Posts filed under 'Marketing'
Business improvement (aka change) is a hostage to subtext.
Change doesn’t occur until subtext becomes text.
You know what subtext is. It’s when we say “No”, but mean “Yes”. It’s the elephant in the room no one talks about. It’s any Harold Pinter play. Subtext is what’s really going on.
And many (most?) times in business we aren’t talking about what’s really going on. To our employees, our customers, our business, or our markets.
Why are we in the dark?
Maybe we’re not aware of what’s going on. We’re too close, it’s too familar.
Or, maybe we are aware. But through habit, laziness, or both we decide not to be. Groupthink is comfortable. It has lower stress levels, better career path, higher compensation. And best of all - we don’t have to do anything.
Either way, subtext is the first, and often major, obstacle to change.
Until we acknowledge the truth of the current moment, warts and all, we can’t find our will or strength to change anything. Much less expect others to join in.
In the filled, silenced conference room, why don’t we answer the CEO’s question when asked “what’s broken?”
Subtext-to-Text
Non-fiction writers bring subtext to text.
That’s what they do. They see what’s going on through intuition, experience or research, and they put it into text. They do it because literally (pun apology) no one else is talking about it the way they see it.
Good non-fiction writers move a large piece of subtext to text.
Subtext Seth - An Example
Seth Godin , author of seven bestselling business books, identifies what’s going on in business behavior and places it on the table. He puts it in conversation. Then challenges readers towards action.
Of course, we don’t always take action. But before we can consider which action to take, we have to become aware.
Which makes subtext-to-text the required first step for any change to occur.
Here’s an example: ads, junk mail and spam. Those unasked for, repetitive, interruptions.
Seth’s book, Permission Marketing said what we all feel about ads. He brought our attention to the irritation and annoyance. He reminded us about advertising’s ineffectiveness. He said what we all were thinking.
Why hadn’t anyone done this before?
Because it was subtext. All of us had accepted it. We grumbled, but decided to stay unaware.
Inside, we knew interruption marketing hurts our customers and our business. We knew it was true. Because we couldn’t stand getting it at home, on TV, in our physical and digital mailboxes.
Seth brought the subtext of interruption marketing into the text of awareness. It had to happen in that order. Someone had to do it - thank you Seth.
Now we can figure out how to market with permission. To boldly go…
True Change - Big & Little
Change begins with seeing things the way they are.
And there are many things we really don’t want to see; about ourselves, our business, or the world.
However, when we decide to make a change, bringing subtext up to text is the literal first step.
What was the last subtext you freed from captivity?
~~~~~~
Chris Arlen
President, Service Performance
Technorati: change, permission marketing, Seth Godin
May 1st, 2007
Anybody can gain brand awareness. It’s easy. Ever hear about streaking - the short-lived fad in the 70’s? That was someone’s 15-minute brand awareness, or longer if jail time was involved.
Brand awareness is like a paper wall. You can’t see through to the other side - until you break through it. Then you realize “Whoa, I’m here and everyone’s looking at me. Now what do I do?”
Seth Godin’s post about the brand formula describes brand as “..the product of two things: [Prediction of what to expect] times [emotional power of that expectation].
His advice is to “..keep awareness close to zero among the people you’re not ready for yet, and build the most predictable, emotional experience you can among those that care about you.”
For service contractors that means first revealing your business bedrock, your customer-experience promise.
Then creating tools that employees use to keep that promise.
There’s always pressure to raise brand awareness. However, this thinking doesn’t include the follow-on question of “Why should I (customer) care about you (contractor)?”
It’s more important and difficult to know who you are, what you stand for, and why customers should care about you. That’s why this work is rarely done.
~~~~~~
Chris Arlen
President, Service Performance
Technorati: brand awareness, customer experience, service contracts
April 24th, 2007
I love truisms because they’re true, but I hear them so often I ignore them. Like marketing quicksand words and phrases.
Eventually, and it always happens with truisms, something occurs and I realize “Wow, that’s just like….So it is true!”
For years I’ve heard “no-pain, no-gain”. Just recently I’ve realized the literalness of that truism. That when change comes it’s gonna hurt.
- Little change => discomfort, irritation
- Big change => emotional upheaval, total confusion, big pain
- (I’m talking about emotional pain, not to be confused with physical)
And only when the change is through does the pain stop. When the new becomes the normal, familar, and comfortable -again.
Here’s the Irony
The most important things I’ve learned, those that really matter in life, are all lessons linked with pain.
For me to learn, to grow, I’m going to experience some hurt. “That which doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger”.
Don’t Believe Me? Try This!
Here’s an exercise. Think about the top three things you’ve learned that have been the most important to you in your life. Don’t rush, think about those most important life lessons.
Now, with those in mind, think back to how you felt when you were learning them. Try and remember what you were feeling at that time.
I’ll bet if you were to describe your feelings they might include “scared”, “hurt”, “confused”, “lost”, “angry”, “frustrated”, or “disappointed”.
Irony Restated
Human instinct understands change is painful. Our early warning system for pain is fear (probably tied to the physical). Instinct says be scared of change because it’ll hurt. Fear and pushback is meant to protect.
But it’s pain that helps us grow. If we were to avoid every instance of pain, as instinct wants, we’d never learn anything. The irony is, to grow we’re going to hurt, and by nature we avoid hurt.
Selling Change
When selling change, prepare for the instinctual fear. Develop bridges that link the new with the known. Present the inevitable and logical progression. Context for the new is everything. Without a link and rationale back to the known, the new is off floating in space. And instinct says no way.
Those are rational tactics. Prepare yourself for the emotional as well. Not that you can avoid emotional response to change, someone else’s or your own. But awareness engenders compassion. And if you’re expecting some form of emotional pushback, you’re in better shape to work with it. Rather than strangling it.
This is true for sales of new services or products, making business changes, even for dealing with change yourself.
We’re all in the same boat when it comes to growth-change-pain. Individually, we just take it at different speeds.
I once read that without pain we wouldn’t know we were alive. That’s the good news about pain. It means we’re alive and there’s an important lesson waiting to be learned. Even if it’s not immediately visible.
How Do You Sell Change?
Technorati tags: growth, change, learning
March 8th, 2007
In Quicksand Words & Phrases I wrote about marketing terms that were so overused and empty they turn customers away. “Brand” unfortunately is in that group too. For different reasons. Its meaning has evolved, but it’s public persona hasn’t. It has too much baggage.
“Brand” used to be Madison Avenue, TV commercials, print ads and Darren Stevens (if you’re my age). It used to be logos, taglines, fonts and colors. It was outbound advertising pitched at customers.
But some marketing people aren’t so dumb. They recognized customers respond to experiences that are fulfilling and satisfying. Experiences associated with products and services. Build the experience and customers will come - and stay.
Voila! “Customer Experience” is the new “brand”.
What is the “Customer Experience”?
My friends Lynn and Joe at Parker LePla define “brand” as the sum total of all experiences a customer has with your company. I’m swapping “customer experience” for “brand” because of the baggage.
And customers experience your company in many ways beyond your tradeshow booth or logo. Here’s a short list to think about:
- The manner in which your on-site staff interact with customers & each other (this is huge for service contractors)
- Your operator’s friendliness & helpfulness when customers call in
- Accuracy, timeliness & readability of your invoices
- The manner & speed in which you resolve customer conflicts
- Interruptions your suppliers may make delivering to customers’ sites
- The usefulness of your web site to customers
3 Examples of Customer Experience
Although the following are consumer businesses, you get the idea.
Starbucks‘ European coffehouse experience is welcoming, attractive and makes you want to return. It’s created by many things. All intentional, all aimed at creating Starbucks’ desired customer experience. Contributors are:
- Store architecture & signage
- Training of cashiers & baristas
- In-store layout & furniture
- Additional non-coffee items to buy
Nordstrom’s tuxeoded piano players are well known. But some time ago Nordstrom quit providing them. I don’t know why, maybe to lower costs.
The uproar from customers soon had Nordstrom bring the pianos and players back, and quickly.
Although piano players don’t sell clothes, they’re an important part of the Nordstrom’s customer experience. One of the emotional reasons for customers’ loyalty.
Krispy Kreme knows their customers. They’ve developed “Hot Doughnut Machine” technology to bring the “hot doughnut experience” to more people.
They call it “Doughnut Theater”. What else is there to say? You can watch creation take place. They even have a neon sign that lights up at the very moment their glazed doughnuts are coming out of the oven. So customers can watch for it and then pull in to buy.
How Do Customers Experience Your Company?
More About Customer Experience
In addition to this weekly blog, next month’s article will have more about customer experience. Sign up here if you’re interested in monthly articles sent directly to your inbox (if you haven’t already).
Technorati tags: branding, service, customers
February 19th, 2007
I’ve been calling consulting prospects. Talking with operators made me think about your customers and prospects. When they first call you. Reminded me of the old saying:
“There’s never a second chance to make a first impression”.
But the second impression counts too.
When customers and prospects call in, your operators subtly shape their expectations. Here are impressions your operators create about your company:
- Professional -or- Mom & Pop
- Customers are King -or- Customers are Interruptions
- Caring about Individuals -or- You’re #62750495
- Great Workplace = Great Contractor -or- Job from Hell = Lousy Service
Web Site = First Impression
Customers and prospects get contractors’ phone numbers from web pages, business cards, brochures or ads.
Then they visit contractors’ web sites to learn more.
Then they call your office.
Operator’s Handling of Call = Second Impression
Funny how incoming call etiquette is poor now everyone is on the web. EXAMPLE:
- A customer calls with a small issue.
- They’re not upset about it.
- They reach your operator.
- In sending the call through she’s unfriendly, says the wrong words.
- Or, she says the right things, but in the wrong way.
- Doesn’t take much to change a customer’s attitude.
- Now a little issue is a problem. Personally, I’d rather deal with little issues.
Lessons Learned Calling Companies
Operator’s Poor Choice of Words
- “Gimme a minute”
- “Slow down”
- “Huh? What’d you say?”
Right Words, Wrong Tone
- This is subtext: “I’m saying what I have to but I don’t give a rip about you”
Generalizations (politically incorrect) about Regional Differences
- Brooklyn tone sounds brusque to genteel South, or West for that matter
IVR (Interactive Voice Response)
- “Press 1 if you were born on a Monday
- “Press 2 if your SS# ends in an even number”
- “Press 3 if you’ve realized there are no humans here to answer your call”
On Hold
- Muzak is death
- Local radio is OK
- Custom audio ads best (avoid voice-over talent from used car ads)
Don’t Fire the Operators - It’s Your Fault
When you accept the fact that operators impact customers and revenue, you’ll train, reward and QC their work.
Recommend a script for operators. And mystery shopping for you to check your incoming call etiquette. Make sure they’re creating the type of 2nd impression you want.
What Impression are You Making?
February 7th, 2007
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