Multichannel Magic

…don’t exist. One thing that works brilliantly for one will fail miserably for another in the same industry. Even if they have essentially the same customer base, people have different expectations because every business has a unique culture. To find out what works best for your community:

• Think about your relationship with your customers. Is it fun and playful like the New Pig Corporation? Or, do your customers expect your communication to be serious and strictly business? Social media allows you to be more personal, but a large shift away from customer expectations will make people uncomfortable.
• Where are your customers most likely to be found? If you don’t know, plan to participate in the top three – Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Social media participation is increasing. As it continues to grow, the demographics will change. A platform that doesn’t work today may become your most successful one in a few months.
• The best community is the one that begins with your customers. A handful of people who are interested in your company and offerings is better than [click to continue…]

The nurse at the hospital told me, “I got a speeding ticket on the way to work today, but it wasn’t my fault.”

“Really? What happened?” I wanted, maybe even needed to hear this answer. My tendency towards speed has landed me in hot water before. Could it be that the flashing blue lights weren’t my fault?

“I was driving along and a car came up behind me that was moving fast. The driver was tailgating me and gesturing ugly signs. I couldn’t get over because there was a line of cars in the right hand lane, so I sped up to pass them. If it hadn’t been for that guy behind me, I wouldn’t have been speeding. I tried to explain it to the officer, but he didn’t understand.”

I didn’t understand either. My flashing blue lights always come on a sunny day with an open road and the pure joy of driving a powerful car. It’s no one fault but mine. (Sigh.)

Sometimes companies allow others to influence their behavior too.

I’ve often been in meetings where the focus is on what the competition is doing instead of what the customer wants. The management team doesn’t see that their customers have chosen them because of the differences not the similarities.

Your customers are the same. They choose your company because you provide something that the competition doesn’t. Maybe it is convenience. Or selection. Or customer care. Or… You know what makes you different. This is (or should be) something that your competition can’t easily copy. It’s what makes your company unique.

But, in a world where everybody seems to expect instant access and resolution to every issue, how can you expect to survive if you don’t deliver it? It’s simple, you deliver on the promises that you make. Let your competition duke it out with others for the fastest online responses, quickest delivery dates, and free everything while you focus on improving your relationships with your customers.

Because in the end, all that matters is your customers’ perceptions.

If you respond to them faster than they expect, then you win. Even if the time frame is longer than your competition. Here are five ways you can use marketing tools to manage expectations:

1. Tell your customers how long it takes to for them to receive their order before they place it. Include the information on your website on shopping and FAQ’s pages, in promotional emails, and in your direct mail pieces.
2. Use social media to get and keep people engaged and informed. Receive a huge shipment of a bestselling item that was recently backordered? Snap a picture to share with your community. Twelve inches of snow keeping team away from the office? Let your followers know.
3. Use email to keep people up to date on the happenings before they start to wonder. The best service is the one that minimizes effort for your customers. If you notify them as soon as you have a confirmed issue, it’ll improve their loyalty and reduce your costs.
4. Establish service levels based on available resources and prioritized customer needs. Post the details for everyone to see. Being available 24/7 on every channel isn’t mandatory. Honoring the schedule you create is. Customers expect you to do what you say when you say. Deliver as promised and they’ll be happy.
5. Treat your social media channels the same as any other. The Internet may be on 24/7, but that doesn’t mean that you have to be there. You need to be present when you say you’ll be there. Post the times that you’ll be present on every platform and be there when you say you will. If you are popping in and out, say so. Your customers are probably doing the same.

Your different channels will have different schedules and expectations. Communicate with your customers and run your numbers to find the best balance between service levels and resource allocation. Revisit on a regular basis to insure that you’re on track. Be consistent with your messages when you cross channels. And, always deliver. Delivering on your promises builds trust. The more your customers trust, the less likely they’ll leave.

Even if the other guy is faster.

This week’s Friday Favorites are are from Spin Sucks author and Arment Dietrich CEO Gini Dietrich. A few weeks ago, she wrote two blog posts covering eight trends to watch for 2011. And, next week she is presenting a webinar on 9 Marketing Trends for 2011. (Not an affiliate link.) Her abbreviated comments are in italics followed by my thoughts. (You can read her complete posts here and here.) Thank you, Gini for starting the conversation.

1. Content, content, and content: Gini mentions that it’ll be big for B2B companies as they figure out how to use intellectual content to attract new customers.
    

   I’d add that B2C companies will use it to show how to use products and humanize their business.

2. FTC Rulings: The days of free wheeling social media entrepreneurs is almost over according to Gini.
    

   She’s right. The FTC will increasingly require disclosure (note the not an affiliate link above.) Take it from me, as a seasoned direct marketer bound by FTC rulings, you don’t want to battle them. Their fines are large and per offense. (Which means that one mistake could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

[click to continue…]

In a world where all products and services are rapidly becoming commodities, the only thing that differentiates one company from another is the relationship with individual customers. It is impossible to deliver sustainable growth and profitability without focusing on the people who financially support your business.

This means that every person, process, and policy within your organization has to make it easy for your customers to complete their transactions. Time and effort are the most valuable resources today. Helping people to maximize their efficiency binds them to you. The only way to do this is with an integrated marketing and customer care strategy that includes everything from initial contact to order fulfillment.

Research by the Corporate Executive Board found that 96 percent of the customers who put forth a high level of effort to resolve issues are more disloyal. They also found that service was four times more likely to lead to disloyalty than loyalty. Apparently, people respond better to easy than they do to exceptional. If you’re investing your resources in the WOW! factor, you may want to alter your plan and go for the “get them in and out quickly and accurately” process. [click to continue…]