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

Stop for a moment and ask yourself this question. “What is the purpose of any Business?”

Most individuals would say, “To Make a Profit.” Personally, I feel that is the wrong answer. It’s part of the answer, but not the answer. Profits are a result or an outcome of what we do and they only tell us if our business strategy and execution are viable.

Peter Drucker stated that, “concentrating on the belief that creating profits as a purpose was not only wrong, it could very well be harmful. “ He felt that it causes a business to make bad decisions and lose sight of those things that delight customers. He also said, “There is only one valid definition of business purpose: to create a customer.”

The ultimate objective of a business is to satisfy customer needs and wants at a sustainable profit. The sustainable profit part is critical.

Customers are the ultimate asset for any profit making company. They really provide all of a company’s real value. Unfortunately, customers are one of the few aspects of a business that are not managed as an investment. We must always keep in mind that we must profitably provide a better solution for our customers than our competition.

There is an old saying, “A good salesman can sell anything once. The trick is getting them to buy again and again.” The reason I say this is because marketing gets translated most of the time into simply persuading someone to try something for the first time. Companies are constantly trying to change someone’s attitudes or behaviors.

Today’s customers buy competing products from multiple companies with seemingly no real loyalty. Therefore, the most important element in profits is designing ways to have your customers allocate a larger share of their wallets to you. In my Marketing Tips of the Week, and also this blog, I try to help you accomplish that.

So, in essence, the primary goal of marketing must be the creation of loyal, long-term customers out of first-time or occasional buyers. Accomplishing this requires a clear and precise understanding of what makes customers want to be loyal. Gathering and understanding customer needs is the job of marketing. Review the issues in my Marketing Tips of the Week that help you to accomplish this.

If you have any additional ideas to build loyalty, please comment.

Technorati Tags: business purpose, customer, customer creation, customer loyalty, Customer Retention, lifeling customers, profit, profits

Most everyone I know loves to have their birthday recognized. And even though you may already have created a database of your customers with their birthdays, here’s an idea that you can use for your social networking groups, be it Facebook or others that you are on.

Facebook, for example, makes it very easy for you to see, track, and remember all the birthdays of your entire community. In fact, there is a feature that I just found out about, where you can receive a weekly email notification of all upcoming birthdays of those in your community.

Here’s how. Go to your settings and click on “Account Settings”. Click the tab for “Notifications” and then click “Show More” under the first section. Then highlight the check box next to “Has a birthday coming up.”

I recommend setting up a systematic approach to sending out your birthday wishes. You can set aside a certain time each day in your calendar to log into Facebook and write on the walls of friends with birthdays that day. This shows that you care and can create visibility for you.

Be creative with your greeting. They will mean a lot to your followers.

I would love to hear some comments about additional ways you have found to use Social Networking sites like Facebook to build relationship with your community.

Technorati Tags: birthdays, Facebook, relationship building, Social Media

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

Many of you reading this blog have daily and consistent communication with your customers and prospects. 

Here are a few steps on what you can do to create a bonding experience with them when you meet them, or when they experience your business for the first time.  It’s good to remind ourselves about these basics from time to time.

The first step should be obvious…Smile. 

I’m sure you’ve visited businesses where the salesperson approached you without a smile.  Make sure your employees don’t’ make this mistake.  They are often the first people your prospect or customer meets.  Train your employees to greet customers and prospects with a sincere smile.

The second step is to greet your customers or prospects the way you would greet your spouse…on a great day, that is.  Be ecstatic to see them, and again, be sincere.

The third step is to use the right kind of handshake.  The secret of a great handshake is not just in the firmness of the shake…a must…but also in the amount of palm-to-palm contact.  Studies have shown that opening your palm to someone is akin to opening yourself to them.

In my manual, “How to Capture The Mind of Your Customer and Get them to Say YES”, I go over a Neuro-Linguistic Programming method where you match your body language with that of your prospect or customer.  Matching body language is a non-verbal way of telling your clients that you like them. 

The idea is that people prefer doing business with people like themselves. 

The concept is called Miming or some call it Mimicking. 

Once you start mimicking your client’s body language, you will notice that they start to subconsciously mimic yours. 
This is when you have the opportunity to open up.  If your hands are crossed, uncross them, lean forward, and speak directly to them, and they will now open themselves up to you. 

When this happens, it is a signal that you have built trust and rapport, and you can guide the direction of the relationship.

Some of you have created unique ways to make this bonding happen between you and your customers.  Share some of your methods with us here, so we can all learn.  Also, after you have used the steps I just gave you, let me know what results you get. 

Technorati Tags: bonding with clients, bonding with customers, bonding with prospects, Lifelong Customers

Here’s an interesting question:

“I’m a personal lines insurance agent, and I would like to be able to have a 95% closing ratio, high retention, and a great system for getting my clients to give me referrals.”

All I can say is WOW.  When I was in the insurance business, I created ways to prospect that were not normally done within the industry.  Of course, back then, we also did not have compliance departments breathing down our necks, as most of the insurance agents have today.

Any of my readers can massage the suggestions I’m going to give here to fit their own industry or business.

The first thing I did was to create a prospect list.  I started with 100, and then increased it to 1000 individuals whom I wanted as clients.

Then I accumulated articles and any other free information I could locate, and kept in touch with them over a period of at least one year.  My thoughts were that if after one year, they still didn’t want to do business with me, then color me gone and out of their life.

By doing this, I developed a relationship with them.  Of course I also created unique letters to send them with various forms of GRABBERS.

For instance, I created a letter like the following where I sent a shoe with the letter.

Jeff…Now You Can Increase Your
Net Worth By $1,000,000.   Effortlessly!
            (Include one Right shoe with your Letter)

Dear Jeff,

As you can see, I’ve sent you a “right” shoe with this letter.

I did it for two reasons:

First, because what I have to share with you is so important, I needed some way to make sure this letter got your attention.

Second, because I want us to start off on the right foot, I thought sending you the shoe was a good way for me to get my foot in your door.

Anyway, here is what this is all about…

(Continue with the rest of your offer)

Think of ways to adapt this letter to the product or service you are selling.

Another thing you can use is to offer my book, “10 Marketing Mistakes That Steal Your Cash” to your prospect and clients. Go to www.kenvarga.com/report.php and take advantage of the free book offer.  It’s free and will bond you with your customer.

In prior blog posts, I gave you suggestions to the last two items of your question…high retention and a referral system.  Refer back especially to the last post on “How To Create Lifelong Customers”, and to the post on April 26, 2008, “Growing Through Referrals”.

Technorati Tags: Closing Ratio, Getting Referrals, growing referrals, Referrals, retention, retention rate

Here’s a question that is an extension of the blog post I made just before this one:

“How do you keep customers longer?” I would rephrase it this way.  “What do I have to do to keep customers for Life?” 

In a few moments I’ll share with you some unique ways to astonish your clients. Right now I want to discuss with you…

The biggest mistake business owners and service providers make.

After investing a large amount of money, time, and effort getting prospects to become their clients, many business owners and service providers usually don’t take care of them well enough to gain their business for the long term. (Does this sound familiar?)

In other words, they treat them with indifference.

Strangely enough, they take their current customers for granted. And, believe it or not, they actually treat the people who haven’t done business with them – their prospects – better than the individuals they already have – their current clients.

As a result, they usually end up losing the customers they’ve worked so hard to acquire in the first place. So they constantly have to obtain more new clients to replace the ones they’ve lost. And this vicious cycle repeats itself.

If these business owners only realized their existing customers are their best prospects, they would take care of them a lot better.

How about you?

Have you also been committing the same blunder and treating your existing customers with indifference?

If so, this is one of the main reasons you’re not making the kind of income you want, no matter how long or hard you’ve been working.

I suggest you do this…

Starting tomorrow, treat each one of your customers as if he or she is doing business with you for the LAST TIME.

When you look at your customers this way, you’ll go the extra mile to serve them extremely well – the way they deserve to be treated.

Remember, the kind of lifestyle you get to enjoy totally depends on how well you serve your customers. The better you take care of them, the more business they’ll do with you, and so the more successful you’ll become.

Ask any business owner how they became highly successful and they will tell you that they focused on their customers and were genuinely concerned about them.

Believe me, after you’ve turned your business or practice into a 100% client-driven business, you’ll be able to produce more income while working fewer hours.

So always figure out ways to knock your clients’ socks off on a regular basis, making them say: “Wow, I can’t believe the person I do business with is doing all this for me!”

By doing so, you’ll compel your clients to do business with you for decades to come, and to brag about you to everyone they know.

Anyway, here are a few unique ways to make your customers feel special and appreciated, so that they will become lifelong customers.

1. Remember their birthdays
2. Remember their anniversaries
3. Send your customers cards or gifts on special holidays and occasions.
4. Send your customers a regular newsletter.
5. Send them special reports to show them how to benefit more from the product you offer and also send reports to help them improve various aspects of their lives.
6. Send them a well-written Thank-You letter.
7. As you go thru the newspaper or various magazines, you will come across articles that could be of value or interest to your customer, make a copy of them, and send them with a note saying, “Jane, I thought you might be interested in seeing this.”  Ken

So that’s just a few of the many unique ways you could use to create lifelong customers. You can find more detailed strategies in my book “The Secrets To Creating Lifelong Customers”.  Just go to www.kenvarga.com/products.html to get a copy.

Technorati Tags: keeping customers longer, Lifelong Customers, lifetime customers