4 Fundamentals of Creating Successful Customer Relationships

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If businesses exist, as the father of Business Management Peter Drucker proposed, “to create and keep a customer,” then success is defined by the relationships you establish with your customers. Giving them the best experience possible goes a long way toward securing future business. Here are four fundamentals of creating successful relationships with customers and prospects:

Give Undivided Attention
Attentive time is among the most limited of all resources. As we split time and attention in more ways than ever before, the amount available per person gets smaller and smaller. Reduce the likelihood that the other person feels you’re not really ‘present’ by putting away your devices and giving them your undivided attention. Not only does this demonstrate your professionalism, it shows you value their time as much as they value yours. Don’t worry; those messages, texts, or tweets will all be there later.

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About the Author

Mike MuhneyCRM pioneer Mike Muhney, the co-creator of ACT! software, is CEO of mobile relationship management purveyor vipOrbit – the first relationship-centric contact manager solution enabling mobile business professionals to manage their contacts, calendar and client/customer interactions across Mac, iPhone and iPad platforms. He may be reached at www.VIPOrbit.com.

The Continuum and the Marketplace

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In consumer business strategy – from branding to product development – addressing the emotional human needs continuum is crucial to success. Businesses that seek to create superior product/service experiences need to learn how to empathize with consumers’ needs.

Years ago, our firm conducted research at Universal Studios Florida and Walt Disney World, Orlando. At the time, Universal was searching for ways to distinguish itself from its giant competitor. Consumer deep-dive research with 14 families provided a participant mix representing the park visitor population. We followed these families observing their moods and behaviors, and discussed their impressions as they experienced the parks to determine what was really at play during a family vacation.

We take vacations to escape daily life and to provide children new experiences. Vacations satisfy our need for pleasure in an ever accelerating culture. So what happens when we escape and the work piles in our inbox? In the context of emotional needs, a theme park can mean more to its patrons than they can articulate. It’s not simply about the fun, but rather the function of the fun for the family’s growth.

One might think that the two parks are locked in a win-lose competition for Sunshine State vacationers, but that’s not necessarily true. Many families visit both parks. At one time the parks offered discernibly different atmospheres. One interview subject put it: “Disney is like sitting by a stream. Universal is like going rock climbing. Both are enjoyable, both are nature, but with one you’ve got more of that nervous adrenaline rush.”

Our researchers spent days observing how this participant’s analogy was on the money. The polarity of experiences is perhaps why some vacationers visit both parks. At the time, Universal and Disney mirrored the needs continuum. However, this has changed. They aren’t merely high-end amusement resorts that offer different thrills for families. They help families satisfy psychological needs for their children.

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About the Author

Mark Ingwer is a business psychologist and the founding partner of Insight Consulting Group, a global marketing and strategy consultancy specializing in consumer and business insights. He has over 25 years experience applying his unique blend of psychology, marketing, and business acumen to helping companies optimize their brand and marketing strategy based on an in-depth understanding of their customers. He has worked with a diverse range of companies across numerous industries, with a special focus on consumer packaged goods, healthcare, and advertising. Mark is a frequent speaker and media source, and has been featured in publications such as Business Week, New York Times, Crain’s New York, Brandweek, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Admap, Bloomberg Markets, Marketing News, and Advertising Age.

Getting closer to the customer is the key issue for Marketing Execs

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What are the most important topics for marketers?

Last month, in an online vote with Incite Marketing and Communications, 579 marketers ranked the following as their top five topics:

1. Data-driven creativity: An oxymoron? Use what you learn to drive better marketing campaigns
2. Think Fast, Act Faster: Real-time insight for quick decision-making and responsive marketing
3. Hit them when they’re listening: Choose the right channels, and use them at the right time for better engagement
4. Keeping it super-relevant – Personalized Marketing: Granular customer understanding to ensure every message is relevant
5. Define your impact on the bottom line: How new data sources give you more detail on your marketing’s effectiveness

So, what does the above tell us about the state of mind of executive marketers in June 2013?

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About the Author

Nick Johnson is the founder of Useful Social Media and Incite Marketing and Communications. Johnson runs a business devoted to facilitating conversation between, and asking challenging questions of, the marketing and communications community. Moving beyond standard business intelligence models, he leads a team devoted to building a customer-centric business delivering real value through the creation of an exclusive, dynamic community of senior strategists.

Serve Memorably

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Think about the most memorable service you have ever received. Ever tell anyone about it?

Now think about the service you provide to your customers. How many people are talking about you?

ANSWER: Not enough.

Every time a customer calls it’s an opportunity. The only question is: how are you taking advantage of it?

Don’t answer with a “thank you for the call,” telling me how important my call is while you put me on hold for the next available agent. Or to “serve me better,” ask me to select from among the following eight options.

Selecting from among the following eight options is not one of MY options – and I have the money – and you want the money – and you need the money – so wise up.

The last things employers should cut are sales, service, and training. The FIRST thing to cut is executive pay, then management pay, then eliminate middle management as needed. OR MAKE THEM SALESPEOPLE, and have them contribute to the effort.

Meanwhile, customers need help, service, and answers. Your ability to help them in a timely manner, and serve them memorably, determines your reputation and your fate.

What actions are you willing to take? What investment are you willing to make? Do you understand it’s ALL about customer loyalty (not customer satisfaction)?

MAJOR CLUE: Keep in mind that no company ever CUT their way to success.

REALITY: You cut your way to safety. You have to SELL your way to success.

How ready are you?

If you want to win in this or any economy, you must be ready to win – ready with the right attitude, the right information, and the right service heart.

IF YOU BREAK THE SERVE MEMORABLY LAW: If a computer answers your phone, you have broken the law. If you use the word ‘policy,’ you have broken the law. Start there. The penalty for breaking this law is two-fold. Loss of reputation AND loss of customer. There are very few laws that have a higher penalty, and very few laws that are EASIER to fix. You don’t have to worry about monitoring your bad service. Your customers will do it for you, on Facebook and on Twitter. Your job is to fix it and continually improve it.

IF YOU FOLLOW THE SERVE MEMORABLY LAW: Your business reputation, both online and person-to-person, will soar! You’ll become known for taking ordinary daily business actions and turning them into pleasant customer surprises. The result is not just more business – it’s more loyal customers, more referrals, greater reputation, and more profit.

Think about that the next time you ask me to “select from among the following eight options.”

CAUTION: Ordinary, even polite, service is unacceptable. It will not give you the competitive edge or the business advantage that memorable service will.

At the end of any transaction, that’s when the customer STARTS talking about you.

They will say one of five things about what transpired:

  • Something great
  • Something good
  • Nothing
  • Something bad
  • Something real bad

And whatever they say leads to the next sale – either at your place, or your competition’s place.

The cool part is: you choose.

AHA! My ‘memorable mantra:’ Find something personal; do something memorable.

AHA! Grow from good, to great, to memorable.

KEY TO IMPLEMENTATION: Start with smart, happy people. Then define what is memorable and how everyone can achieve memorability with daily interactions (Southwest Airlines does it with friendly people and humor). Meet with all senior people and staff to create the ideas that wow, and gain the permission to wow at the same time. Then train AND empower everyone with specific phrases and actions they can take on behalf of customers.

Excerpt from Law 12: Serve Memorably from my Jeffrey’s new book, 21.5 Unbreakable Laws of Selling

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.

About the Author

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at [email protected].

All airlines are the same, except for their people.

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As you may know, I’m a regular flyer. About 200 flights a year. Mostly on major airlines, but because I’m more interested in flying non-stop than getting travel miles or points, I take whatever airline is most convenient for my schedule.

This past Friday I found myself flying Alaska Airlines from Atlanta, Georgia, to Portland, Oregon.

There are only a few Alaska gates, and they’re hard to find, in Delta-dominant Atlanta Hartsfield Airport. FYI: Alaska is part of the same SkyTeam co-op airline alliance as Delta. That’s where the similarity ends.

The Alaska ticket agents were amazingly friendly. Actually smiling, laughing, engaging, helpful, and friendly. I hope airline employees at your airport act that way!

NOTE WELL: Yes, there’s an occasional ticket agent or two that are friendly and helpful, and there are some friendly, helpful agents in Charlotte, North Carolina, that I’ve known for more than a decade. But these Alaska people were amazing.

I engaged them in a few minutes of lighthearted conversation and asked them what the hiring criterion was. That’s when the startling admission came, “We’re actually Delta employees who were hand-picked and retrained.”

Hand picked and retrained. What does that tell you?

WAIT A MINUTE! Retrained? It’s the same computer system and the same baggage criteria. Just cross out “Delta” and substitute “Alaska” right? Right.

“We were trained to greet and treat customers in a different way,” said one of the agents. “You know – smile, chat, be friendly, thank customers as you look them in the eye, and not use certain unfriendly words and phrases like ‘policy’ and ‘all set.’”

Wow! There’s a concept.

Yes, I boarded the plane happily and on time. Yes, the flight attendants matched the ticket agent’s and the gate agent’s friendliness. In-flight service – all five hours of it – was excellent. NOTE: These days, flight attendants emphasize they are there for “your safety” and never say the word “service,” let alone the word “friendly.”

These flight attendants were gently professional, and friendly; not assertively demanding – almost rude when telling me and others to “turn off electronic devices.” I fell asleep between ordering and receiving food. Next thing I knew, a flight attendant was gently rubbing the side of my arm, and smiling as she helped me put my food in place. Classic.

Well, that would have been the end of the story had I not spent the weekend with a 10-year Alaska Airline employee. I told him about my experience and he just smiled.

I asked him what makes Alaska different.

Here is his eye-opening response about the big things Alaska does better than other airlines:

  • It starts before training. It’s all about who they hire. It’s about finding the BEST people. They have some process of pre-identifying the right people.
  • No test at time of hiring. Interviews are human to human. They ask questions and go with gut feelings.
  • They select people they believe will be hard workers. People who they believe will go beyond what’s expected. “North” of what’s expected.
  • They select people they believe have a natural inclination to take ownership. People who are caring and friendly.
  • They select passionate people who love what they do.
  • They don’t just train front-line employees, they train all employees. They have found that front-line people are buoyed by internal employees if attitudes are consistently positive throughout the company.

Why is this eye opening? Because it’s not fancy! It’s nothing new.

It’s not complicated. It’s natural.
It’s not costly. It’s human.

You know the rest right? Alaska Airline’s leadership and management is ‘by example’ not ‘by the book.’ All employees feel valued and are happy to serve. And customers love it. It’s humanized and natural. It’s caring people serving traveling people in need.

Well, why don’t all airlines do this? Long list of reasons. Too numerous and way too negative to mention here. This is a business lesson, not an airline reprimand.

HARD QUESTIONS:
What’s your culture?
How consistent is attitude throughout your corporate environment?
How is that affecting your morale?
And more important how is that affecting your customers?

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.

About the Author

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at [email protected].