The Exceptional Customer Service Difference

Jessica gets it. The value of customer service, that is. This young coffee shop barista made my day recently when I rushed into a local bookstore to pick up a copy of a trade journal. When I could not find it on the rack, I saw her in an aisle and asked her to help me. She immediately put down what she was doing and came to my aid. When she could not find the magazine in the usual spot, she asked if I’d like for her to check on it for me. As we walked toward the computer which was behind the counter of the in-store coffee shop adjacent to the magazine racks, she asked if I would like to get one of their blackberry cream lattes. I told her “No, thank you,” but as she looked up the magazine, I noticed she had placed a table tent on the counter showing an irresistible photo of this special coffee drink of the week. Though she found there were no more issues of the magazine in the store, she sold me the latte. While she made it, she asked if I would like a snack with it, perhaps one of their fresh blueberry scones. I told her, “No, thank you, but you will sell lots more scones if you ask everyone that.” Every time Jennifer asked me anything, she looked right at me and smiled. She asked for my store perks card, and when I gave it to her, she began to use my name, as printed on the card. She returned the card to me wrapped in a small folder that offered me my eighth cup of joe free. When my coffee drink was ready, she announced my name and the coffee drink as if I were royalty for whom she had a special gift. She thanked me for taking the time to come in that day. I took a sip with foam on my upper lip and thought, “Got Customer Service”!

So what customer service did Jessica provide that was so out of the ordinary? Lots! Here are three of the things she did that set her apart:

• She went out of her way to help the customer. She could have just glanced at the periodicals rack and said, “Sorry, we don’t seem to have that magazine.” But she offered to look it up even though I doubt that is on the job description of coffee shop service rep.
• She asked and asked again. In five short minutes, she asked me all kinds of questions. Because of it, she sold me on her product, her service, and her store.
• She personalized our interaction with friendly professionalism. Once she learned my name, she used it in a friendly, courteous manner. With a genuine smile, she thanked me for taking my time to be there, as if I were doing her a favor.

Your customers are your strongest source of referrals and repeat business. What are you doing to go the extra mile for them? Are you initiating periodic contact, inviting them to special events, providing a stream of information that communicates not only valuable resources to them, but supports your positioning as the helpful, knowledgeable resource they can trust? Are you asking what your customers need, and – perhaps more important – what they expect that they are not yet receiving? How – and how often – are you asking for referrals? What programs do you have in place to reward your customers for referrals, recognize them for their loyalty, and reassure them that they are getting the maximum value possible? Are you treating your customers like you really appreciate them and what they mean to your business? Once a week, ask yourself, “What have I done lately to show my customers how much I value them?”

I walked out of the bookstore without the magazine, but smiling and glad Jessica had passed through my day. Will I return? Absolutely, and especially when Jessica is there. Will I tell all sorts of others about this exceptional customer service experience? I just did.

Julie Wassom
“The Speaker Whose Message Means Business”
Marketing and Sales Speaker/Consultant/Author
Call me: 303-693-2306
Fax me: 303-617-6422
E-me: julie@juliewassom.com
See me: www.juliewassom.com

Follow Up And Sales Skills

Follow-up action that doesn’t include top-notch sales skills is like a football game that doesn’t include any touchdowns. It’s a lot of action with no tangible results. That doesn’t mean making every call, email, letter, or brochure into a sales pitch, but it does mean presenting benefits to meet known prospect or customer needs. Make your follow-up go beyond educating your prospects, to enticing them to visit you to learn first-hand what they can get from you and to referring you to other prospective buyers. Ask for the visit. Ask for the sale when it is appropriate. Ask for referrals. Ask how you can be a better partner in your customer’s success or satisfaction. Practice good sales skills as part of your follow-up action and you’ll soon reap more of the fortune awaiting you.

Julie Wassom
“The Speaker Whose Message Means Business”
Marketing and Sales Speaker/Consultant/Author
Call me: 303-693-2306
Fax me: 303-617-6422
E-me: julie@juliewassom.com
See me: www.juliewassom.com

Reference

Guerilla Marketing, Jay Conrad Levinson, Houghton Mifflin Company.

Fortune In The Follow-Up; Information of Value

When you give prospects information, only tell or send what they need to answer their questions and help them make a good buying decision. Once you have secured them as a customer, keep in mind that your competition doesn’t stop trying to lure them away. Keep in touch with your customers. If you periodically contact them with information of value to them, your percentage of customers remaining loyal will dramatically increase.

Valuable ways to follow-up with your prospects and customers:

1. • send announcements of news you want to share
   • send articles of interest, noting you as the provider of this information
   • send thank you notes for referrals
   • call about an upcoming community marketing opportunity
   • invite customers to attend upcoming meetings and events that will be a good learning experience or a fun community event for them
   • send a brief, value-packed newsletter

Don’t always assume you know what information is of value to your prospects and customers. Do some research to determine what they perceive is truly valuable information.  Remember, their perception is their reality, and it’s that reality – not yours – upon which they base their buying decisions.

Julie Wassom
“The Speaker Whose Message Means Business”
Marketing and Sales Speaker/Consultant/Author
Call me: 303-693-2306
Fax me: 303-617-6422
E-me: julie@juliewassom.com
See me: www.juliewassom.com

The Fortune is in the Follow-Up (Part 1)

What is one technique that can influence whether or not your prospect buys from you or from your competition? The answer: Follow-up action. Follow-up is a marketing skill that separates the professional business person from the hopeful business owner or manager. I like to say, “The fortune is in the follow-up.”

FOLLOW-UP ACTION TIP: Know what you can expect to get for your follow-up efforts.

1. What is the fortune that well-executed follow-up can give you?
2. More visits which gives you more opportunities to convert those visits to sales.
3. Top-of-mind positioning as prospective buyers investigate the industry and visit your competitors.
4. Customer relationships that generate repeat business and the referrals that are your most cost-effective form of advertising.
5. Competitive differentiation.

Why does follow-up give you a competitive advantage?

1.  So few do it well, if at all. So if you simply do it, you’re already ahead of many of your competitors.
2. It gives you another opportunity to be in front of your prospects and customers. Business strategist, Jeffrey Gitomer, says it takes as many as 10 impressions to get a sale and to begin to build a relationship. Follow-up action makes it easier to be there more often than many of your competitors will be.
3. It gives you what I call “personalized positioning.” Good follow-up will lead your prospects and customers to think of you as a person who cares and has their best interests at heart. It also positions you as someone who ethically delivers.

When you follow-up with information of value, and you do it more than your prospects and customers expect, they perceive more value in what you have to offer. And it makes you more believable. People will ultimately purchase from you based less on what you tell them than on what they actually believe of what you tell them.

Julie Wassom
“The Speaker Whose Message Means Business”
Marketing and Sales Speaker/Consultant/Author
Call me: 303-693-2306
Fax me: 303-617-6422
E-me: julie@juliewassom.com
See me: www.juliewassom.com

Ask Julie

Q: “What is a way to ask customers for referrals without feeling pushy?”

A: One way is to use an open question, such as, “Whom do you know that I might contact about enrolling in our center?” This is much better than saying, “Do you know anyone whom I might call?” because the former question asks for specifics and cannot easily be answered with just a “Yes” or “No” response. This is a good question to ask just after your customer has complimented you on something they feel you are doing well in the center.

A question such as this is appropriate without seeming pushy, as it helps your customers think about how they can spread the good word about your center and actually help others they care about.

Julie Wassom
“The Speaker Whose Message Means Business”
Marketing and Sales Speaker/Consultant/Author
Call me: 303-693-2306
Fax me: 303-617-6422
E-me: julie@juliewassom.com
See me: www.juliewassom.com

How To Get Referrals – ASK

It has always surprised me that so many people who are confident in their products or services are hesitant to ask for referrals. They see it as too pushy or they are fearful that their own perception may be more positive than the opinion of others. Many business people will refer a good restaurant or movie more readily than their own company or products and services. If you are one of those people, you are missing a premiere opportunity to generate prospects for sales.

Ask for referrals. It’s a small way you can express the confidence you have in what your business offers. It’s also an extremely cost-effective marketing technique, because it can generate new prospects with very little extra effort. For example, in a follow up conversation with a prospect or customer, you could say, “When you come next time, I’ll show you how you can . . . (something of value to them).  By the way, who else do you know who might also be interested in what we have to offer? I’d be happy to give them a call and send information like I did for you.”

Let prospects and customers know if you have a referral program that offers a rebate or other rewards for referrals that convert into sales. Word of mouth is your most cost-effective advertising. If your services, products, and customer support are truly outstanding, you probably have customers who are telling other prospects how happy they are with you. By asking for those referrals, you are mining for gold in future sales.

So get out your picks and shovels and ask for those referrals!

Julie Wassom
“The Speaker Whose Message Means Business”
Marketing and Sales Speaker/Consultant/Author
Call me: 303-693-2306
Fax me: 303-617-6422
E-me: julie@juliewassom.com
See me: www.juliewassom.com

The Exceptional Customer Service Difference

Jessica gets it. The value of customer service, that is. This young coffee shop barista made my day recently when I rushed into a local bookstore to pick up a copy of a trade journal. When I could not find it on the rack, I saw her in an aisle and asked her to help me. She immediately put down what she was doing and came to my aid. When she could not find the magazine in the usual spot, she asked if I’d like for her to check on it for me. As we walked toward the computer which was behind the counter of the in-store coffee shop adjacent to the magazine racks, she asked if I would like to get one of their blackberry cream lattes. I told her “No, thank you,” but as she looked up the magazine, I noticed she had placed a table tent on the counter showing an irresistible photo of this special coffee drink of the week. Though she found there were no more issues of the magazine in the store, she sold me the latte. While she made it, she asked if I would like a snack with it, perhaps one of their fresh blueberry scones. I told her, “No, thank you, but you will sell lots more scones if you ask everyone that.” Every time Jennifer asked me anything, she looked right at me and smiled. She asked for my store perks card, and when I gave it to her, she began to use my name, as printed on the card. She returned the card to me wrapped in a small folder that offered me my eighth cup of joe free. When my coffee drink was ready, she announced my name and the coffee drink as if I were royalty for whom she had a special gift. She thanked me for taking the time to come in that day. I took a sip with foam on my upper lip and thought, “Got Customer Service”!

So what customer service did Jessica provide that was so out of the ordinary? Lots! Here are three of the things she did that set her apart:

• She went out of her way to help the customer. She could have just glanced at the periodicals rack and said, “Sorry, we don’t seem to have that magazine.” But she offered to look it up even though I doubt that is on the job description of coffee shop service rep.
• She asked and asked again. In five short minutes, she asked me all kinds of questions. Because of it, she sold me on her product, her service, and her store.
• She personalized our interaction with friendly professionalism. Once she learned my name, she used it in a friendly, courteous manner. With a genuine smile, she thanked me for taking my time to be there, as if I were doing her a favor.

Your customers are your strongest source of referrals and repeat business. What are you doing to go the extra mile for them? Are you initiating periodic contact, inviting them to special events, providing a stream of information that communicates not only valuable resources to them, but supports your positioning as the helpful, knowledgeable resource they can trust? Are you asking what your customers need, and – perhaps more important – what they expect that they are not yet receiving? How – and how often – are you asking for referrals? What programs do you have in place to reward your customers for referrals, recognize them for their loyalty, and reassure them that they are getting the maximum value possible? Are you treating your customers like you really appreciate them and what they mean to your business? Once a week, ask yourself, “What have I done lately to show my customers how much I value them?”

I walked out of the bookstore without the magazine, but smiling and glad Jessica had passed through my day. Will I return? Absolutely, and especially when Jessica is there. Will I tell all sorts of others about this exceptional customer service experience? I just did.

See Julie’s seminar on Customer Retention

–Julie Wassom
Julie@JulieWassom.com
http://JulieWassom.com

Follow Up And Sales Skills

Follow-up action that doesn’t include top-notch sales skills is like a football game that doesn’t include any touchdowns. It’s a lot of action with no tangible results. That doesn’t mean making every call, email, letter, or brochure into a sales pitch, but it does mean presenting benefits to meet known prospect or customer needs. Make your follow-up go beyond educating your prospects, to enticing them to visit you to learn first-hand what they can get from you and to referring you to other prospective buyers. Ask for the visit. Ask for the sale when it is appropriate. Ask for referrals. Ask how you can be a better partner in your customer’s success or satisfaction. Practice good sales skills as part of your follow-up action and you’ll soon reap more of the fortune awaiting you.

–Julie Wassom
http://JulieWassom.com 

Reference

Guerilla Marketing, Jay Conrad Levinson, Houghton Mifflin Company.

Fortune In The Follow-Up; Information of Value

When you give prospects information, only tell or send what they need to answer their questions and help them make a good buying decision. Once you have secured them as a customer, keep in mind that your competition doesn’t stop trying to lure them away. Keep in touch with your customers. If you periodically contact them with information of value to them, your percentage of customers remaining loyal will dramatically increase.

Valuable ways to follow-up with your prospects and customers:

1. • send announcements of news you want to share
   • send articles of interest, noting you as the provider of this information
   • send thank you notes for referrals
   • call about an upcoming community marketing opportunity
   • invite customers to attend upcoming meetings and events that will be a good learning experience or a fun community event for them
   • send a brief, value-packed newsletter

Don’t always assume you know what information is of value to your prospects and customers. Do some research to determine what they perceive is truly valuable information.  Remember, their perception is their reality, and it’s that reality – not yours – upon which they base their buying decisions.

–Julie Wassom
http;//JulieWassom.com

The Fortune is in the Follow-Up (Part 1)

What is one technique that can influence whether or not your prospect buys from you or from your competition? The answer: Follow-up action. Follow-up is a marketing skill that separates the professional business person from the hopeful business owner or manager. I like to say, “The fortune is in the follow-up.”

FOLLOW-UP ACTION TIP: Know what you can expect to get for your follow-up efforts.

1. What is the fortune that well-executed follow-up can give you?
2. More visits which gives you more opportunities to convert those visits to sales.
3. Top-of-mind positioning as prospective buyers investigate the industry and visit your competitors.
4. Customer relationships that generate repeat business and the referrals that are your most cost-effective form of advertising.
5. Competitive differentiation.

 Why does follow-up give you a competitive advantage?

1.  So few do it well, if at all. So if you simply do it, you’re already ahead of many of your competitors.
2. It gives you another opportunity to be in front of your prospects and customers. Business strategist, Jeffrey Gitomer, says it takes as many as 10 impressions to get a sale and to begin to build a relationship. Follow-up action makes it easier to be there more often than many of your competitors will be.
3. It gives you what I call “personalized positioning.” Good follow-up will lead your prospects and customers to think of you as a person who cares and has their best interests at heart. It also positions you as someone who ethically delivers.

 When you follow-up with information of value, and you do it more than your prospects and customers expect, they perceive more value in what you have to offer. And it makes you more believable. People will ultimately purchase from you based less on what you tell them than on what they actually believe of what you tell them.

–Julie Wassom
http://JulieWassom.com