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Jump on the Video Bandwagon
We all love video. We jump on YouTube to find videos to entertain and educate ourselves. As a small business owner in the service industry, you can change the customer experience through video marketing. Here are 5 videos that small businesses can use to engage more customers.
1) Introduction Video – Create a video that allows you to personalize your message about you and your company. Let them see who you are as you tell them about your products and services. Remember that people do business with people, not companies.
2) How-To Videos – These videos tell your customers how you can get more out of your products and services. For example, one of my carpet cleaning clients is creating a video about “How to Prepare for our Visit” that will explain to her customers how to prepare the carpet, which furniture to move, how long the appointment will take, etc. This video will be included in the appointment confirmation email she sends to customers. Once an appointment is completed, another email will be sent that shares tips for after-care.
3) Facilities Tour Video – To increase anticipation (or reduce anxiety) over a visit to a new service provider (such as a dentist, chiropractor, or veterinarian), allow your customers to see your facility before they arrive. Let them know what it will be like when they walk in that front door, what they can expect to experience and how they will be treated.
4) Event Videos – Rev up the excitement about an upcoming event that you are having with video. Recently, I participated in a Social Media event that included video to market to potential participants. It was an interview format and allowed the host to share the details about the event in a fun, engaging way to audience.
5) Video Testimonials – We all know testimonials help us build credibility about ourselves, our products and our services. Taking it to video is even stronger. Being able to see and hear a customer share their positive experience they had with you is invaluable to your business. Guide your customers as they prepare a video testimonial. Ask them to use the P.S.S. system which is to share the problem they had, the solution, and the savings in time, money, etc.
Post these videos on your website, social spaces such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and others. Create a YouTube channel where your videos can be seen by others. Through video, your customers will feel more in tune with your business and will help spread the word about their wonderful customer experience.
Tell us how you are using video marketing in your own business?
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Facebook Customer Engagement
Have you ever thought about how you are engaging your connections on social media sites? Take Facebook for instance. If you have a fan page and you ignore it, how often will those connections come back to the page? They come to your fan page for great content, ideas, insights, and fun. Turn up customer engagement on your social media spaces and watch what happens.
Last week, I held a “Where’s Walda” contest on Facebook after being inspired by one of my Facebook friends. I told my fans that I hid Walda on one of my website pages and that the first person to find it would receive a gift card from me. My goal was to have my fans learn more about my business by driving more traffic to my website and rewarding one of them for doing so. It resulted in a 150% increase in site visits from the previous day and a 6-fold increase in the average time on site. WOW! One happy fan found it and said that she was so impressed that she was going to try it too.
I’m convinced that fans just wanna’ have fun. Customer engagement happens when you create the unexpected and extraordinary in your service experience, both online and offline. Walt Disney said it best when he said: “Do what you do so well, that they will want to see it again and bring their friends.”
What are some of the ways that you have engaged your connections/customers on your social media spaces? Post a comment and you could be featured on my Facebook Page.
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Top 10 Customer Service Pet Peeves
Take a look at our latest list of Customer Service Pet Peeves.
1) Being ignored by sales staff (hey, I’m over here!)
2) Staff that have little to no product knowledge
3) Not standing behind your products (do I really need to buy a warranty?)
4) Putting people on the phone, help line, etc. whose English is hard to understand
5) Offices that aren’t available during lunch time (dental, medical, what are you thinking?)
6) Long waits on the phone
7) When a sales person says “it’s not my department”
Lengthy phone trees (is there a live person anywhere?)
9) Putting a caller before a live person (answer the phone, put them on hold, and deal with me)
10) Having to repeat myself to multiple service representatives when I have a problem
Can you sympathize with any of them? Is your company guilty of any of them? These customer service mistakes can be costing you sales. Now keep in mind that only 4% of your customers will complain directly, 96% just go away and 91% WON’T COME BACK.
As a business owner, spend time out on the floor of your retail establishment or spend time listening to service calls or ask your staff about customer complaints and what they hear from customers. If you run a micro business, you aren’t off the hook. Some of these customer service mistakes apply to you too. Ask your customers what bugs them about your business.
There is no better time than now to improve your customer service experience. Need help, check out our services at http://captivatedcustomers.com. Fix it, and they will come.
Customer SMARTS
If you want a step-by-step program that will help you improve your customer experience, the Turn Your Customer Experience Into Cash Program can do just that.
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Becky Carroll Interview
Becky Carroll of Customers Rock! Radio interviews Norma Huibregtse with
Captivated Customers to discuss why businesses look at customer service as a
cost center and why businesses should focus on bridging the customer
experience gap.
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John Adam Show
Norma is interviewed by local radio host John Adam Kowalski at a Networking
Phoenix Event. John asks why customer service is important in today’s
business climate. She is asked to give three tips to engage customers and
discusses the importance of social media customer service for your business.
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I’m Smarter Than YouThink
As a customer experience strategist, I’ve noticed that some businesses still don’t understand the importance of transparency, open communication and straightforwardness. Some continue to engage us in ways that make us say to ourselves “are you kidding me?”
Do you remember a commercial that featured a woman who just finished shopping, walks out of the store and yells to her husband “start the car, start the car”, because she thought they hadn’t charged her enough for the things she purchased? What message does that send to the consumer? In a roundabout way, it says that it’s okay to cheat. What they wanted to convey is that their prices are so low, we can’t live without them. Call me crazy, but there are better ways to get the message out.
Here’s something else on my mind. We’ve all gone to trade shows and conventions and have put our cards into drawings that promise something free. Have you found that free isn’t really free after all? I recently received a call from a company that said I had won $300 in free services. But, I would have to come in and “talk” to a specialist before I booked my appointment. So was it really free? Not in my book. I should be able to make an appointment and use my gift. By the way, I never heard back from them.
This next example speaks again to dishonest customer engagement. My online contact lenses provider often sends me emails to reorder my contact lenses. One of the last emails they sent me reported that they had an overstock of my lenses and that they blamed it on someone in their company who had over ordered. In the email, they specifically said they wouldn’t “name names”. Wow! They were willing to throw to someone in their company “under the bus” (or pretend to) so that they could sell products. So I sent them an email asking them why they used this marketing tactic. They kindly responded saying that it wasn’t what they meant.
I have seen more and more companies getting desperate and dishonest in their marketing. I know times are tough but your customers deserve better. If I were consulting with companies that do this, I would tell them to STOP, because it isn’t how customer engagement works. We are smarter than you think and see right through these messages. If you think I’m off base, let me know. If you need better ways to engage your customers, call me.
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Norma is an innovative Customer Experience Strategist, Business Coach, Blogger and Speaker. Her goal is to inspire business owners to captivate their customers and turn them into raving fans so that their businesses can experience increased profits and more fun. Contact Norma at (480) 694-6940, or visit the website at CaptivatedCustomers.com or email her at [email protected] |
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5 Forget-Me-Not LinkedIn® Tactics
As most of us know, LinkedIn® is an Internet-based, professional networking database. It is tool that business owners use to create a professional identity, network with people they know and to connect to the people their network knows. If you are like many business owners, you created a basic profile and stopped there. Sound familiar?
I want to share with you 5 LinkedIn® Tactics that will help you optimize your profile and get found more easily.
1) Power up your Headline
Your Headline is one of the most important pieces of real estate on your LinkedIn® Profile. The headline is meant to grab the reader’s attention and should showcase your business and/or skills. Use colorful adjectives, showcase different services, and be creative. For example, if your headline read that you are “Owner of the Best Florist Shop”, it doesn’t do much to grab my attention. However, if your headline read “Floral Specialist, Creative Floral Designer, Flower Whisperer”, it would make me want to take a closer look at your profile!
2) Make your Website Links SEO-Friendly
Instead of using the default “My Website” in your profile, rename each link. Use the drop down menu to rename the link by selecting “Other”. This will allow you change the link title to your Company Name, Blog Name, Personal Name, etc.
3) Get Clients to Testify
Recommendations establish your reputation as an industry expert and should reflect your work ethic and integrity. The number of recommendations determines where you will show up in a search. Your goal is to have at minimum 5+ recommendations for your current position. Remember to go back and ask for recommendations for each job you have held.
4) Got a Company Profile?
Many business owners forget to add their Company Profile in addition to their Personal Profile. Have your employees post their profiles to maximize your presence on LinkedIn®. Did you know that if your company provides a service, you can be listed as a service provider as well? Get listed by requesting a recommendation from former clients.
5) Check your Account Settings
Click on the Settings Tab at the top of your Profile. Change the setting for your profile to full view and your status and member feed visibility to be viewed by everyone in your network. It will help you stay top of mind with your contacts as you update your status and make changes to your profile.
We have just scratched the surface of some of the LinkedIn® tactics you can use to get found. For additional information on the services we offer our clients to create/update a profile or market your business on LinkedIn®, click here. Happy connecting!
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Norma is an innovative Customer Experience Strategist, Business Coach, Blogger and Speaker. Her goal is to inspire business owners to captivate their customers and turn them into raving fans so that their businesses can experience increased profits and more fun. Contact her at [email protected] or visit the website at http://captivatedcustomers.com or phone (480) 694-6940. |
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Customer Rage on the Rise
Our front liners are confronting more and more angry customers. In fact, a 2009 Customer Rage Study by California Review Management reports that it is common and on the rise. The study shows that 44% of consumers have shown their discontent by talking to employees in a raised voice or by using sarcasm. And 36% of them have engaged in more violent behaviors such as slamming their fists, screaming, making threats, and using intimidation.
The last time I was at my doctor’s office, I noticed a sign that sat on the counter next to the admissions clerk. It said something to the effect that “we will not tolerate abuse of our staff.” Hmmm, I thought to myself. Could they have been victims of customer rage? I want to give your front liners a tool that will make them more effective in dealing with a complaining customer. I call it our STOP, DROP and POLL technique.
First, STOP what you are doing and give your customer your full attention. Actively listen to what they are saying to you. Empathize with them (even if you think they are wrong) and let them know you are there to help.
Second, DROP your defenses. It is a natural response to take it personally. Your complaining customer has a beef with your products or services, not you. Remaining calm and composed helps you stay in control of your own behavior.
And third, POLL by asking as many questions as it takes to get to the bottom of their issue. Personalize the conversation by asking for their name and give your name. Clarify your understanding of the problem by repeating the facts back to the customer.
When the facts are gathered, tell the complaining customer what you can do to solve their problem. If you are unable to help them right away, tell them what you will do next. Confirm that they are clear about your next step and what they can expect to happen. Follow through on your promise to get the issue resolved.
Using the STOP, DROP AND POLL technique can help keep a complaint from elevating to customer rage. Teach this easy and effective technique to your front liners. They will thank you for helping them be proactive rather than reactive when dealing with complaining customers.
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Norma Huibregtse is an innovative Customer Experience Strategist, Business Coach, Blogger and Speaker. Her goal is to inspire business owners to captivate their customers and turn them into raving fans so that their businesses can experience increased profits and more fun. Contact her at [email protected] or visit her website at http://captivatedcustomers.com or call our office at (480) 694-6940. |
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4 Ways to Stop the Churn
Now don’t grab the Rolaids. I am writing about Customer Churn. But here is a statistic that might require something to calm your stomach. Did you know that 68% customers leave you because they feel poorly treated, according to TARP? Ouch! Customer churn due to neglect is costing us money. Some of it is avoidable and we can change it.
So many business owners spend quite a bit of money to attract new customers. But if too many of your customers are leaving on the backend, what good was the money that you spent attracting them? It’s time to stop (or at minimum reduce) the churn. Here’s how:
1) Look who’s churning.
Make a list of your top 20-40 customers by spend for the prior year. Then, make a list of your top 20-40 customers based on their spend for this year. Compare these lists. Have there been any changes in the list of names? Who has left you? Do you know why?
2) Find out how much it’s costing you.
Compare the current spending amounts of your customers to the prior year. If you are seeing a general decline, it is understandable considering the economy. If you see significant differences in spending amounts for a customer, it could mean that they are buying some of their products and services elsewhere.
3) Find out why they left you.
Getting feedback from your customers is one of the best ways to find out why they left you. Research company Polaris found that the most successful methods for reaching out to lost customers is to conduct phone interviews with them. Here are a couple of questions you want to ask:
- What changed for you?
- What do you feel our competitor does better than us?
- What would it take to get you back?
4) Implement changes based on the feedback.
Look at this feedback as a gift. Use it to improve your systems, products, services and customer engagement. Here’s the good news. According to Jill Griffin of the Griffin Group, sales statistics show that on average a company has a 20-40% sales profitability of successfully selling to lost customers. Compare that to the fact that on average, a company has a 5-20% probability of selling to a NEW customer.
Can we stop all churn? No, some is involuntary and some is necessary. But if you are losing the best of your customers, take action now to stop the churn.
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Norma is an innovative Customer Experience Strategist, Business Coach, Blogger and Speaker and owner of Captivated Customers. Her goal is to inspire business owners to captivate their customers and turn them into raving fans so that their businesses can experience increased profits and more fun. You can contact Norma at [email protected] or call her at(480) 694-6940. |
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