find, keep and grow your customer

January 6, 2009

10 Questions You Better Ask Your Customer

Filed under: customer service, direct response marketing, branding/differentiation, marketing strategy —

Have you noticed that some businesses need reminding that marketing is the art and science of getting and KEEPING profitable customers?

They always seem to forget the “keeping” part…

We are always reminded that getting new business from existing clients is less expensive than finding new customers.

In a blog post from the other day, I suggested a tactic one could do right away to kick off your 2009 marketing - mailing a survey to your existing customers. I want to expand on that idea here.

The survey piece could come in many forms, whether it is a comprehensive survey form that is completed and mailed back, a simple letter inviting responses via email, questions that are answered via the phone, or an online survey. Whatever the format, demonstrating that you care about your customer’s inputs is important - whether they take you up on it or not. But you know as well as I that a dialog generated by the mailer can ultimately lead to new business.

Here are some questions to include in your survey:
1. Ask how their business is going. Show that you care.

2. Find out what their biggest problem is. Identify what is holding them back most.

3. Since they are an existing customer, they have purchased from you. Sincerely ask if your product or service is benefiting them.

4. If your product or service isn’t living up to their expectations, find out how it is falling short (and do something about it).

5. Ask for new ways to improve your customer service. Things like response time, tech support, billing, front desk etiquette, etc.

6. Ask if there are other products or services on the market that intrigue them.

7. Does our product or service fit comfortably into next year’s plans? How can we modify it to continue serving you well?

8. Share ideas on ways to improve on our products or services. Use these answers to identify new ways to cross-sell and develop new offerings.

9. Suggest ways we can improve our communication flow. Blog? E-zines? Monthly reports via mail or email? Other social media tools?

Finally, ask for time to discuss these issues with your customer. Use this time to serve and provide solutions.

At the end of the day, this exercise of reaching out to your customers is just great customer service - service being the key word here. If you take great pains to SERVE your client, they will always be appreciative. And you will find that even if they are not pleased with a particular application of your product or service, the act of understanding how you can IMPROVE that customer experience will go a long way towards them remaining as your customer.

Customer satisfaction isn’t enough anymore. Customer DELIGHT is. And this tactic can help you begin to achieve that. Let me know of other ways you have achieved the same, or other questions to ask of your customer!

Todd Schnick. Be Intrepid. http://intrepid-llc.com

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January 2, 2009

Three Things You Can Do NOW To Be Intrepid Marketers

Filed under: 1-to-1 relationship marketing, web/interactive marketing, customer service, internet marketing, direct response marketing, branding/differentiation, lead generation, marketing strategy —

I wonder why some people are so afraid to market their business.

They say they want new customers - they say that want more revenue - they say they are worried about the impact of the economy. But they don’t take decisive action to do anything about it.

I think most of them are dealing with fear - or they are procrastinators - or they don’t have a plan in place to proceed. A fear of failing holds way too many people back from bold action.

I have resolved to JUST DO IT in 2009 - to just DECIDE to take action - to mercilessly kill any evidence of procrastination.

Yes, even I hate to admit - I too sometimes get snagged by procrastination. And it really stresses me out when I catch myself doing it. The only way to fight it? Take action. Smart action, of course, but action nonetheless.

When it comes to boldly marketing your business - here are three things you can do RIGHT NOW:

1. If you haven’t already done so, get active on social media. Start a company blog, get on Twitter, create a company Facebook page. They are free and can be set up in minutes. They are not all time-consuming, and they are a great way to promote your business, build your brand, and make new relationships.

2. Start a direct response campaign to find new customers. Assuming your have your niche target market defined and your marketing message secured, there is no reason not to do a campaign right now. If you have a good product or service, get it out there so that you can help new people. But get out in front - don’t assume your competitors will remain stuck in the goo. Be first in 2009!

3. Send out a survey mailer to your existing customers. Show you care, ask what they need, ask what their current problems are, ask how you can serve them better. [this can be done electronically too - and another reason to get active on social media] Your customers will appreciate the outreach. This will help differentiate you. This will generate action and conversation that will result in cross-sell opportunities AND serve your existing customers.

Well, there are three things you can start working on TODAY. Motion creates emotion. And that first step is the hardest. Choose to take bold, intrepid action in 2009. Good luck!

TODD SCHNICK - BE INTREPID. www.intrepid-llc.com

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October 19, 2008

“Would You Like Fries With That?” How this simple phrase – coupled with your Direct Response Marketing program – can power your sales!

Filed under: 1-to-1 relationship marketing, web/interactive marketing, internet marketing, direct response marketing, marketing strategy, lead generation, General —

BY TODD SCHNICK – www.intrepid-llc.com 

Do you know how many times I have pulled up to a drive-thru window with the sole intention of buying a single burger?  My intentions are sincere.  Honest.  Fries are high in carbs.  Salty.  Lots of reasons to avoid them.  I think to myself, this time I will avoid that bad, bad food. 

But then that pesky sales person in the first window says those magic words that get me every time.  You’ve heard them – uttering that phrase sprinkled with mystical pixie dust that turns me into soft goo every time… 

“Would you like fries with that?”   

“Yes,” Todd says quickly and matter of factly, as if it was his intention all along. 

Seems ridiculously simple, doesn’t it?  But this little sales technique is so powerful, so common sense, that every business utilizes it, right?   

Wrong.  You’d be surprised how many businesses – both large and small – don’t ask the equivalent of “would you like fries with that” for their products or services. 

Can you apply a similar technique to your business?  Yes you can.  Can you engage your direct response marketing program to execute it for you?  Again, yes you can. 

How? 

Remember, the advantage of direct response marketing is that it is direct.  It can be targeted with precision – unlike mass media.  If you have an existing database of customers – you know precisely what they have bought from you – and why.  (And if you don’t – you’d better…) 

The teenager sitting in the drive-thru window at the burger joint knows you just bought a burger.  They also know there isn’t anything better with a burger than fries.  And even if you don’t think you want fries, it’s hard to resist.  Even harder when someone asks.  You need to apply the same principle to your business. 

Utilizing this database, you can build your business by cross-selling.  What is cross-selling?  Cross-selling is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “that of selling an additional product or service to an existing customer”. 

The teenage kid asking you if you wanted fries was engaging you in the most basic form of cross-selling.  Another classic example is selling vacuum cleaners.  If you are selling new vacuum cleaners, you are a fool not to sell your customer an additional supply of vacuum bags. 

The beauty of cross-selling is that you are actually providing your customer better support and service, since the products or services you are cross-selling are helping that customer better fulfill their needs – or solve their problem.  Sometimes, you are merely asking them to consider something they haven’t thought about before, or didn’t know was an option. 

Now, how can you retool your direct response marketing program to do this?  Well, what direct marketing tactics are you employing?  Direct mail?  One-to-one marketing?  Telemarketing?  Email marketing?  All of the above? 

You sell widgets.  You have a database of the customers who have purchased widgets from you.  You also sell whatzits – which nicely compliment widgets and make them much more efficient and effective. 

Your customer base would benefit from adding the whatzits to their widgets.  Send them direct mail (or a coordinated one-to-one campaign, or an e-zine article, or call them thru your telemarketing program) and explain how whatzits improve the efficiency of their widgets and will help them further grow their business.   

Make the call to action simple and easy – just as easy as ordering fries – and not only will you better serve your customer – you will make additional sales and grow your own business.

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October 5, 2008

The Great Girl Scout Cookie Brush Off…

Filed under: direct response marketing, General —

BY TODD SCHNICK – www.intrepid-llc.com 

This past week, I received the following email.  I wanted to share it with you… 

Q:  After I send direct mail to a targeted prospect list, I usually follow-up with phone calls.  But too often, I am told that they never received the mailing.  Why does this happen? 

A:  That’s a great question, and unfortunately, a frequent response.  I get the same response often when I follow-up on my own direct mail.  Even from people I know personally.  Sometimes it is legit.  Sometimes the mail just doesn’t reach the intended recipient.  Usually the mailing list you are using isn’t 100% perfect. 

But sometimes that person on the other end of the phone is trying not to engage in what they have determined is a “sales call.”   

We’ve all done it.  We’ve all said “NOT INTERESTED” when we get pinged by telemarketers.  We’ve all shooed-away people at our doorstep.  Heck, we’ve all even brushed aside sweet, innocent Girl Scouts selling cookies outside our local grocery store.  [Unless they present Thin Mints, then I buy every time…] 

This is just a part of business.  This is what makes sales so challenging.  How you respond to this objection is what separates the men from the boys.  How do I answer that question when I get it from my clients?  I tell them “so what?”  Sending that initial piece of mail makes that phone call easier.   

My response to that line is always: “well I am sorry you didn’t receive it, but let me take a minute to tell you what it was about…” 

If you just do a straight up cold call, you have to first establish who you are, why you are calling, etc.  This is a harder call to make.  But if you have initiated contact with direct mail, then the phone call becomes a “follow-up call” instead of a “cold-call.”  And that – certainly for me – make that phone call much easier.  And one I am much more willing to make. 

But keep in mind that the quality of your mail lists can impact the success of your direct mail program.  If you are mailing to people you’ve met over the last several years – keep in mind that they move on to other jobs, get transferred, fired, promoted, etc.  That business card you got from someone in summer 2007 may not be where they are today. 

And if you rented a list from a list broker, keep in mind that those lists are never perfect.  Even the high-end lists you get from top-notch vendors aren’t perfect.  And keep in mind that our own Postal Service isn’t perfect either. 

At the end of the day, it is about making contact.  If your mailing has a compelling service or product offering – and it is sent to the right target – you will get response.  If not, your product isn’t something they want – it wasn’t presented in a compelling way, or you mailed the wrong target audience.  The good news?  These are things you can fix! 

Following up your mail with phone calls is a good thing to do.  Just know you will hear all kinds of pushback.  But following-up your mail with phone calls will be easier than a straight-up cold call - every time.

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August 13, 2008

eMERGE! - The Journal of GrowthANSWERS

Filed under: sales team development, Resources, eMERGE!, sales process optimization, web/interactive marketing, lead generation, direct response marketing, General —

The Prospect Gap

While there is no doubt taking care of existing customers needs to a major priority, new business is the lifeblood of any growth-oriented organization. Unfortunately, many companies go about the process all wrong.

It’s not about just attracting eyeballs, getting people to call you or ask for more information. It’s about getting the RIGHT people to do those things. Now, the RIGHT people will be different for every organization, but the fact remains that every organization does have the RIGHT prospect. I would define that as a qualified prospect.

Does it matter that your website receives 1000 hits an hour or you’ve had 500 requests for information if those people are not going to buy from you - for whatever reason. I would rather have 10 hits a day from qualified prospects than 1000 hits a day from just anyone. And I guarantee you, so would your business development team.

Now that you’ve defined a qualified prospect, how can you figure out who fits that definition. Check out the article from Michael McClellan. Once you’ve determined who fits your definition, how can you cut through the clutter and reach them with your message. Check out Todd Schnick’s article on a new unique tool to do just that.

Zahir Palanpur’s article will highlight ways to keep that prospect engaged with your website. And don’t miss Stone Payton’s treatise on the misunderstood topic of Lead Generation, I mean Incubation.

If you’re interested in receiving our newsletter in your mailbox each month, please subscribe here.

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August 6, 2008

Three Keys To A Successful Direct Response Marketing Program – An Audio Presentation

Filed under: direct response marketing, marketing strategy, General —

http://www.growthanswers.com/expert/todd.mp3 

Over the years I have done direct response marketing campaigns, my clients and I have made every mistake in the book.  But after producing millions of pieces of mail, I have learned that there are three key elements to any successful DRM program.   

One, you need to aim for the right target.  The mailing list for your DRM program will largely determine the success or failure of your campaign.  The right message will fall on deaf ears if it sent to the wrong targets.  Narrow your focus and mail only to your niche in the marketplace. 

Two, you have to grab the attention of your audience – and draw them in.  You have to articulate a problem you can solve – or fulfill a need or want.  If you do not provide something your prospect wants – you will fail. 

And three, you must have a strong – and simple – call to action.  Once you have made it clear you have something they want – you need to make it easy to take the next step towards purchase. 

Last month, I was the featured program for the GrowthANSWERS Meet The eXpert Live Learning Series.  Click on the link below to listen to the workshop where I discuss the three key steps to success in your DRM campaign.  

http://www.growthanswers.com/expert/todd.mp3 

I hope you find the presentation helpful! 

Todd Schnick, Intrepid

www.intrepid-llc.com

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July 28, 2008

GOT MAIL? An Intrepid recap…

Filed under: direct response marketing, General —

 by Todd Schnick / Intrepid LLC

This past month, I was the featured program for the monthly GrowthANSWERS “Meet the eXpert” series.  My workshop was a brief survey about some dos and don’ts with your direct response marketing (DRM) program.  The purpose of this posting is to recap the main focus of my workshop – a description of the “The Intrepid Three-Step DRM Program.” The concepts are simple.  But not always executed effectively.  No DRM program should be launched without executing on the following three steps: 

  1. GET THEIR ATTENTION – You must get the attention of your target audience.  You need to offer a compelling solution to a problem – or provide something that your prospects WANT to buy.  And you need to push emotional buttons to do it.
  2. CLOSE WITH A STRONG CALL TO ACTION – Once you demonstrate that you have something the prospect wants; you need to have a clear and easy-to-follow call to action so that your prospect can take immediate action.  You need to provide a moving offer so that your prospect will have no roadblocks to take further action to move the buying cycle along.
  3. AIM FOR THE RIGHT TARGET – An attention-grabbing and emotional reason to buy and a clear and easy call to action will only work – IF you send it to the right target audience.  Careful understanding of your market and your potential customer are necessary to do this right.  This is the most important step in determining success or failure with your DRM program.

If you follow these three steps with your DRM program, you will see an increased likelihood of success – which is to identify MORE qualified prospects.  And when you accomplish that, you are on the way to building a sustainable growth enterprise. Stay tuned to this blog – for coming soon will be a downloadable podcast of this “Meet the eXpert” presentation!