Jureks Blog

Avoiding the trap of lowering prices

Fri, 10 May 2013 07:35:00 GMT

In his book Customers Who Love To Pay, Brisbane dentist Paddi Lund makes the point that it is far too easy to fall into the trap of lowering prices in an attempt to make customers happier to pay or to gain a greater market share (reducing overall profits as a result).

He says there are other ways that are often more effective in making your customers happy. A reduction in price is quickly forgotten but a thoughtful gift, for instance, is remembered for a long time. Here is an example he shares in his fascinating book.

“A lady called Jenny was to pay me $7,200 for some implants.

“My Care Nurse suggested that we reduce the price by $200 to make it an even $7,000. My first inclination was to agree. I wanted to appear generous and not penny-pinching. But after a little thought I decided against it.

“Instead we presented Jenny with some flowers and lip balm as well as our usual Dental buns that we bake on the premises.

“Jenny was ecstatic. She was happy with her implants and had paid what we asked. Then we had given Jenny something extra, something personal to show her that we cared for her. Jenny cried when she received the flowers and thanked us profusely for thinking of her. She carried her bouquet out of the front door as happy as a new bride.

“Jenny probably told her friends all about her gifts, but she definitely would not have said as much about a fee reduction. It is far more exciting to tell your friends that your dentist thought enough of you to give you flowers than it is to explain how he gave you a discount of $200.

“The value of our gifts to Jenny was about $30 but it did us a lot more good than giving the discount and we saved $170.”

The lesson from Paddi’s story is that instead of reducing fees look for ways to give extra value. In terms of result for effort and expenditure it is far more efficient and pleasurable for both parties.

New DVD case studies

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:37:00 GMT

In the previous article, I posed the question, ‘Why do I keep using and promoting Beechworth Bakery video case studies?’

The only other video case study I know of and use that gets across a similar message well, in a way that people can easily relate to is ‘Fish!’ the wonderful 16-minute case study about the Pike Place Fish Company in Seattle. This focuses on their 4-step philosophy of:

• Play
• Make the customers day
• Be there
• Choose your attitude

It is now more than 10 years old but never fails to get a good reaction in training workshops.

I find that most training videos (other than the wonderful but now very dated Video Arts ones from 25 plus years ago) are too tedious and prescriptive or too long and fail to set the scene for a productive discussion following the viewing.

Do you have any other case studies that you use – that aren’t about big corporates like Apple, Microsoft and the like – that get across a great motivational and/or service excellence message? If so, I’d love to hear from you.

Making More Dough with Tom OToole

Sun, 05 May 2013 16:00:00 GMT

A new updated video on the Beechworth Bakery story has been released. This 12-minute DVD brings you an overview of the messages that have appeared in previous videos and one of these (my favourite from 2000), the ‘Making Dough with Tom O’Toole’ 15-minute DVD case study is included in the package along with 45 minute edited highlights of Tom presenting live on stage. This package is called ‘The Making Dough Master Class’ and is available for $198 Aussie dollars plus postage at www.tomotoole.com.au

Why do I keep using and promoting Beechworth Bakery video case studies?

Because I see the reaction of audiences throughout Australia, New Zealand and the UK (the main countries I work in) and this is not limited to the retail and tourism sectors. It includes finance and health professionals and manufacturing and wholesale as well as non-profit organisations. In all cases, they appreciate the down to earth approach and common sense easy-to-apply messages. And best of all, they relate to the examples that demonstrate how ordinary people can achieve extraordinary results when they set their minds to it. Key themes in the new case study are:

• Getting people to Beechworth to get a $1 out of them
• Constantly learning and consistently training
• Customer feedback
• That little bit extra
• The WOW factor
• Working on your attitude
• Accepting change

Re-energise your team, reignite your passion for your business and refocus everyone in your organisation by investing in this DVD program and using it to stimulate discussion, get a reaction and create some positive action.

3 Innocent Ideas

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 03:32:00 GMT

In 1999 the founders of Innocent Drinks had to decide whether it was time to concentrate full time on growing their bottled smoothies brand.

They hired a stall at a music festival in the south of England and put up a big sign asking people if they thought they should give up their day jobs to make smoothies, and put a bin saying 'Yes' and a bin saying 'No" in front of the stall. Then they got people to vote by depositing their empties in the bin of their choice. At the end of the weekend, the 'Yes' bin was full, so they got cracking on building the Innocent Drinks brand.

Lesson One: When surveying customers keep it simple.
Using humour has helped Innocent Drinks stand out in a crowded market place. A label on their smoothie bottle says ‘Shake before opening (not after)’. Their guarantee is different too: ‘We promise that anything Innocent will always taste good and do you good. We promise that we will never use concentrates, preservatives, stabilisers or any weird stuff in our drinks. And if we do you can tell our Mums.’

Lesson Two: Don’t be afraid of using humour to get across an important message. Just think of last month’s ‘In the Depot’example from Torfaen Council in Wales. Give yourself permission to use humour in a gentle way.

Their first advertising campaign entitled ‘Made by Nature’ consisted of paying for 5 billboard sites outside the HQs of the 5 biggest supermarkets in the UK (At that stage they were only getting orders from Waitrose). Clever!

Lesson Three: Position your marketing message to reach your target market without wasting advertising dollars on people you don’t need to inform.

Find out more about Innocent Drinks great brand story by reading the book, ‘Innocent – Building a Brand from nothing but fruit’ by John Simmons or check out http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/us/our-story

In the Depot

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 02:31:00 GMT

Please drive safely; please be patient. These are difficult messages to get across to motorists.

Yet as we know they are vital messages, messages that can save lives, reduce injuries and minimise unnecessary damage IF we can get it across in the right way.

A tough winter can make driving conditions difficult and dangerous and the job for local councils particularly hard as they attempt to clear the snow and grit the roads.

Torfaen Council in Wales are to be congratulated for using a decidedly different, humorous and harmonious approach that must make the people of Blaenavon, Pontypool and Cwmbran proud. It starts off with Elvis impersonator Darren Graceland Jones singing to the tune of ‘In the Ghetto’:

As the snow flies
On a cold and gray Torfaen morn’
Gritters leave with a toot of their horn
In the depot…

and goes on:

People don’t you understand
We can’t grit every inch of land
We’ll have to keep the main roads clear every day…

Tune into this wonderful video clip by clicking on In the Depot

I spotted this in a recent edition of Winston Marsh’s insightful and entertaining newsletter. Each edition features a video clip that is always worth a look.

Sign your name on your work

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 01:54:00 GMT

Providing the right incentives to motivate staff to do a great job is an issue that is consistently brought up by managers and business owners I deal with.

I like to turn the conversation around to, ‘What might you be doing that could be disempowering your people and causing them to do a less than ideal job?’

That can come as a bit of a shock, but the sad fact is that (inadvertently) many managers spend more time disempowering people than they do empowering them.

We need to set people free from unnecessary restrictions. Give them a sense of ownership and allow them to put their own signature on their work. That’s what artists do and technicians and engineers can do this too as Derek Williams of www.thewowawards.co.uk explains.

“I was recently working with the engineering team at KC (providers of telecom, broadband etc. based in Hull, England) an organisation that is really taking customer service seriously.

“Part of what I heard struck a chord with me. In the old days, when junction boxes were substantial affairs with lots of soldered joints, the engineers used to write their name on a cigarette paper and place it between the cables in the junction box. KC is still finding some of those old junction boxes complete with the signed slip of paper.

“It reminded me of how the man who assembles the engines at Aston Martin attached his signature to the engines. And many times I've seen builders leave a discreet set of initials on concrete paths. I've been thinking that people actually aspire to take pride in their work. And maybe when we changed from a manufacturing based economy to a service economy, we lost the opportunity for people to sign their name to their work...”

“People love to excel. Let them.”

Wise words indeed Mr Williams.

Who do you know in Melbourne?

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 02:33:00 GMT

I’m presenting a breakfast seminar in Melbourne on Friday 12 April hosted by Winston Marsh. The topic ‘Taking the chance out of how your customers judge you’ is the most asked for issue I present on and it’s the area that we work on most with our clients.

Whether you are reading this in Auckland or Adelaide, Sydney or Singapore, Perth or Penrith I’m sure you know someone who would benefit from attending and will thank you for alerting them to this opportunity. So, do them a favour and spread the word and come along yourself if you are in Melbourne.

The venue is Giorgio’s Restaurant, corner High Street and Glenferrie Road in Malvern and the price is only $45 including breakfast with a reduced rate for booking two or more attendees.

To book click on Breakfast Booster or go to www.winstonmarsh.com where you can’t miss Winston’s publicity piece written in his own unique style. Here’s what I’d add to that:

Every time your customers come into contact with your organisation they are judging you – often without even realising it themselves. Up to 95% of this assessment is taking place on an unconscious level and your future – for better or worse; for richer or poorer – may depend on this assessment.

Think about the experience your customers have when they come into contact with your organisation and make their assessment.

1) Do you have a clear picture of how you want the experience to be?
2) Do your team have the same picture as you?
3) Do your customers consistently get this picture perfect experience?
4) If they do, does this experience meet your customers’ expectations?

If these are questions that you grapple with, you’ll be interested in hearing what I have to share with you about designing and managing the customer experience. It’s going to be a great morning and do tell any friends you send along to come and say hello to me.

Preparing Your Staff for a Price Increase

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 09:04:00 GMT

Once the decision is made to raise your prices, believe in it. Ensure you don’t pass any anxiety onto your staff. Be proud of your prices and the value you give. Exude confidence and be ready to pass this confidence onto your team.

Let them know:

a) there is going to be a price increase
b) how much it will be
c) when it will occur

Convert their Sabotage Belief to a More Helpful Belief
In doing this, be aware that staff will often have misgivings about a price rise. These feelings can trigger a Fight or Flight response in them when customers make a negative or cynical comment about the price increase or even ask a question about it.

Fight – They jump in and defend the price increase ‘to the death’
Flight – They feel like doing a runner and instead avoid eye contact and pretend they didn’t hear the comment
Surrender – They join the other side! They agree with the customer that the price increase is unnecessary and over the top or they commiserate with the customer saying, “I know, everything is getting more expensive these days, isn’t it?”

These reactions are caused by a Sabotage Belief about price increases. A belief that a price increase is a bad thing and customers will hate us for it. You can help them develop a More Helpful Belief such as:

“It’s OK for customers to make negative or cynical comments about the price rise. When they do it gives us the opportunity to reassure them that they are getting good value and to thank them for their custom.”

Winning over the team
Ideally get your team together as a group and, after letting them know about the price increase, ask them, “How do you think customers will react?”

As they explore this listen to their answers. Acknowledge their comments and misgivings.

Now, remind them of when your company’s last increase was and ask, “Can you think of anything else our customers would have bought that has gone up in price since then?”

Gather examples.

Next ask, “Can you think of any of our costs that have gone up since we last had a price rise?”

Gather their examples.

If they don’t say it, mention wages – then add other hidden business costs they may not have mentioned such as insurance premiums, superannuation, rates etc.

Stress that gathering this information isn’t so that they can defend the price rise by going into a detailed justification with customers. The reason for gathering this information is to develop a More Helpful Belief. It’s not about being defence it’s about reassurance.

• A defensive reaction is driven from our point of view.
• Reassurance is from the customer’s point of view.

Get them into their customers’ shoes by asking, “Why does the customer buy from us anyway?”

This discussion puts the focus on the positives associated with dealing with your organisation.

Encourage your team to take comfort in knowing that people dislike changing to an unknown supplier, venue or service provider as much as they dislike paying more. Intangibles like trust, reliability, knowledge of their requirements and personal service all add value.

Prepare and practice
The first step in this stage is to gather and record their thoughts on how to acknowledge and handle negative or cynical customer comments about the price rise.

Add your own and get agreement on what techniques and wording are likely to work best with different customer types and situations.

Next, have a fun, confidence building series of role plays where they take turns at being the customer and at being the service provider. In doing so practice:

1) Acknowledging the customers comments
2) Reassuring them that they’ve made the right decision in dealing with your company

Review and…
Discuss with your team how it is going and monitor the customer reaction, particularly in the first few days. It is vital that you make time for this. A bad reaction from one customer can have everyone on edge if you aren’t around to put it into perspective.

In most cases, the pricing becomes a non-event, with customers either not commenting on the price increase or not mentioning it again after their initial comments have been handled well.

Gather data on what effect the price rise is having on sales and profitability and share this with your team.

Congratulate them on handling the situation well. It will be a lesson learned for everyone about the importance of focusing on value rather than price.

Don't call me Mate

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 08:18:00 GMT

Recent reports from New South Wales about a health agency instructing their staff not to call colleagues or patients "mate", "darling", "sweetheart" or "honey" has stirred up some discussion about what is and isn’t appropriate.

Tony Watts, manger of the Small Business Centre East Metro in Western Australia writes, “I think the main reason people use ‘mate’ inappropriately is because they are too lazy to use the correct title or term, or they haven’t learnt to use the customer’s name, MR Watts is fairly obvious after I have tendered my credit card which the staffer has pretended to read before swiping. Anyway I agree with the NSW Health people in the ABC story...” Click on Mate to read the article Tony refers to.

It’s an interesting debate with no clear right or wrong. I reckon it’s all about considering carefully how the customer (internal or external) is likely to take it rather than using terms such as ‘mate’ as a matter of habit or banning ‘endearing terms’ altogether.

I personally have no problem with someone of my vintage calling me ‘Mate’ yet get irked when someone half my age does so, particularly younger males. A close friend of my vintage has no issues with being called ‘Mate’ but hates it when she and her fellow diners are addressed in restaurants as ‘Guys’ – “Can I get you guys some drinks?”

That’s one of the tough things for service providers, learning that the Golden Rule, ‘Treat others as you would like to be treated’ isn’t good enough – If only it were that easy!

The challenge is to ‘Treat other people as THEY would like to be treated’ which means being alert and attentive to each individual and using your experience to judge what is going to make them feel respected, valued and at ease.

I’ve been getting seriously irked recently at hearing condescending nursing staff (at least that’s my interpretation) addressing my 90-year old mother in hospital as ‘Love’ and ‘Darling’ when her name, Annie Leon, is written in large letters above her bed. It’s not as if they could be scared of mispronouncing it – as can happen with a name like Jurek. It seems to me that they are either too lazy or don’t care enough to take the time to treat her as an individual – which is a rather damning judgment of those nursing staff; and now the specialist’s staff at follow up appointments are doing the same. And as a result, I dislike them intensely.

By contrast, her specialist always uses her name and is totally focused on her. The message from him that this transfers is, ‘You are important, you are valued’ as opposed to, ‘You are just another patient and it’s not worth the effort to treat you as a real person. You’ll be gone tomorrow and I’ll have another dozen like you to deal with.’

The caring for your customers business isn’t easy and the message that comes across may be very different to the casual, friendly one that was intended. This is something that needs to be talked about regularly in many workplaces. The more we discuss how to make people feel special then the easier our lives will be as service providers.

How to earn respect when giving bad news

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 09:38:00 GMT

You or someone in your organisation has promised that a customer’s order will be delivered to them by a certain date. For whatever reason there is a delay. What do you do?

We all know what we should do – get straight on the phone to the customer, give them the bad news and take the full force of the customer’s frustration at being let down…again.

On the other hand, you could tell yourself that you are too flat out to take the time to phone this customer; they probably aren’t in that big a hurry for the delivery so why bother them and have a lot of unnecessary unpleasantness? Anyway, if they are in a hurry for it, they’ll phone to find out if it’s running to time (and hopefully someone else will get the call).

All the research tells us that one of our customers’ greatest frustrations is not being kept informed.

It’s true that most people don’t react well to being given bad news, particularly over the phone. But after their initial expression of frustration or disappointment they are likely to have a higher regard for us and our organisation because we at least let them know. This allows them to modify their plans and to inform others who may also be affected by the delay.

Be one of the truly professional service providers. Keep your customer’s informed, take their criticism or disappointment on the chin and earn their respect at the same time.

What about emailing them?

Yes, you can email or even text but not as an alternative to phoning, that’s the coward’s way out! It protects you from their wrath but it is far less effective in repairing a damaged relationship. The email or text can be in addition to the phone conversation, particularly if you can’t get through to them straight away.

You will find more tips like this in Jurek’s top selling book and e-book, Terrific Telephone Techniques – the ultimate guide to excellent service over the phone.

It's the New Year a fresh start

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:00:00 GMT

It’s time to wipe the slate clean. Put last year’s disappointments, frustrations, misdemeanours and mistakes behind you. Bring with you only the wisdom and ways that will aid you in achieving your goals in 2013.

To help you move ahead and reach the heights you’ve set for yourself, here’s a story from Jim Meisenheimer. It’s written for salespeople but whatever your role I’m sure you will find something useful.

Climbing Mt Everest story: Seventeen years ago I did a sales training program in Colorado. The meeting was held about two hours north of Denver, in a lodge situated in Roosevelt National Park.

My client was, Low Alpine, a manufacturer of outdoor gear. Specifically, they made the stuff that Mt. Everest climbers use to trek up that mountain.

My two-hour presentation was scheduled right after lunch. The speaker, who preceded me before lunch, had an extremely interesting topic. He had a slide presentation showing his various attempts at climbing the incredible MT. Everest.

As you might imagine it was a powerful and extremely insightful presentation
about the skills and dangers of mountain climbing.

I was sitting on the edge of my chair during his entire presentation.

There were 25 salespeople at this meeting. Their climbing gear was sold to retailers. So they knew all about the climbing business.

They also knew, by reputation, many of the names the speaker referred to. He talked about the climbers who made it to the top and also talked about those that didn't survive the ordeal.

Throughout his presentation everyone was glued to his seat with anticipation. He did a terrific job of mixing his stories with his slides, which was extremely effective.

Just before he ended his presentation he asked the group a question. He remarked:
“There's a time when you're climbing, when you can almost feel depressed.
You just feel so low and down. Do you know when that is?”

My imagination started to run wild, especially since the highest I ever climbed wasn't even climbing; it was an elevator ride to the top of the Empire State Building. I thought surely the salespeople in the audience would know the answer to his question.

They responded with things that I imagined; when you first begin the climb, when you only have 100 yards left, when you reach the top, and when you begin your descent. The speaker’s body language and facial expression gave it all away - no one was even close.

I was surprised by his answer - maybe you will be too. He said, "Climbers get down when bad weather sets in." He went on to explain that when bad weather sets in
you can't see the peak - you lose sight of your GOAL and become easily distracted and sometimes even depressed.

You might be wondering, what if anything does this have to do with selling? I see a very clear correlation. You see, like a mountain climber who can't see the peak, salespeople and entrepreneurs without clearly defined goals (daily, weekly, monthly,
yearly) are more susceptible to daily interruptions and distractions, and more likely to waste their precious resource called time.

This could be hazardous to their selling results during the best of times. Not having written and specific goals during these tumultuous times is just plain stupid. It borders on strategic suicide.

Why would you do that to yourself?

Why would you dare to start a New Year without having your written goals in full view?

Put your written goals on paper and then get it laminated.

Put one copy on your desk.

Put one copy in your brief case.

Put another copy in your car - on the sun visor.

Tape another copy onto your bathroom mirror.

Hey - I didn't just fall off the back of a turnip truck.

My written goals helped me achieve record sales for 18 consecutive years.

My feeling is, if I can do it, so can you.

You need a crystal clear picture of what the peak of your mountain looks like - clearly defined goals.

First things first. Establish written goals.

Then create a list of all the action steps you need to achieve your goals.

You'd be amazed at how easy achieving goals is as soon as they are set in writing.
Being distracted isn’t your ticket to achieving your GOALS – being focused is. You don't have to climb Mount Everest to appreciate how important keeping your eyes focused on your goals is to achieving your ultimate success in sales.

You can get up or stay down - you choose!

Not having written goals is the best way to avoid success. . .

What's more important than this in your business?

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:00:00 GMT

I talk a lot about the value to be gained from designing, managing and influencing the customer experience and about the importance of focussing on your ‘Intention’. This ‘cab driver story’ from Kent Nerburn demonstrates the difference your intention can make for you and your customers. Share it with your team, discuss the implications and set about designing the experience you would like your customers to have every time they deal with you.

The Cab Driver Story: There was a time in my life twenty years ago when I was driving a cab for a living. It was a cowboy’s life, a gambler’s life, a life for someone who wanted no boss, constant movement and the thrill of a dice roll every time a new passenger got into the cab.

What I didn't count on when I took the job was that it was also a ministry. Because I drove the night shift, my cab became a rolling confessional. Passengers would climb in, sit behind me in total anonymity and tell me of their lives.

We were like strangers on a train, the passengers and I, hurtling through the night, revealing intimacies we would never have dreamed of sharing during the brighter light of day. I encountered people whose lives amazed me, ennobled me, made me laugh and made me weep. And none of those lives touched me more than that of a woman I picked up late on a warm August night.

I was responding to a call from a small brick fourplex in a quiet part of town. I assumed I was being sent to pick up some partiers, or someone who had just had a fight with a lover, or someone going off to an early shift at some factory for the industrial part of town.

When I arrived at the address, the building was dark except for a single light in a ground-floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a short minute, then drive away. Too many bad possibilities awaited a driver who went up to a darkened building at 2:30 in the morning.

But I had seen too many people trapped in a life of poverty who depended on the cab as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation had a real whiff of danger, I always went to the door to find the passenger. It might, I reasoned, be someone who needs my assistance. Would I not want a driver to do the same if my mother or father had called for a cab?

So I walked to the door and knocked.

"Just a minute," answered a frail and elderly voice. I could hear the sound of something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman somewhere in her 80s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like you might see in a costume shop or a Goodwill store or in a 1940s movie. By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The sound had been her dragging it across the floor.

The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

"Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said. "I'd like a few moments alone. Then, if you could come back and help me? I'm not very strong."

I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm, and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness.

"It's nothing," I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated."

"Oh, you're such a good boy," she said. Her praise and appreciation were almost embarrassing.

When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?"

"It's not the shortest way," I answered.

"Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice."

I looked in the rearview mirror. Her eyes were glistening. "I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I should go there. He says I don't have very long."

I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. "What route would you like me to go?" I asked. For the next two hours we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they had first been married. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she would have me slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now."

We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. Without waiting for me, they opened the door and began assisting the woman. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her; perhaps she had phoned them right before we left.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase up to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

"How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse.

"Nothing," I said.

"You have to make a living," she answered.

"There are other passengers," I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held on to me tightly. "You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said. "Thank you."

There was nothing more to say. I squeezed her hand once, then walked out into the dim morning light. Behind me, I could hear the door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.

I did not pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought. For the remainder of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away? What if I had been in a foul mood and had refused to engage the woman in conversation? How many other moments like that had I missed or failed to grasp?

We are so conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unawares. When that woman hugged me and said that I had brought her a moment of joy, it was possible to believe that I had been placed on earth for the sole purpose of providing her with that last ride.

I do not think that I have ever done anything in my life that was any more important.

Source: www.kentnerburn.com

As I said at the beginning this ‘cab driver story’ from Kent Nerburn demonstrates the difference your intention can make for you and your customers. Now, go and share it with your team, discuss the implications and set about designing the experience you would like your customers to have every time they deal with you.

How rumours develop and what you can do about it

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:42:00 GMT

Much has been written about the importance of employee communication, but here’s a slightly different slant on the subject from Canadian Human Marketing specialist Donald Cooper.

“Typically, when we don’t communicate effectively, our employees will make up and spread stories to explain what they think they see happening. Often, those stories take on a life of their own, becoming distracting and destructive rumours. Hence my expression that, ‘Rumors are entertainment for the uninformed.’

“Back in my manufacturing days at Cooper Canada, we would frequently have customers and suppliers visit us for discussions and plant tours. Often, when our factory employees would see groups of visitors, all dressed in suits, they’d start rumours that the Coopers were selling out and these visitors are the new buyers. Such rumours are both distracting and destructive...and they spread like wildfire.

“The solution was simple. We communicated better. We installed a ‘Who Will Be Visiting This Week’ notice board at the employee entrance stating who our visitors will be...and why they were here.

“So, when our sales agents from Sweden came to tour the plant, everyone knew who they were, and that they were important customers. Employees would smile and say, ‘Hello Sweden. Thanks for the business.’ And we went from being distracted by unsettling rumours to being known as the most welcoming factory in the industry.

“So, how might you communicate more effectively to eliminate rumours, replace fiction with fact...and get on with business?”

Source: Donald Cooper’s excellent newsletter, Dec 2012

Expect More From 2013

Sun, 09 Dec 2012 16:00:00 GMT

At the end of every year, Gihan Perera publishes an e-book of one-page articles from his eGurus members and this year ‘Expect More From 2013’ includes an article from me.

The link to your complimentary copy of the e-book is at the end of this paragraph. Download the book now and access it over the December/January period for a few minutes at a time, selecting and reflecting on any articles that have meaning for you and where you are going in 2013. The range of topics and breadth of experience of the authors is amazing and each article includes a link so you can find out more about the author.

Download your copy here .....

Just in case you get the idea that I’m an eGuru because I’m included in this book (I’m sure you know me better than that), I’d best explain. Gihan Perera is the eGuru and I’m one of his coaching students trying to get to grips with the mesmerising and ever changing range of technology available to assist my training/speaking/coaching activities. Only trouble is, my involvement to date has been a bit like some people are with gym membership. You know the ones. They pay a monthly fee and then wonder why they aren’t losing weight and getting fitter. Ah, that’s right they actually have to go to the gym regularly and work out before they get results!

Anyway, my New Year’s resolution is to make the most of my eGuru’s membership starting with well-presented webinars for our clients particularly those in regional areas or who otherwise have difficulty getting their staff off the job as a group to attend training sessions.

Words are just words until we choose to live them

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 05:42:00 GMT

During a spell in hospital a while back there were two tools that I kept close to me at all times. My little pocket notebook and pen and also my dictaphone. This meant that whenever I had an observation or thought it could be recorded. And if I wasn't up to writing anything down, as soon as the nurses or other staff members were out of earshot, I could say it into my dictaphone. As a result, I gathered quite a few patient observations while in hospital. This is one that has implications for every organisation large or small.

On day four or five the various tubes stuck into the front and back of me were removed. It was great to have the opportunity to be up and about with my tubes out and fascinating to see what went on outside my room. All the sounds that I'd been hearing now had more meaning.

Walking round the two corridors in my ward and the ward next to mine, I noticed something happening (or failing to happen) on both the morning and the afternoon shift. At reception and in the corridor as I shuffled along, I would be met with eye contact and a smile by any member of staff who previously had been in contact with me. By contrast, if they didn't know me….blank.

Actually, looking back, that's true of the nursing staff and doctors but not of the support staff. On every occasion I was met with eye contact and a smile by support staff as they went about their work.

Doing the rounds ever so slowly in a true softshoe shuffle on my first walk by myself, I had three different nursing staff blank me out. One actually had to swerve to avoid me as she rushed round a corner, yet there was still no acknowledgement.

Then in the lounge waiting area situated outside the lifts I noticed there were some plaques up on the wall; the sort that organisations put their mission statement and other grand corporate statements on. One of them had wonderful words. Here's what it said:

Every encounter is an opportunity

Every interaction with patients at any stage in their journey provides us with an opportunity to exceed their expectations

Every encounter

Every moment

Every person

Every Day

I am totally supportive of guiding principles that are prepared in an inclusive way and become part of, ‘The way we go about everything we do’. Unfortunately, that’s not always the way they are developed and therefore they often don’t reflect the corporate culture.

Now, I don't know if this example was one of those typical things that senior management put together at a corporate love-in or whether the staff were actively involved in coming up with these wonderful words. Either way, quite a number of people weren’t living them on a daily basis - which is sad not just for their customers, the patients, but also for themselves. Sad because living these words would help them to feel better about themselves and certainly help their patients and colleagues feel better about themselves too.

Words are just words until we choose to live them.

If you need some help to get this process underway with your team please get in touch with us here at Terrific Trading. Assisting organisations like yours to get clear about what you want to promise your customer and how to develop standards and checklists to ensure this happens every time is what we do! And we can help you through the process of mapping, managing and influencing the customer experience. It’s well worth the effort.