Lessons from a six year old turkey sandwich chef

September 11, 2009 by ·

At lunch today my six year old wanted to make his own turkey sandwich. So…he toasted the bread – then placed about a tablespoon of mayo in the center of one piece of bread and proceeded to spread it in the middle but not quite to the edges. He then carefully placed his slice of turkey and muenster cheese on top of the mayo and completed his piece of culinary artwork by placing the remaining piece of bread on top.

Lessons/Observations:

1. He wanted to do it by himself and not have his dad micro-manage the process. EMPOWER.

2. He wanted to do it by himself so he could tell others he DID IT by himself. RECOGNITION.

3. After he finished spreading the mayo I helped him get it to the 'edges' by holding the knife at a different angle. He said, "Oh, I was holding it this way but holding it your way finished the job". He was open to receiving instruction and doing things another way. TEACHABILITY

Now excuse me, I'm off to to see the chef for my own turkey sandwich!

Filed Under: Uncategorized ·

Does Free Make One Loyal?

August 21, 2009 by ·

Thanks for being a customer here's a free ____. Join now and receive a free ____. Give us your email address and get a free ____. Fill in the blanks.

Free is a nice appetizer but it's not what carries the day. What carries the day is the value we bring to those we are serving. Whether we serve them through our products or services, if the value we bring doesn't far exceed the "free" gift we've lost the relationship before it even begins. No value = no loyalty.

Now, what if something that is free also has extreme value? We've then put ourselves in a better position to win and have a lasting relationship from the beginning. For a great example of free and extreme value check out sites like Michael Hyatt, Chris Brogan, John Jantsch and Scott Ginsberg. These are guys who have offered extreme value for free and are building huge tribes of raving fans. AND, a lot of their fans are doing business with them in some way. The appetizer was so amazing that their fans can't get enough and are happy and willing to pay for more.

So, what can you give away on your way to creating loyalty?

Filed Under: Customer Experience, Marketing · Tagged With: , , , ,

Are You Compelling?

August 19, 2009 by ·

The following acronym from the Eisenberg brothers has stuck with me for years – AIDAS. It doesn't matter if you are a business looking for new customers, a non-profit looking for new donors or a politician needing more votes, if these five things aren't happening – you have already lost.

  • Gain ATTENTION
  • Generate INTEREST
  • Create DESIRE
  • Produce ACTION
  • Deliver SATISFACTION

We have to tell our stories (business, non-profit, etc…) in a compelling way that captures each of the above elements if we want to succeed.

Filed Under: Marketing ·

Your Core Asset

August 18, 2009 by ·

Earlier today I was talking with a couple of new friends and mentioned the following quote that I've had posted above my desk for the past 15+ years. It says, "It's the customer experience that is the core asset of your business." In an economic climate where everyone wants to compete on price we have to resist that temptation and deliver a customer experience that trumps price and produces loyal fanatical fans.

Check out Michael Hyatt's blog for more great reading on providing outstanding, wow experiences.

Filed Under: Customer Experience ·

Have You Heard The News?

July 17, 2009 by ·

The
changing way we learn of news – #Walter Cronkite #Michael Jackson #Ed
McMahon #Steve Mcnair – I learned of all of their deaths FIRST via Facebook
or Twitter. I didn't hear of it first from a newspaper, cable network or the radio I heard from my friends or the people I follow.

If we want to reach people with our message we must be listening where they talk – we must be talking where they are listening.

Filed Under: Uncategorized ·

Is a Haircut Worth a Three Hour Wait?

July 8, 2009 by ·

For the past five years I've had the same barber. He's an amazing barber and has built a huge following of raving fans. The only drawback has been that he doesn't take appointments – only walk-ins. So, when I needed a trim I would call him to ask how many people were waiting. The average time for a haircut with him is 20-30 minutes so depending on how many people were waiting it could be a while. Up until recently I was able to justify my 60-90 minute wait for a haircut – take the Blackberry and work while I waited.

At the beginning of June he reduced the days that he's open which only caused there to be a longer wait time. Six weeks ago I stopped by to get my haircut and there was one person in the chair and eight waiting – at least a three hour wait. I could no longer justify the wait time, even though I absolutely love the guy, so…I've found a new barber.

Bottom line is that people can love our products, our services and our brand but if we can't take care of them when they need us to take care of them they are probably moving on.

Filed Under: Customer Experience ·

Joy in Giving

July 3, 2009 by ·

Today my oldest and one and only daughter turns 20 (that’s another blog). A couple of hours ago my six year old came down to my office to ask if he could give her a card that he had made for her. I told him yes and he became extremely excited and run fill tilt go get his card to give his big sister. The ultimate joy for him was in giving.

What are the little things we can do or ‘give’ to others? I’m just finishing reading How Full Is Your Bucket which is all about giving – giving encouragement and building up others.

Take time to give today – give an extra mile to a customer, a peer, your boss or maybe a complete stranger.

Filed Under: Personal Growth ·
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