Commercial Finance and Relationship Marketing
April 19, 2012 Leave a comment
Send a free card as my gift to you!
This Mother’s Day, reach out to the special women in your life, using this unique tool to send cards and gifts with a click of a mouse, conveniently and personally, for much less than the store. The following video was beautifully created by SendOut Cards Jules Price:
April 9, 2012 3 Comments
I have been reading “Clued In” by author Lewis Carbone.
There is plenty of attention today on “brand building,” that is, what you project to affect customers’ impression of your business.
Carbone stresses a reverse approach, literally “customer-back.” It starts by identifying the emotions customers want to feel as a result of the experience.
“You can put bug-ridden software in a pretty box, put shabby clothes on a big-name model, or spend millions of dollars hyping a movie before it debuts at the multi-plex. But as soon as customer have their experiences, their word-of-mouth reviews will define your future and fortunes. Significantly, those reviews are more credible than any brand polishing efforts you can commission precisely because they reflect how customers felt during real experiences. Experience truly is the best teacher.”
Carbone cites Starbucks, Disney and even Roto-Roter as examples of the progression from a customer commodity to a product to a service and ultimately to an experience.
As Carone puts it, “”when businesses place more emphasis on how the customer creates value for the company instead of the company creating value for the customer, customers become free agents, disappointed, disgruntled and ultimately disloyal.” (back to the customer retention issue, again.)
What do you say, can you think of another company that truly provides its customers with the emotional experience that sets it apart from its competition?
October 6, 2011 1 Comment
Boss’s Day is dedicated to all employers and provides a prospect of improving the workplace relationships between employers and their staff. This observance also gives employees a chance to recognize those in supervisory positions.
Some people give their bosses cards, gift certificates, or flowers on Boss’s Day. This observance is becoming increasingly popular in various workplaces.
The concept of National Boss Day began in 1958 when Patricia Bays Haroski, then an employee at State Farm Insurance Company in Deerfield, Illinois, registered the holiday with the United States Chamber of Commerce. She designated October 16 as the special day because it was her father’s birthday. Haroski’s purpose was to designate a day to show appreciation for her boss and other bosses. She also hoped to improve the relationship between employees and supervisors.
Four years later in 1962, Illinois Governor Otto Kerner backed Haroski’s registration and officially proclaimed the day. The event’s popularity is growing outside the United States and is now also observed in countries such as Australia, India, and South Africa.
This is a great day to express appreciation to that mentor, supervisor or boss helping you with your career.
Here’s a way to 
send him or her a Thank You greeting card.
It’s free – as my thanks to you, a reader of my blog.
Here’s what to do: click on this link. You will be brought to a web page where you can watch a short video, select a real card, add a photo if you wish, personalize the message, and add the recipient’s name and address. Tell us when to put it in the mail; we’ll add the postage and deliver this to your employer in time for October 16 National Boss’s Day.
August 20, 2011 2 Comments
Like us on Facebook.
Follow us on Twitter.
+1 us on Google Plus.
Help us get to 500 followers..
Sound familiar?
Millions of consumers who suffer from “Social Media Fatigue” may ask “why should I?”
These consumers are long time listeners to WII-FM (What’s In It for Me?)
Ask yourself, why do you connect online with certain businesses, causes or people? Do you look forward to posts from those that you’re not interested in, passionate about or don’t deliver value? Of course not. Entrepreneurs with a successful social media community can answer the question “why would consumers connect with us and stay connected over time?”
For me, value isn’t always a discount or special offer. A social media connection that delivers access to information not available elsewhere, or as quickly, is reason enough to remain connected. A social media connection with a retailer or service provider could include exclusive previews or offers not yet available to the general public. If the social media connection is just another avenue to sell me, I tune out. And “unfriend.” (Is that a verb?)
As with any database or relationship marketing effort, your customers will tell you what they want, if you ask. And our job, as entrepreneurs, is to tell them exactly what benefit to expect from connecting with and doing business with us.
And yes, please visit me on Facebook, Scoop-It and Twitter. I find and share ideas and links to articles that can help you connect with and retain your loyal customers.
Watch Brian Solis, NBC’s Scott McGrew, Jon Swartz of USA Today and Dr. Moira Gunn of NPR discuss this subject at greater length:
March 8, 2011 4 Comments
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“How About Business Card Marketing?”
In this episode, Dan and his guest Reno Lovison, author of “Turn Your Business Card into Business”, discuss how the traditional business card remains an important and effective tool by which business professionals are remembered. Reno’s blog includes examples of how to create a business card distribution strategy so that your business card can bring you the customers you want; even with a limited advertising and marketing budget.
[Sign up for Reno's blog via e-mail updates or follow Reno on Twitter. |
March 5, 2011 2 Comments
A recent article interviewing some Groupon merchants was interesting.
Several merchants have reported a “too much of a good thing” experience; that is, they had more new customers than they were prepared to handle. That can do a business long term harm for prospects may no longer even consider doing business with a company that gets overwhelmed by a wave of new customers. Groupon says, yes, merchants can setup a promotion with an upper limit. Gradually increase your limit until your business is prepared and ready to handle the surge.
After reading the article, I wondered what the merchants did to make the new Groupon customers feel welcome and appreciated. Groupon merchants spend heavy promotional dollars to attract many, in some cases too many, customers.
Those merchants who don’t connect with the individual risk losing an opportunity to establish a lifetime relationship with that customer. A postcard, email, video greeting or some genuineexpression of appreciation would go a long way towards turning a Groupon discount buyer into a customer for life.
Stay Connected with your Customers
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Until next time,
Dan Alcorn
February 21, 2011 1 Comment
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“Relationship Marketing – with Mari-Lyn Harris “Heart at Work”
In this 18 minute episode, Dan and his guest Mari-Lyn Harris, author of the e-book “Power Marketing” , discuss how Social Media offers one more way to remain connected and “top of mind” with your customers. With social media two way communication, image and video sharing, testimonials and referrals, your customers feel like they are a part of and belong to your organization. Mari-Lyn’s blog heartatworkonline.org includes links to download her e-books. [Sign up for Mari-Lyn’s blog e-mail or follow Heart at Work on Facebook. |
February 7, 2011 Leave a comment
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“Do Your Customers Refuse to Buy from Anyone Else?”
In this 15 minute episode, Dan and his guest Mark S A Smith, co-author of three books in the “Guerrilla Marketing” series, discuss ways by which entrepreneurs can make their business “competition proof.” While many business owners cite “price” as the primary reason customers defect to the competition, Mark’s blog www.competitionproof.com includes examples of how business owners create value and deliver products in a way that customers refuse to from anyone else, regardless of price. [Sign up for Mark’s blog e-mail or follow Competition Proof on Facebook. |
January 18, 2011 2 Comments
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“Where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came”
In this 15 minute episode, Dan and his guest Lisbeth Calandrino, author of “Red Hot Customer Service” discuss how businesses can improve profits by retaining more customers. When 2/3 of customer defections are attributed to “perceived indifference,” it’s good business to pay more attention to your customer. Remember, your best customer is your competitor’s top prospect. |
December 31, 2010 2 Comments
Yesterday I received an apology from Skype. And a credit to my account. I’m okay with that.
You may have read that Skype, the low-cost VOIP communications giant, had “super node” problems resulting in a 30 hour shutdown before the Christmas holiday. I use Skype in my business and was disappointed when it couldn’t arrange a conference call last week.
However, the company has apologized, claims to have resolved the “super node” problem (whatever that means) and went an extra step and credited my account.
What do you think? Does Skype pass the Service Recovery Test?
Research has shown the customers who have a service problem resolved quickly and properly are actually more loyal to that company than are customers who have never had a service failure – quite a bit more loyal.
Think about your own experiences. When you have had a quick acknowledgment, speedy resolution or some compensation for the troubles caused by a service failure, aren’t you more likely to buy from that company again? In business, “complaint handling” sounds negative. “Service recovery” can deliver a positive result: improving the customer relationship and boosting customer retention.
Service Recovery – when the problem is acknowledged quickly, resolved and perhaps compensated also creates positive word of mouth. Come to think of it, someone at Skype is surely pleased that this post is focused on their positive Service Recovery and less about those “supernodes.”
ps I love Skype. My ID is DGAlcorn, let’s chat.
