It’s that time of year, and thank goodness your intrepid Experience Designer brought her notebook along to last night’s holiday concert. My daughter and her fellow choir-members were ready to teach us a thing or two about Maximum Customer Experience. When you’re at your kid’s (nephew’s, niece’s, next-door neighbor’s) concert, see if you hear the following chants between choruses of “Let It Snow”:

1. Dress the part

You might get tired of the staff uniform or the dress code, but your customer sees it much less often. To them you present a unified, professional front when your staff hits the same visual “note” every day. If “whatever makes you comfortable” is the rule now, take a good look at the result. Do a staff picture. Stand back and look at the jumble. Then institute some sensible guidelines. Like it or not, we judge whether we’re giving your company our money, by how you present yourself.

2. Pace the Experience

Fast, slow, medium, medium, end with a WOW. That seemed to work at the concert. For you? In your shop, create pacing with your floorplan: places to glance, places to stop and get lost for a while, places to glide through, and that last area that grabs us just as we thought we were about to leave. Think concert, think movie, think fireworks display: enthrall, guide, and make us want to stay.

3. Practice, practice, practice

Know what you should say in advance for phone, walk-ins, presentations… whatever situations come up regularly in your line of work. Train your staff. (Seems logical, but so many places just throw the new guy into the deep end!) Have scripts. Present to each other before you go out to bag your biggest client. It eases the nerves and helps you look for rough spots.

4. Make it easy to understand

I’ll return to this theme soon because it’s dear to my heart right now, but for today: be clear, not clever. Confusing the client is a deal-breaker, because nobody likes to look stupid. It only happened once tonight, but I’ve been to concerts where the audience thought every song was over before it was, thought each group was done before they were, thought the concert had ended when it hadn’t, and tried to clap in all sorts of inappropriate places. Result: less clapping each time, as folks decided they didn’t want to get it wrong. Make your Customer Experience so easy, even a holiday-harried parent can “get it.”

5. Give ‘em more than they expect

Simple, and even old-fashioned, but true: Encores get the best applause. The little thing you do almost as an afterthought will be the thing they can’t stop talking about to friends. The free gift wrap. The service call a week after delivery “just to see how you’re doing.” The framed photo of them in front of their new (house, car, boat…). Have any friends who’ve been to DisneyWorld, DisneyLand, EuroDisney? Have you seen a picture of them or their kids with Mickey? Yep. The littlest thing in the whole vacation, and they can hardly wait to show you. And now you want one, too.

BONUS: Reward nonconformity

“No fair!” you cry. “Kelly, you said professionalism, practice, training!” Yes. All those things make a team that sings beautiful music to your customer. I can’t deny it. Yet once in a while, you’ll find an employee with the spark to do things differently, to have fun with your Vision, to get your message out in exciting new ways—to be your finest Propheteer, if only you’ll give him or her the freedom. There was one girl in the concert tonight who couldn’t sit still, who must have been a hassle to deal with in practices, but who came up for her solo and blew us away with her angelic voice. She had the spark.

People aren’t horses. Your job as leader isn’t to “break” them. Your job is to find the ones who can go way beyond what even you knew was possible, and let them shine.

The magic of your product or service won’t grow your company half so fast, without the magic of your people.

Dress, pace, practice, clarify, astound, shine.

Been to any good concerts lately? What can you add to our Customer-Experience-from-concertgoing list? Come on, I want to hear from you guys all the way in the back row today!

Grow and be well,

Kelly Erickson

P.S. Fourth grade must be the year when the voices and the attention of our young entertainers improve. This 4-5-6 concert really was the first time I didn’t wonder if bright orange swimming earplugs would look all right with my holiday finery. Barely a painful moment. I give it two thumbs way up.

I’m lucky to have a lot of B2B readers.

You provide a service or a product for other businesses or entrepreneurs, and those clients are worried now. I see a recovery, waiting in the wings. They don’t see three feet in front of them.

They’re worried sick, some of them. They’re cutting back frantically, and one of the places they’re cutting back is in working with you.

I know, and I am sorry about it. When panic hits, reason runs. That great service you provide, the great products you offer… they’re just not sure whether they need you, or whether they should “wait things out.”

“Let’s see where ‘this’ goes.”

“Not sure how we’re handling our budget right now.”

Well, all right.

There are other fish in the sea.

Fewer fish, but ones who still understand how much they stand to benefit from what you offer.

What can you do?

For starters, forget about the possibility of looky-lous. Expect success with every potential client.

You can’t staunch the bleeding for your clients’ businesses. You can’t tell them where “this” goes, even though the answer is “up,” and you can’t help them get sure about their budget.

Just do your work, do it better than ever, and stick a smile on your face.

When the recovery comes roaring out of the wings, you’ll have some very happy customers spreading the word about you. Now’s the time to turn customers into Propheteers.

Oh, and yes. I know you were wondering—this is partly a pep talk from me to me. I can’t staunch the bleeding, especially not for folks who don’t hire us.

So I’m making sure we do what we do for our clients, better than ever. You do the same.

Grow and be well,

Kelly Erickson

P.S. If you’re in the U.S., VOTE TOMORROW. [Insert flag-waving comment about our freedoms and rights and how very lucky we are, here.]

What’s a Pixelated Blog Conference?

Round tables make for a congenial feel as you fill the room today. Lucky you, you can come as you are to a pixelated conference—even you with the pink bunny slippers. The chairs are as easy as your sofa (glad you like it), or as rough as the swivel chair at your office desk (sorry about that!).

You’re shaking hands, reading nametags, and getting to know each other before the lights dim and the first PowerPoint comes up. That’s great. We’ll all be close by the end of the day. Now scoot those chairs around to face the stage, folks, and prepare to attend a conference like no other. In these brief speeches lies the key to increasing your bottom line by improving your Customer Experience.

I would like to thank all the presenters and attendees, and my inspiration, Chris Brogan, for making this a fantastic day. It’s officially a meme now, though you didn’t hear Chris say that. If you want to know how you can play along, just click on Chris’ link.

Chris saw the potential in Mitch Joel’s Pixelated Blog Conference, while Mitch stole the idea from one of my very favorite authors, Bryan Eisenberg, who began the virtual conference love on GrokDotCom. However, Seth Godin says don’t let the thanks get in the way, so let’s move on!

I apologize in advance (which, by the way, you should never do) for the enormous variations in sound and video quality represented here. These speakers are some of my favorites—utter geniuses you have got to see today, wobbly-cams or no. They’re guaranteed to illuminate the deepest recesses of Experience Design, rejuvenate your thinking, and generally get you jazzed to go forth and create not just Maximum, but Rockin’ Customer Experience.

My criteria for choosing presenters:

• Quick
• Entertaining
• Punch-you-in-the-gut revelations

Pretty simple. The first ever Maximum Customer Experience Go Where Your VisionPoints Blog Conference, not-at-all-live, with a super roster of experts speaking about strategic, integrated Experience Design, has my personal, double-your-money-back, Kelly Seal of Approval.

Maximum Online Conference Experience begins now! (Would somebody hit the lights?)

WELCOME:

Guy Kawasaki: The Art of the Start (2:37)

“If you make meaning, you will probably make money.” The ever-engaging Guy Kawasaki starts our conference with a bang. Whether you’re an entrepreneur just planning your start-up business or trying to recapture some of that energy, take a listen to Guy, author of How to Change the World, Silicon Valley venture capitalist, founder of Alltop and Truemors, and oh, yeah, former Chief Evangelist of Apple Computer. When he’s not too busy, he emails me. Guy would love for you to do well by doing right. So would I!

Phil Van Hooser: The Fear of Failure (3:12)

Ever been paralyzed by fear? You are not alone. Most folks in small, growing businesses have felt it at one time or another. A quick reminder of the perils of falling prey to that fear. Phil Van Hooser is a funny, touching speaker whom I could listen to all day.

KEYNOTE:

David Kelley: The Future of Design is Human-Centered (17:12)

David Kelley—founder of the legendary design firm IDEO; designer of the first mouse, among many other icons; Stanford University professor—says that product design has become much less about the hardware and more about the user experience. Pick his brain for seventeen minutes on this TED video, but trust me, it won’t be nearly enough.

PERSPECTIVE:

Access Eye Tracking: Hotel Room Customer Experience (2:15)

Silent film in the modern era! Where’s the effing light switch? Get the basics wrong, and no one will care about your fancy, flashy frills. Minimum customer experience at work. You have to see this one, from Australia’s Access Testing, to believe it.

Your Business on MSNBC: J.J. Ramberg Goes Mystery Shopping (9:46)

What’s it like, getting outside Perspective from a professional firm? There’s no better start to improving the Customer Experience. Great roundtable discussion of the value—and costs—of a mystery shopping program at the end of Ramberg’s field trip.

OBSERVATION:

Ad Awareness Test (0:54)

You’ll finish laughing, though it’s no laughing matter. Being observant counts; are you?

Break for lunch. No more than two martinis, okay?

PINPOINT YOUR ESSENCE:

Kerry Bodine: Delivering A Great Customer Experience (4:26)

Forrester Research Principal Analyst Kerry Bodine starts slowly, but once she gets into her case study, what she has to say is electric. An amazing story of an old, entrenched company Master-fully reinventing themselves and growing their business by leaps and bounds in the process. Proof that you can redefine your direction, too.

PERCEPTION & EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS:

James Feldman: One Size Does Not Fit All (5:13)

I dare not say a word. Well, maybe just a couple of words… James Feldman of Shift Happens delivers essential an Customer Experience message with perfect comic timing. Don’t miss the surprise ending on this one!

Kevin Karschnik: WOW Customer Experience (3:16)

A stellar example of WOW! Customer Experience. Can you deliver delight like the printer for iSpeak’s Kevin Karschnik?

INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE:

Nikki Key: How to Provide Good Customer Service (5:12)

“The tools to defuse almost any situation,” from The Daily Idea. This clip is an ultra-snarky mid-day pick-me-up for MCE conference attendees—and yet, so true!

SOCIAL MEDIA, WEB 2.0, AND YOUR BUSINESS:

Neighborhood America: Enterprise Social Networks—World Changing Concepts (3:55)

Get your company involved in online social networking—not just as a participant, but as an active organizer. Neighborhood America speaks to some high-level executives and gets their thoughts on this global phenomenon.

Loren Feldman Interviews Chris Brogan: Social Media in the New Business Landscape (8:28)

Are you building a community, or building a marketplace? In an interview with 1938 Media’s Loren Feldman, Chris says you must make a move, but you can’t do both. A lesson in defining your Purpose in new media.

Andy Sernovitz Interviews Matt Dickman and David Armano: B2B Blog Use (5:09)

Andy Sernovitz, author of one of my favorite spots for inspiration, Damn, I Wish I’d Thought of That!, interviews Matt Dickman, author of Techno//Marketer and Vice President of Digital Marketing at Fleishman-Hillard, and the brilliant David Armano, author of Logic + Emotion and VP of Experience Design for Critical Mass, about creative B2B (business-to-business) uses for the humble blog format.

STAKEHOLDER BUY-IN:

Neighborhood America: Mission Impossible—So, What Does Your Company Do?

If you’ve ever wondered why I emphasize making sure your employees are on board with your message here at MCE, watch this unintentionally (?) funny video by Neighborhood America. Time for a staff meeting. Like, now. (And bravo to them for putting it up like this.)

INNOVATION:

Mashup Corporations: The End of Business as Usual (5:11)

With a simple role-play, Andy Mulholland of the UK’s Capgemini shows the difficulties of change management in established companies, and the long-range benefits of user-driven Customer Experience. Will you recognize players at your own company?

Seth Godin: Ideas That Spread, Win (8:27)

He’s not just required reading, he’s a required speaker at any (online) conference. If you’ve only read his wonderful books and followed him at Seth Godin’s Blog, you’re in for a treat. Enjoy his simple speaking style and take notes: as usual, his flashes of brilliance will astound you.

CLOSING RANT:

Pazazz Printing: Printing’s Alive (3:37)

Vous voulez voir un grand déploiement? You don’t need to go as far as Pazazz’s website. This clip is proof that the hottest humour comes from the coldest climes. Comic relief from a printing company? Let’s just say don’t try to drink your coffee while you’re watching this one.

AFTER HOURS PARTIES:

Philippe Starck: Why Design? (17:19)

The über-brilliant Philippe Starck, redesigner of every user experience that catches his attention, says he feels useless. I couldn’t disagree more. A riotously funny look at the purpose of his good great genius! design.

Stefan Sagmeister: Yes, Design Can Make You Happy (15:42)

The multitalented designer discusses moments of his life that have made him happy. Charming and fun.

PUT the LAMPSHADE on YOUR HEAD, and SOMEBODY GET ME a CAMERA, PLEASE

You’re ready to let loose and rock out. What conference is complete without the more… adventurous among us demonstrating their hidden talents?

Chris Brogan Karaoke Apocalypse (1:31)

Enter Sandman.

Thanks, Chris.

Let’s breakout: Who blew your mind, and why? Who gave you that gut-punch revelation you can use to change your company’s direction? And the most important post-conference question: Was it worth the price?

Grow and be well,

Kelly Erickson

P.S. We’re going in with a bang and out with a high, dear readers. Please don’t forget to Twitter, Stumble, Digg, or otherwise bookmark using the “Share” button below, because I want our comment section to roar today with the din of as many conference attendees as we can fit in this global room. And if you’re new to MCE, welcome! I hope you’ll subscribe and become a regular part of the Experience here!

No, really—get out!

Can your Experience Design say “This place is not for you” to certain visitors, based on:

• Age
• Habits/preferences
• Gender

YES.

Sometimes telling someone they’re not your Ideal Customer can be an important way of defining your firm.

Warning! Warning! I am NOT talking about discriminating against people who attempt to shop with your company! We’re discussing focused Experience Design here. Focused on who is, and yes, is not, your Ideal Customer.

How to do it:

• Color
• Sound
• Scent
• Design elements (accessories, artwork, traffic flow…)
• Price

Even little verbal cues, such as staff who overuse the word “like” when they aren’t describing something or someone they have affection for, can exclude.

If that’s what you want, you can drive people over 35 crazy in a hurry using “like” several times in each sentence. It’s the meaningless, less-offensive version of using the eff word six times per sentence. (Do you think they allow staff at the jewelry counter at Saks to say, “it’s, like, so beautiful on you”?)

How NOT to do it:

• Attitude
• Service
• Rude or foul language

Though I may not be your target market, there will be times when I will put up with the frou-frou, or the house music, or the overwhelming scent of patchouli, to broaden my own Experience or to shop for someone else. Though you may think my buzz-topped 20-something cousin has wandered in accidentally, he’s got his buyout check from the Internet marketing company he helped found in his pocket and bizarrely he’s decided it’s a good time to propose to his girlfriend. He wants a major rock to show her that he means business.

Never try to dissuade buyers with your sneers. These days, they may just have a blog. And a lot of friends.

Let me know in subtle ways, in case I’ve wandered in unawares, but don’t make me feel unwelcome if I decide to stay. Very often your most unlikely customer is there with an agenda and may be the best customer of the day.

WHO might want to do it:

Nightclubs do it. Tattoo parlors do it. Mercedes dealers do it.

Go ahead, say “No place I’d go does it.”

Fabric stores and auto parts stores do it. Lots of places you’d go do it.

Oh, yes, really, a lot of places are trying to tell somebody, “This place is not for you.”

Who else might want to do it?

Is it right for you?

Grow and be well,

Kelly Erickson

There’s a certain quasi-Australian chain of steakhouses…

Put yourself there, for a moment. Or put yourself at your own full-service restaurant chain. I walk in with a friend, hot and feeling a bit odd, probably waited too long to eat. It’s pre-dinner rush on a weeknight. Sometimes this place is awfully busy, so I’m skeptical in spite of the early hour, but Friend wants to go.

It’s delightfully cool inside, and when my eyes adjust I see there’s no line; the waiting area is completely empty, as is a good portion of the restaurant. Whew. I wait a minute for the host, who appears to be writing something at her station, while two servers stand next to her, silent.

Host: [Without looking up, in an unmistakably nasty tone] “How can I help you.”

Me: “We’d like a table?” (I feel less sure now, but what else would we have walked in for?)

Host: “For how many?” (How many do you see?)

Me: “Um, two.” (I’m starving but feeling very uncomfortable. Her tone is making me want to leave, but Friend seems okay.)

Host: “Name?”

I give my name, which can only be for one reason. I’m puzzled, so I ask how long the wait will be.

Host: “25 minutes.” (I look around, quizzically, at the nearly empty restaurant.) “But it should probably be less.” [She stares.] “Are you going to wait?”

Friend is already seated and waiting, so I say yes. She hands me a buzzer. After ten minutes I realize I’m too irritated to enjoy the evening if we stay, and we’re still not seated anyway. Not a soul has come in since we did, and there are now three servers with the host behind her station, all talking quietly together.

We left. Frankly, for the first five minutes I tried coming up with scenarios to help give them excuses for the rudeness and the odd behavior. For the last five I was convincing friend that anyplace was better than this place, because I had that aha! moment:

I don’t believe they do have some odd problem going on, and now I don’t care. If there were something wrong, she would have made the excuses herself instead of leaving me to imagine them for her.

Note to steakhouse with catchy jingle and lots of advertising: Customer Service. You’re doing it wrong.

Not a word or an action or even a tone were right.

Did you ever have an Experience where you wondered if you were on Candid Camera, because it was so absurd?

I hope I won’t have another for a while.

Lest you think it’s just these Pennsylvania chain places, Seth Godin had a similar Experience this week. Check it out.

Grow and be well,

Kelly Erickson

Headed to the library this weekend with my daughter. She was ready to go at 9 and chomping at the bit. I told her we’d get breakfast and take our time, since the library doesn’t open on Saturdays until 10 am.

Why aren’t they open now?” she asks. I said they probably thought the folks who work there deserve a little break on the weekend. “Why aren’t they open when the people who use them want to go?”

I pointed out that to accommodate everybody, their hours would probably have to be much later at night and earlier in the morning, more like a college library, since people have all different hours at which they are wishing for that one book or video, or a quiet, well-lit place to get some work done.

We went at 10, stayed a while, then came back at 5:30 pm when my daughter developed a desperate need for a Pokémon video to watch for movie night. Guess what? Closed again. Unbeknownst to me, they close early on Saturday.

The funny thing is, the very next day I’m sitting outside the library writing this post at 12:30 pm, having mistakenly thought they opened at noon (don’t weep for me, they’ll be open in another half hour).

I’m going to leave aside issues of public funding and possible declining interest in libraries, which are very real but not the subject of this post. In fact library hours are not what all this has got me thinking of, since I’ve rarely found myself here when they were not open.

Guess the Crazy Schedule and Win a Prize

This happens a lot at smaller shops and restaurants I try to purchase from. Days they aren’t open, hours when I can’t get to them—one shop near me has different hours for every day of the week!

Do you think anyone will memorize those hours, or will folks find the one hour that’s covered on all the days, and either go at 2:30 pm or skip the visit for fear of wasting the gas? Skip it.

Will some customers stop coming? Yes.

Customers will not do the work of figuring out your crazy schedule. Boom, the dollars go elsewhere.

Who are your hours for? Me (the customer). Not you (the owner). Sorry.

Why aren’t they open when the people who use them want to go?”

For people living in small towns, the headache is even more familiar. This is no small town, but I don’t think (town) size matters anyway. Growing your business matters, to you and to me, so here’s any easy change with long-term impact:

Find out when your customers need you to be open.

Be open then.

Big P.S.: Get a website now. It’s like hiring your own 24-hour, 365-day employee.

Earlier, later, or both? When do you need your favorite small business to be open?

Grow and be well,

Kelly Erickson

In the comments of Friday’s post about search queries was a question so compelling it had to become its own post. Thanks to Janice, of the utterly fabulous Painting a Day blog, for the inspiration.

Kelly- I would like to know if there is a most asked question that your clients ask you about their stores when you consult with them. Seriously, is there a top spot in their FAQ’s?

Janice,

Oh, yes, there’s a number one, and close runners-up in two and three. If you’re feeling these pains, you are not alone:

Money

The number one question is a variant of “Why aren’t we making more money?” No surprise there. Sometimes it’s, “Sales are slumping, can you help us,” sometimes it’s “We think we’re doing everything right but it’s not taking off like we want.” When we help solopreneurs and startups, it’s “How do I position the business to make money?”

People realize they aren’t capturing all the business they could. They may sense there’s something wrong with the Experience they deliver, but figuring out what to do is overwhelming. Prioritizing into their busy day it is a lost cause. Getting the directions laid out so they’re ready for the future seems impossible.

Everybody’s too darn busy, and they need us to take this nagging question off their minds, answer it, and fix it. Like a plumber for their Customer Experience pipes.

If you’re feeling this way, we’re only too glad to help—just contact us. Check out my Experience Design 101 series for a ton of great ideas you can tackle yourself, or read how we start the process.

Power

Next most asked is “How can we get our staff more thrilled about us?” and its cousin, “Our employees are running all over us.” Many folks understand that their human “resources” are critical to customers’ joy but they don’t think the joy has to come from within. Your people will not fake loving your company. Unhappy staff=unhappy customers, period. Usually the solution is not as simple as the equation.

Do you need to push, or get out of the way? Read more about true leadership here.

Self

Another one I hear more these days is about the owner himself/herself. “This isn’t anything like what I want it to be.” I talked to a restaurant owner a few weeks ago who was floundering, had lost his own joy, and could just barely remember why he himself was coming in to work every day. He was thinking about giving up, and I’m not going to kid you. Sometimes that may be the answer. I’ve seen a lot of good come from spectacular failures. Not for this owner. He decided to jump up and get his business flying again.

We worked on his Solution by backing up to see the original picture. As he saw where the plan was going, he got his own mojo back. Yes, we worked on his interiors and his graphics, and planned some staffing changes, but it was the work at the start of the project that made the major difference. That’s why I always put such emphasis on it. The research and planning was what he was unbelievably grateful for, even before we got to executing the plan. That felt really good.

For small business owners Vision and direction is a huge part of success or failure. When you’re overworking yourself wearing too many hats, have no balance with your personal life (or don’t have one!), and go from sale to sale without a plan, it’s a crazy existence that eventually breaks you down. You go from “when will I get a break” to “what if this is my last success, I can’t slow down” without that plan in place. One day you wake up and you are not doing what you meant to for a living!

If this is your situation, read what to do before you give up hope for a little inspiration, then dig right in and become the Visionary you’re meant to be.

Folks call to us to get perspective, finally let go of a little control, have someone else look at things, help them make improvements without having to overextend themselves even more, and to make a key decision: bring the plan back to the original Vision, or revise the Vision to go with the state of my business today?

Working with us is about a lot more than beauty. It’s about function: clients want to make money, lead a great team, share their passion, and love their work. If relieving pain points with strategy + design can do that, well, then I’ve got a great job.

Money, power, or self? What’s the big pain in your business?

(Are you creating Maximum Customer Experience to ease the pain?)

Grow and be well,

Kelly Erickson

“What would you ask your customer about your store?”

Yes, word for word, that was a term that helped a dear reader arrive at the Maximum Customer Experience Blog last week. Thanks, I love that question, and those that follow. I think they’re worthy of direct answers.

If I could ask my customer about my store, I’d ask:

1. How did you find us?

2. What was the first thing you noticed today?

3. What would you add? (This is the positive phrasing of “What are we missing.” Try not to ask questions that spin your own story in a negative way.)

The Big Take-Away Point:

You can!

Go ahead, walk with a few customers as they shop today. Ask if you can help; be truly helpful; then ask if they’d take a moment to help you. Ask your 3 questions. Respect your customer’s time; take just a moment.

Write down the answers, and learn from them.

“When do companies need to know customer’s perception?”

ALWAYS.

“When to walk away from pushing a change at work?”

I expect plenty of comments on this one.

For the sake of argument, I’m going to assume this change is aligned with the company’s overall Vision, and is geared toward helping your Ideal Customer. If not, then the answer is walk away now.

I’m also going to assume you mean, initiating a change, because that is something you can do. “Pushing” change always fails.

With those assumptions: Walk away when it jeopardizes a job you love or can’t do without, if you’re an employee. If you’re The Big Cheese: Make the changes your company needs. Be a leader. Don’t walk away from that responsibility.

“Kelly Erickson” +Olive

I got nothin’. Whatever you’re looking for, I hope you found it here. Subscribe (at top left), and I’ll see what I can come up with. We aim to please.

Your turn: What else do these searchers need to know?

Grow and be well,

Kelly Erickson

An Awesome Promotion IS:

Designed entirely from the customer’s perspective, for convenience and delight.

Truthful. With no requirements, no small print, no confusion, no trickery, it enhances the company’s credibility.

A giveaway that will be talked about, both before and after it happens: something so rare, it becomes a buzz-worthy event!

A sampling of what the company offers, introducing them to new guests and rewarding loyal customers with a free treat.

More than a sales drive: an awesome promotion is a great Customer Experience.

I’ll Have Mine Well-Done

Today, a great story of promotion done to perfection, from comments on Saturday’s Tip of the Week. I was so wowed, I started to write a response with all my thoughts about the incentive being offered. It got long.   This subject deserves a post of its own, so I’ll let author and blog friend Friar start us off:

Turns out Harvey’s restaurant is giving out free burgers tomorrow (at least, around my area).

It might be a promo thing, for an anniversary or something.

But the ad in the paper said no coupons, no other purchase. Just come in and get a free burger.

Wow…now THAT is good deal (and smart marketing). Because almost everyone will probably buy fries and a drink on the side anyway,

Hmmmm…think I’ll go (But just for the burger!)

On Sunday, Friar turned in his follow-up report:

Well, that burger promo at Harvey’s was exactly as they said. A free burger…no coupons, no strings attached.

I went through drive-through, ordered one, and they said my total was “Zero” (Sweetest words I’ve never heard!)

I think it was a brilliant marketing ploy. The place was jam-packed, with wall-to-wall people, lined up outside the door.

Some (like me) just went for the free burger. But many, as I predicted, also bought the fries and drinks (especially the families with kids). I don’t think they lost any money.

What’s funny, is a burger is only worth a few bucks. But give it away for free, and everyone (including me) will be beating a path to their front door.

This is brilliant Experience Design.

Take This to Go: What Harvey’s Did Right

1. Put it in the paper in advance, but not too far in advance. What day? Tomorrow. You don’t want to give folks a chance to forget or come in on the wrong day, which might build resentment.

2. Skip the coupon. Lots of people read the ad just like Friar. They almost can’t believe it, and they want to share the information with someone. Telling a friend that they have to go find a paper and get a coupon will wreck the buzz. They’ll tell fewer people, knowing they’re adding a chore to their friend’s day. The way Harvey’s did it, they’re helping you be the hero to your friends. You can tell them about a steal!

Now, viral marketing (“buzz”) takes over. Friar spread the message from Canada to greater Philadelphia, USA, and to [where are you?], too. Most folks in his area are going to tell several people whom they run into. Words like “zero” and “no strings attached” travel fast.

3. As Friar said, “almost everyone will probably buy fries and a drink on the side anyway.” Even if it’s just the soda, that’s the highest-margin item on anyone’s menu. The cup costs more than what they put in it, literally.

The funny thing is, if they gave away the soda (on the theory that they wouldn’t be losing much money) no one would come in. They don’t travel to a burger joint for a drink. They have to give away the hamburger for it to work.

4. The right size incentive should still leave something to the imagination. How many people will go in, read the wonderful menu (I haven’t been, so I’m hoping for their sake the menu is great), and say, oh, now I don’t want that little burger for free, I’ll have the Super-Avalanche Burger instead?

5. People feel obligated when you give them something for nothing. It seems risky, but it’s a fabulous way to introduce yourself and create good feelings in your guests that will last far beyond that day.

Folks who did come in, will be back if the rest of the Experience lives up to this event. Folks who didn’t come in, will be nagged by what they missed, and will come give them a try on another day, because of the goodwill such an honest gesture created.

Pretty smart advertising, if you ask me.

Kudos to Harvey’s.

Kudos and thank you to Friar, for the buzz I couldn’t resist expanding on today.

What do you think of Harvey’s promotion? Would you take the (possible) short-term loss for long-term gains?

Grow and be well,

Kelly Erickson

This is the third and final post in the series Brand Propheteers: 10 Ways to Get the People You Already Know to Rave About Your Firm. Click on the links to read Part One, and Part Two.

Propheteer: The very best driver of word-of-mouth for your company: a cross between prophet (someone who preaches) and volunteer. VisionPoints’ term for the raving fans we want you to have more of!

Let’s Sum It Up—or Not

BUSY

Boy, did I hear that word a lot in the last month. As a small business owner and a single mom, I hear your pain. I’m glad you folks are busy, because that means you are taking care of business. Readers and interviewees, I want you to consider adding one word to your busy schedule: Metrics.

We all want to increase the ranks of our brand Propheteers. More than half of the owners I spoke with said their repeat and referral customers generally made larger purchases and easier sales.

I didn’t expect exact numbers, so my questions were worded to encourage approximations. Still, I was surprised that not one owner I spoke with is breaking down their sales to determine their source. Many said they don’t know whether advertising or other efforts are pulling their weight, yet most are not asking how new customers found them. Without measurements, you won’t know if increased efforts at encouraging word-of-mouth are gaining traction.

Brand Propheteers can be powerful advocates for your company, no doubt about it. We don’t need hard numbers to remember when new customers have come to us excited because a friend or a coworker insisted they give our company a try. That pre-sold customer is a lot of fun to take care of, too. Yet very few local companies have a program in place to actively encourage repeat business, and only two that I spoke to have a system for encouraging referrals.

A simple loyalty program giving discounts or goodies to repeat customers, and a policy of thanking Propheteers for making referrals—this can be as simple as a thank-you note or as formal as a gift card toward their next purchase with you—will yield immediate and measurable results. Let your Propheteers help you grow: they’ll feed proud to have helped out, and you? You might not have to be quite so busy.

Are you actively encouraging and measuring the vital role your raving fans play?

Grand Concepts and Practical Advice

4. Positive Experience*

“Referred customers expect the fun that was relayed to them,” says Donna Rego, owner of Bellefonte Café and Trading Company. She cites their music and atmosphere at the top of the list of what gets customers to rave, after their food (of course!). Donna describes the café’s Experience as a “California vibe,” with a relaxed, family feel, and social interaction between staff and guests. “Customers feel at home here, that’s why they tell friends to try us.”

At several of the companies I visited, sound played a critical role in setting the mood. The key, according to one store owner, is “not [being] too overpowering.” What does your place sound like? Hushed can be as distracting as noisy, so find a good balance.

“Customers spread the word because of the positive Experience that they have,” says Betty Bronstein, owner of Artisans’ Gifts and Furniture. The setting, the easy flow of traffic, the colors, the mix of merchandise, and her “happy” staff, who “pick up on each customer’s needs,” create that Experience. “They’re so used to taking care of others. We try to help them feel good about treating themselves, too.”

Ed Hawkins, owner of Hawkins & Sons Custom Home Appliance Center, says his philosophy is to imagine himself as his customer, to try to see the Experience as they do. The company’s (in-home) service calls are crucial. “Our trucks… make a professional presentation right away. We’ve got clean-cut, uniformed guys who get their work done and talk to the customer when possible. Actually, our service guys are creating word-of-mouth and future sales by making that Experience great.”

Experience is all these touchpoints and more. From your telephone manner to your website, from your store to your merchandise, sights, sounds, smells, staff, and customer satisfaction—they’re all part of the Customer Experience. Take a good look all around you, and see your business from a clear Perspective. Your customers are deciding whether to rave to their friends, based on the Experience they have with you today.

*I gave no suggestions for answers to any questions, nor multiple-choice lists, by the way. This top-ten list is in order of number of mentions, or you know I’d have Experience as #1.  :)

5. Know your customers

As I talked with Betty Bronstein, it became clear that she knows her Ideal Customer extremely well. “She’s always doing things for someone else.” Betty described the time of day she comes in, the likely first-time purchase, and what her buying habits would be as she returned on future visits. “Her time is valuable…. She comes to a small store when there are other options she could choose, because she wants information…” that an educated staff like hers can provide. “This is a very clear persona to you,” I said, and she proceeded to describe one of her less frequent visitors, the typical guy persona. “Married guys—they have a plan…. Oh, they can really shop the store—especially during the holidays.” All her descriptions were so vivid it was as if four or five Ideal Customers were walking around behind us as we talked.

Many owners outlined their Ideal Customer in perfect detail. They’ve made a study of who their customer is, and are able to describe every element of the customer’s buying habits and motivations.

In arriving a bit early for some of our interviews, I watched this attention in practice, as owners discussed children and hobbies with real customers they knew incredibly well. Carol Harvey, owner of Hansel & Gretel, says “I’m from the midwest—that’s why I’m friendly,” while acknowledging that the relaxed style she looks for in all her staff helps them learn more about their customers. Knowing a persona or two (or five!) is not a marketing “tactic” to them. For these small business owners, their understanding of the Ideal Customer comes from unhurried relationships, with people who happen to buy from them—and wouldn’t consider going anywhere else.

6. Price

I wrote a few weeks ago that I had not heard the word “recession” spoken once in these interviews. At last, one owner did wonder about changing course in a “downturn,” but by and large these owners seemed less than concerned about the greater economy’s effect on them individually.

Small business owners tend to be incredibly positive people, inclined to look for the silver lining. I think there’s even more to it than that. Many owners talked about the “advantages” they have over larger stores, and said they do not have to worry as much about price or economic woes, because their customers come to them for so many more reasons.

Still, about 1/3 of the folks I interviewed did say their prices get customers raving. Can this be true? I talked to owners of businesses at all price points. It was the owners of the more upscale companies who mentioned price!

7. Personalization/customization

Sure, you know you need a great product or service, but what makes it so remarkable that customers can’t wait to spread the word? Almost every owner I talked to said the advantage of being a small business is your ability to customize.

Helen Walker, owner of Designer Stencils, says repeat customers may not have worked with her for years. When they return, “they’ve got a 6, 10, or even 15 year old catalogue that they want to order from. We might not sell the item anymore, but we keep files of everything, so we can still put that order together for them. We’re known for that.” They love doing completely custom work, too.

Diane Abrams customizes her expert services for the needs of busy dance studios, who know they can arrange for private fittings for a group during off hours, making sending new students to Brandywine Dance a breeze. Their expertise is a draw, and their flexibility cements relationships with dance professionals.

How can you make your product or service feel exclusive? Go beyond price and selection—leave those to the big stores. Special hours, features, services, and other personalization get customers to rave about how different you are. What can your company offer to make your customer’s Experience unique?

8. Reach out to media and professionals

Many owners reach out to new groups of potential customers through charitable work and donations. They do feel it contributes to word-of-mouth referrals. For small business owners, tracking the tangible benefits of this outreach is difficult. The love of giving back inspires the folks I spoke to, though a number of owners wished they knew if anything was coming of it.

Several, including Diane Abrams and Ed Hawkins, cited business-to-business (B2B) relationships as vital to their growth. Ed says that ongoing relationships with vendor representatives and factories who know and trust him is a big source of referrals.

Helen Walker is a master of reaching out to both media and professionals. Some years ago, a freelance journalist cold-called her to ask about using their home products in an article, which later caught the eye of a magazine publisher. “It snowballed from there,” she says, and their products have been featured in top mags including Woman’s Day and Country Home. She cites accessibility as a factor in working with the media: “We send samples right out, when asked,” and have even done photo shoots in her own staff’s homes to accommodate the tight deadlines of the magazine world. Over time, trendspotters have learned to look to her company.

Helen is also active in industry shows to help chefs discover her company’s culinary product line, and counts many well-known executive pastry chefs among her clients. Working with their exacting needs—even improving products to their specifications—increases her company’s reputation immensely.

Start small, be generous and flexible, and create your own snowball effect through media and professional contacts, which Diane Abrams called “mutually beneficial business relationships.” Put the emphasis on mutually beneficial.

9. Making mistakes

Though I did not ask any questions about mistakes, nearly every owner talked about making mistakes in one area or another. Each was incredibly thoughtful and open on the subject. Staffing, and making the best possible use of the Internet, were the top areas where owners felt they’d made mistakes. Hearing successful business owners discuss mistakes again and again made me wonder whether it is a component of their success.

Betty Bronstein made the case for mistakes very well. She describes making mistakes as a positive: “When you’re making mistakes, it’s because you are changing, expanding, considering, learning.” Her confident approach to making mistakes is one reason customers feel “a part of” her company’s success.

One restaurant owner said customers like to see him “goof up. I think it’s sometimes what they tell friends about—’Yeah, they got it all wrong. Then they fixed it and we had a better time than before.’ They see us differently afterward.”

We’re all going to goof up. It’s a learning experience. Let your guard down a little as you correct your mistakes, and it can be an unexpected way to create raving fans!

10. Always Be Closing

You’ve heard it before, and here it is again. You don’t have to hit people over the head, but as you develop relationships with your customers, you should make that request for their business—and don’t forget to ask for referrals, too! Sometimes all it takes for a fan to start raving is knowing how much you’d appreciate their recommendation. We’re all busy people; we don’t always think to rave about you. Most business owners don’t do this, so this is an edge for you. Ask for the sale, ask for the referral; then you’ll be top of the mind.

Though not everyone mentioned the concept, on the way out of the interview nearly every owner found a way to solicit my business! The best solicitation was from Helen Walker, just featured in Martha Stewart Weddings: “Getting married?” she asked, pointing to her fabulous culinary stencils in use on their cover.

Sorry, Helen, not soon.

What’s Your One Great WoM Story?

The last question I asked of everyone: “What’s your one great word-of-mouth story?”

I got some excellent responses, including many who’d had customers from across the globe through a chain of WoM.

I loved the story of a couple from West Point, New York who came all the way to Betty Bronstein’s Delaware shop to buy an entire room of furnishings in one trip, because “they liked talking to [Artisans’ staff] on the phone.” Remember all your customer touchpoints. How’s your telephone service?

My favorite story came from Diane Abrams. She agreed to an interview though she seemed sure she had nothing to say on the subject of word-of-mouth referrals. “Going back to 22 years ago,” she told me of buying the business and beginning from scratch to create a devoted following. She “had to get out and fight” to grow. She personally visited all the local dance studios (wearing out her own shoe leather!). She introduced herself and her plans for the shop, and “began to develop relationships” with the teachers and owners she met. Her dance background meant they had something deeper than just business in common. Many of these people are her friends today, and she continues to accommodate studios’ special needs.

What do I love about this story? To Diane, word-of-mouth meant a customer-to-customer (C2C) opportunity that she doesn’t feel is significant to her business. B2B referrals are the source of 75% or more of her business (like a teacher recommending her store to a student)—she just doesn’t think of that as WoM.

Her one great story is a classic example of how small business can’t get along without Propheteers.

Thanks again to everyone who took a half-hour to talk with me. If you know of someone in the Brandywine Valley/ greater Philadelphia area who’d like to be interviewed for the next article in the series, send me an email to kellye (at) visionpoints (dot) net.

I gotta get a new pair of black pumps first.  :)

Tell your one great word-of-mouth story. Tell us how you create brand Propheteers. Leave a comment about the business that gets you raving, and why. It’s your turn, and I’d love to hear from you.

Grow and be well,

Kelly Erickson

Interview locally, apply lessons globally.

For more information:

Read about the articles coming up in the rest of the 2008 Interview Series

What were The Baffling Results of Wearing Holes in my Black Pumps? Find out!

Previous posts in Brand Propheteers: 10 Ways to Get the People You Already Know to Rave About Your Firm:

Part One—Golden Opportunities and “I’ll Have What She’s Having”

Part Two Is Tricky

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Special thanks:

Diane Abrams, Brandywine Dance Shoppe, 3617 Silverside Road, Wilmington, DE

Betty Bronstein, Artisans’ Gifts and Furniture, 2113 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE

Carol Harvey, Hansel & Gretel, 3603 Silverside Road, Wilmington, DE

Ed Hawkins, Hawkins & Sons Custom Home Appliance Center, 400 New Road, Elsmere, DE

Donna Rego, Bellefonte Café and Trading Company, 804 Brandywine Boulevard, Wilmington, DE

Helen Walker, Designer Stencils, 2503 Silverside Road, Wilmington, DE