it with us.

Technorati Tags: Branding, influence, reputation

A few posts ago, I wrote an article similar to this one.  I think this topic is so important, that I’m saying something about it again.

Businesses spend so much of their money acquiring customers, yet can lose them over one complaint.

All of us, at some point in our careers will have a few customers who complain.   It’s the way we deal with these dissatisfied, even angry, customers that makes the difference.  In my book, “How to Get Customers To Call, Buy and Beg for More”, I mention that one dissatisfied customer, through word-of-mouth, could cause 100 or more customers to stop doing business with you.

There are times that the customer is justified in their complaints, and other times they are not.  You all know that the handling of a dissatisfied customer can have a far-reaching impact on that customer.

I remember reading an article in the American Management Association magazine that the average satisfied customer tells three people about their experience, but the average dissatisfied customer will tell up to eleven other people.  Now with Twitter and other social media, that number can be in the thousands.

The first thing I would do when a customer complains is to make a positive reassuring statement to the customer.  I might say, “I want you to know that I will get something done about your problem.”

Then I’d acknowledge that the person is upset by saying, “I can see that you are very upset with us, and I am sorry you have a problem, but I’m very glad that you called it to my attention.

I’d then ask them, “What would make you Happy in settling this problem?”  Then I’d settle with them. I’d say that I was truly sorry that they encountered this problem, that I was going to do exactly what they requested, and that I wanted to keep them as a valued customer.

The reason I’m writing this is because a company I was doing business with just lost me as a customer; they didn’t resolve a problem to my satisfaction.  They have lost a lot of future money with me.  I don’t want you to lose business that way.  Handle complaints like they are the most valuable thing at hand…because generally they are.

 I won’t badmouth this company to other people I know, but I sure won’t be doing business with them anymore.  

Let me know what you think.

Technorati Tags: customer complaints, customer loyalty, Customer Retention, customer satisfaction, keeping customers, Twitter

To add a little more to my last post, it’s not sufficient to only institute systems that keep the customer/client in mind; it’s also necessary that you inspect those systems. You have to inspect what you inspect. You have to make sure that the systems are performing as you intended and make the adjustments necessary until they do.

For instance, your customer relation systems may be in place. Your instructions may be clear. But are your employees performing as the systems dictate?

As an example…

If you’ve been in Best Buy, you know they usually have a greeter inside the door, and the employees are generally courteous. So it’s obvious Best Buy trains its employees in customer relations.

However, Best Buy hasn’t inspected all its systems; why do I say that?

Well, a few weeks ago, I had to go to Best Buy’s Geek Squad. The audio on my laptop wasn’t working when I played videos. There were about 5 people in the line, so I was # 6. The problem was that there was only 1 person handling all of us.

After waiting for 1 ½ hours (which I couldn’t believe), my turn finally came. As the clerk was completing the form with my warranty information, a salesperson from another department came up and interrupted the clerk, asking him to come with her to answer another customer’s question.

Guess what? The clerk left to go to the other department without even asking me if I would mind.

Very poor training, and very inconsiderate! He could have said to the other clerk, “Bring the Customer over and have him/her stand in line”, like the rest of us. But he didn’t.

What a turn off! Insufficient staff and inconsiderate staff!

As I said, we know Best Buy trains its employees in customer relations. However, it’s obvious this department was not inspected for its compliance with that training.

The lesson here is to train your people the right way AND to inspect what you expect. Don’t think your staff is doing what you trained them to do.

When I was on the road, I always used to call my office to see if my staff answered the phones the way I trained them to answer. I also hired someone to visit my business and let me know how they were treated.

Remember your staff is your front line. They could either create a customer for you, or lose a customer for you.

Technorati Tags: Best Buy, customer relations, Customer Retention, customer satisfaction, Lifelong Customers

A few weeks ago, I had a very bad customer service experience.  I’ve known the owner of this restaurant since he was a kid helping his parents in their Deli.  Six weeks ago he opened his restaurant.  I’ve been there nine (9 ) times already with at least 6 people in our party.  

I’ve also recommended his restaurant to at least 100 other individuals.  In fact, when I spoke in front of an audience of 250 local business individuals, I mentioned how great the food was at this restaurant and that the audience should try it.

I’m usually the first of our party to arrive and normally I get a table and wait for the others to arrive.  This time I was told that their new policy “was to not seat anyone until all of the party arrives.” When I asked to speak to Antonio (name changed for privacy), the owner, I was told he was too busy in the kitchen. She said this without even checking to see if indeed he was busy in the kitchen.

When the others arrived 10 minutes later, I went to the hostess and said we were all here, and her response was, “Since the others were late they had to give our table away to someone else, and we’ll have to wait until another table opens up.”

Is this a way to Get Customers to Call, Buy and Beg for More?  Of course not!  But if the owner doesn’t inspect what he expects, his business will go downhill very quickly.  He is in an area where people vacation in the summer and is currently booked solid.  But after the vacation season, he will wish he had his constant patrons.

He is focused on efficiency instead of customer retention; on the quick buck without brand building for the long-term; on delegating without customer service in mind.

I expect him to be out of business within 1 year if he continues to operate his restaurant in this way.

Tell me what you think.

Technorati Tags: brand building, Customer Retention, customer service, local business, marketing brand, restaurant

At Disney, they found out that their maintenance workers were the company…in the eyes of the public.  It was the public’s viewpoint of the maintenance workers that gave them an image of what the company was really about.

Repeat business, a satisfied customer, and a positive word-of-mouth viral campaign, are the keys to a company creating and developing a stable and successful business. 

You must always remember that you are your company to your customers.  Their perception on their initial experience with you, will give them an image of whether or not to do business with you again.

Never underestimate the power and influence you have over your customers.  We all have a great deal of influence over whom we interact with.  We all can turn a person’s bad day into a good day.

Even complaints can turn an unhappy customer into a happy one.

How often do you come into contact with a grouch?  It seems they cross my path consistently.  I’ve embraced the notion that they are purposely put in my path to help me grow and to develop the patience I need for, not only my personal development, but also to try to influence them in such a way that I make them happy. 

I know what you are thinking.  Easier said then done.

We live in a very stressful world and have many demands on our time. Perhaps you can remember times you were at the end of your rope. 

Most of the time customers just want a kind word, an honest and pleasant greeting, or a sincere smile, and they will feel welcome and important.  

I’ve always said that my customers were my dearest friends.  I’ve been in many restaurants and retail stores thru my life, and I’ve observed sales people, clerks, or waiters and waitresses, going through the motions of their jobs, almost sleep walking, and then a friend or another customer they know comes in and they perk up, smile and come alive.  What a metamorphosis!

I’m sure you have seen the same thing in your life. 

We all share the same basic human needs and desires.  All of us, whether we are a customer or client, need to feel important.  We don’t want to be just another customer.  We all want to feel recognized and treated as someone important.  All of us want this. 

Think about what this could do to your bottom line. 

Treat everyone like your best friend and make their first impression of you the best experience they have ever had.

Let me know what you think of this and how it applies in your company.

Technorati Tags: Disney, first impression, happy customers, repeat business, satisfied customer, word of mouth

We have all had miserable experiences, and I hope that we have all learned from those negative experiences.  When business colleague Rich Schefren emailed me this story, I thought it would be important to have you read about it too.  It addresses one of the dilemmas we have to deal with as business owners.  The story is titled “Golf Anyone?” but is about our interaction with our customers. Enjoy and let me know your thoughts.

Here is the link to the article: http://www.strategicprofits.com/strategy/golf-anyone/

To your success…

Technorati Tags: customer relations, customer satisfaction