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Hold on a second! I know
you’re eager discover this marketing “secret” is, but before we get to that,
I’d like you to do a quick exercise. So grab a pen and a piece of paper,
this won’t take long.
Ready?
Write down every method you
currently use for marketing your business. Take your time. Put down every
technique you employ. Let me know when you’ve finished.
All done?
So, what’s on your list?
Chances are you have the usual marketing tools: newspaper, radio and
television ads; showcase videos; web sites; business cards, etc. You
probably have some of the more “advanced” techniques, too: writing a regular
column for a newspaper/magazine; vehicle placards/window detailing;
regularly attending professional/association meetings; teaching classes;
sponsoring community events; referrals agreements; etc.
All are useful tools for
marketing your business. But there’s another must have that you need
on your list. I call it the ultimate marketing secret because an
amazing number of businesses overlook it.
So what is this remarkably
effective marketing method?
Simple: CUSTOMER SERVICE.
I don’t just mean simple
customer service. I mean honest-to-goodness, 110%
knock-your-socks-off-before-during-and- long-after-the-sale, gotta-love-this
customer care. Or, as marketing guru Jay Conrad Levinson says, “customer
bliss.”
Too easy an answer, you say?
Doesn’t matter, it’s true.
Whether you believe it or
not, the fact of the matter is, everything you do is marketing! And customer
service is the primary “contact point” for the customer. It’s what they will
remember most about dealing with you and your business. If any aspect of
your customer service falls below their needs, you’ve lost. Sure, you might
have a contract that keeps your from losing their business -- this time. But
you won’t get it again.
Yahoo! executive Tim Sanders
says in his new book LOVE IS THE KILLER APP, “At a time when more of us have
more options than ever, there’s no need to put up with a product or service
that doesn’t deliver, [or] a company that we don’t like.” Customers know
this instinctively and, as the saying goes, will “vote with their feet” as
they walk away from your business and head over to your competitor.
If you want to attract and
keep more customers, focus on developing exemplary customer service first
and foremost! Even before you spend another dime on advertising. And
remember, customers base that decision on THEIR definition of service, not
yours.
How can you create great
customer service? Start by focusing on the customer.
“The best service that you
can give customers is to solve their problems,” says Thomas Proulx,
President/CEO of Netpulse Communications. “Even better is to solve a problem
for them before they even know they have a problem.” Look at every aspect of
your service through the client’s eyes. Examine every interaction with you
and your business from their perspective:
- What problems might they have
understanding what services you provide?
- What materials need to be
clearer? Better defined? Easier to read? Easier to get?
- Are you available at the times
they need you most? Are your business hours compatible with their
availability?
- How easy is it to contact you
(and actually get through to you)? How quickly do you return calls? Answer
emails?
- When they call, do they know
whom they’re speaking with? Is your answering system clear and easy to
navigate?
- Do your marketing materials
(business cards, ads, flyers, etc.) all show the same information and
contact numbers? Is it easy to find you/your office?
- Do you have ready access to a
list of people who can help your clients with ancillary services they may
need (notary public, inspectors, insurance, etc.)?
- Do you have systems in place to
quickly obtain/retain/access needed client information?
And that’s just the start.
You must review everything that the client sees, hears, touches,
talks to, interacts with in the process of doing business with you and ask
yourself: “Is this helpful to my clients? Is this giving them exactly what
they need most?”
When you start answering
“yes” to those questions 100% of the time, you’ll be on your way to
providing that oh-so-desired blissful customer service experience.
So there. The ultimate
marketing secret is out of the bag. Who’s gonna use it first? You… or your
competition?
_____
Jim Allen, a
small business marketing coach, helps small business owners & creative
professionals profit from low- and no-cost guerilla marketing techniques.
For more ideas, subscribe to Jim’s free bi-weekly newsletter, THE BIG IDEA,
by sending a blank email to:
mailto:Subscribe@CoachJim.com
Jim Allen may be contacted at
http://www.CoachJim.com |
