Customer Dis-Service Summary 2011

Good customer service is your best marketing. Bad customer service is your strongest marketing challenge.

Is customer service getting worse? Or are customers becoming more demanding? I think that it is both. I know that I expect more and I'm experiencing worse customer service.

Review this summary of customer dis-service reports, posts and articles.


Customer Service Sucker Punch: How Can I Help You?


Have you noticed that this phrase does not often mean what the average person might think it means.

It's a deception, a feint, a sucker punch phrase wielded by customer service managers.

A sucker punch is an old boxing term. The fighter in the red trunks lowers his right hand thus leaving an opening. His opponent, the fighter in the blue trunks notices the opening and excitedly moves to take advantage of the opportunity. But Blue fails to notice Red's cocked left hand. Blue ignores caution and springs forward for an expected easy win. But Red catches Blue with his ready left. Red destroys Blue who walked into the sucker punch.
Read the rest of Customer Service Sucker Punch: How Can I Help You?




Apparently You, The Customer, Are The Problem


"I don't know what is going on. I was supposed to leave an hour and a half ago."
That was the first thing that our waitress said when she arrived at our table. We had arrived more than five minutes ago and quickly decided on our usuals. This was one of our regular restaurant chains. We had not been to this location before. We were on the way home after a long drive. We were looking forward to enjoy our usual, quick service and then back onto the highway for the final leg home.
Instead we were seated by a friendly hostess and quickly forgotten - or so it seemed. A stern waitress walked by us at least three times without making eye contact. A stoic waiter (who also had mastered the power of avoiding eye contact) served the group across from us who arrived after us. We were wondering if we should leave. Perhaps we were at the wrong table.
Customer service managers seem to be using this same technique on their customers. Instead of helping customers they sucker punch them.
Read the rest of Apparently You, The Customer, Are The Problem


Customer Dis-service: Have a Nice Day

That's what the cashier said to me at the end of my purchase. "Have a Nice Day."

I said nothing back. Why? Because I felt that her statement was insincere. From what I saw, her well-meaning statement was delivered because the company instructed her to deliver it at the end of every transaction. She really didn't mean it and she didn't understand why she was saying it.

The strange thing is that the cashier probably thought that I was rude for not responding.
Read the rest of Customer Disservice: Have a Nice Day

Branding Summary 2011

Good time to review your branding strategy for 2012.

Check out these provocative articles about branding. Warning: You might find some of these ideas offensive - and that's what a good brand should do.



The Branding Fallacy


Your Branding might be killing your business

Beware of the branding zombies. They regurgitate meaningless mantras like "branding is good", "you need a brand" and "we can help you develop your brand." These creatures only want your life blood. Unfortunately these zombies don't look like the ones in Michael Jackson's Thriller video. They look like you and I. They call themselves branding consultants, marketing agencies or graphic designers. And they try to sell you snake oil remedies.

It's time for a branding wakeup call. This might hurt especially if you have recently succumbed to worship of the brand. Remember, "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain" in the movie The Wizard of OZ. I'm ripping back the curtain. You might not like what you see. But it might save your business. I'm urging you, "Pay attention to the man behind the curtain."
Read the rest of The Branding Fallacy




Five Steps to Build a Personal Brand Like Harry Houdini


Harry Houdini died in 1926 - more than 80 years ago. Yet he is still remembered as the greatest escape artist of all time. Even David Copperfield doesn't come close in terms of brand and name recognition. That is the power of personal branding. Build a solid personal brand and it catapults you to success. Build a really good personal brand and it survives your death. Will your brand survive 80 years after your death? More importantly, will your personal brand help you while you are alive?
Read the rest of Five Steps to Build a Personal Brand Like Harry Houdini




BRANDING : 7 Important Questions and the Straight Answers


Consider these important questions about branding and the brutally honest answers that could help you sell more and save you lots of money that is typically wasted on branding. If you sell yourself as a branding expert - you might not like these answers. These are frank answers that demystify branding.
Read the rest of BRANDING : 7 Important Questions and the Straight Answers




Branding Lessons from Genghis Khan, the Mongolian Marketer

What can a growing business learn about branding from Genghis Khan? He united and ruled Mongolia. Genghis is known as a strong ruler and conqueror. Some might call him cruel and vicious. But he is remembered as a strong, memorable and effective leader.
Genghis Khan provides powerful lessons for business on branding. Consider this branding challenge. Many countries, geographic regions and cultures are looking for creative ways to develop their tourism industry. How can developing countries develop their brand?
What can you do if you are Mongolia, a country that suffered almost 70 years of Soviet communism? (The Russians hated the Mongols.)
Play word association with the word "Mongolia" and you might reply with "Mongols" which would lead you to "Genghis Khan"; then you might run out of words. This is the challenge that Mongolia was facing.
Read the rest of Branding Lessons from Genghis Khan, the Mongolian Marketer




Is There a Brand in Your Stand?


Watch out for the branding gurus. Beware of the branding police who focus only on images of brand. Fire the branding consultants who feel qualified to tell you what your brand should be. Ignore the branding zealots who proclaim "brand or die".
Good, now that we have frightened off the undesirables let's address some fundamental questions about branding and offer you some probing questions to consider. That first paragraph demonstrates the three rules of creative positioning as explained below.
Should you have a brand?

Maybe. It depends on the goals of your business. You need to ask yourself some questions. Will the brand give you the return on your investment? Will you invest the resources to claim and sustain the brand?
Read the rest of Is There a Brand in Your Stand?


George Torok
Marketing Keynote Speaker
More Marketing Articles

Marketing Article Review - 2011

In case you missed them or would like a refresher here are the top marketing articles that I published this past year.


Viral Marketing


Viral Marketing is so powerful because it is like a train building up speed. Once it is moving you can't stop it without derailing the train. It takes a lot of steam to get the train moving. And it is difficult to stop. The train will almost always follow the tracks. You never really know for sure where your viral marketing campaign might lead.

Viral marketing is well named because, when done right, it spreads like a virus. The term viral marketing might be too graphic for some because it brings to mind the viral spread of disease such as the bubonic plague, typhoid, and AIDS. Read the rest of Viral Marketing



Strategic Re-Positioning: Riviera Maya

My first visit to Mexico was to Acapulco on the Pacific coast. It was the seventies, disco was king and Acapulco was the singles' hotspot.

A decade later I visited Puerto Vallarta, also on the Pacific coast for a more relaxed vacation.

Cancun and the Yucatan Peninsula started to gain popularity because of the sandy beaches, warm water scuba diving and proximity to Mayan temples.

Mexico as a winter escape vacation has long attracted northerners - especially Canadians. But it has always had lots of competition from the rest of the Caribbean and even the Southern USA.
Read the rest of Strategic Re-Positioning: Riviera Maya




Strategic Positioning: The Battle for Market Dominance

The most important marketing question that you need to address in your business is "What position do you want to hold - in the market and in the minds of your clients?"

Why is that question so important to you?

The answer to that question will clarify your strategy and direction. And that answer will answer a lot of other distracting questions quickly.

This is a tough question. That's why many business owners don't address it. Think about the significance of that. If most aren't addressing this fundamental question about their business then there is a huge opportunity for you if you are willing to do the heavy lifting.
Read the rest of Strategic Positioning: The Battle for Market Dominance




Marketing Success: Lead With Success Stories


Results sell. The purpose of marketing is to make it easier to sell and nothing sells like results. To capture attention and convert more prospects into eager buyers with your marketing - lead with success stories.

Feature success stories in your advertising, on your website, in your sales calls, and in your networking. Include them on every marketing channel.

This approach is even more important during challenging times. If your clients and prospects are hoarding their money you need to attract their attention and their money with success stories.
Read the rest of Marketing Success: Lead With Success Stories




Marketing Strategy: Fight an Evil Enemy


Conflict sells. If you want to be noticed fight a powerful and evil enemy. Who or what are you fighting? While planning your marketing strategy pick an enemy. The tougher, the meaner, the more disgusting your enemy - the better for you. That positions you as the hero.

"You complete me"

The Joker taunted Batman with that phrase in the movie The Dark Knight. The public image of both Batman and the Joker were stronger because of their conflict. A champion needs a formidable villain and vice versa.

The marketing lesson from that is that the public defines you by your competition. If you are not well known maybe you need to pick a tougher enemy.
Read the rest of Marketing Strategy: Fight an Evil Enemy



George Torok

Marketing Keynote Speaker

What's Your Story?

"It was a dark and stormy night"

That engaging line marked the begining of an old story. Although many of us might recognize the line few might know the author, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, or the title, Paul Clifford. It was published in 1830.

The point is that stories capture attention and good stories are remembered. Stories are powerful marketing tools.

Now there is scientific proof of the effect of stories on the brain. Read about Your Brain on Stories at the Neuromarketing blog. Note the report about how they used MRI to measure the effect of story telling on different parts of the brain.

Notice how the story about the Snow blower add on Kijiji that went viral. The well written ad captured attention because it was written in a story telling manner.

Read the Huffington Post report about Kijiji Snowblower Ad From Moncton, New Brunswick: Genius Ad Offers Chance To 'Punch Snow In The Throat'


Back to where we began. What's Your Story?

If you aren't telling your product/business/career story, perhaps it's time to start.

BMO Customer Service Shines: Kudos to Bank of Montreal

The Bank of Montreal has been impressing me with their customer service lately.

I received a phone call from the bank that my line of credit was over drawn. The message requested that I take care of that differennce today.

It was my mistake. I had miscalculated. I was delighted to receive that call for two reasons.

1. BMO did not bounce the cheque that put it over.
2. BMO called to alert me to the problem.

Naturally I returned the call and corrected the overage that afternoon.

BMO did two simple things that I appreciate. Apparently it is possible for the bank to do that.

Contrast that with my experience with the TD Bank. When faced with a similar situation TD bounced my cheque and did not call me. Instead, they mailed me a noticed that arrived a week later. And TD charged me for a bounced cheque from them and the other bank plus an overdraft charge.

When I received the notice I called immediatley. I visited the bank and fixed the overage. I asked the TD Bank to call me when and if this happens again. They informed me that they didn't have time to call everybody... What that really meant is that they had no intention of calling me because I wasn't important to them.

I have been a customer of both the TD and and BMO banks for at least 30 years.

Just imagine that. There is a problem - so you call your customer and let them know. That is so easy to do. Why don't they all do that?

I know. Some of them are too busy to talk to customers.

Kudos to Bank of Montreal.
Lumps of coal to TD Bank.


George Torok
Marketing Expert
Marketing Speaker
Radio Show Host of Business in Motion

Add Some Conflict to Make Your PR Programs Pop

Conflict sells. Conflict makes the news, grabs attention and gets discussed at the water cooler. If you want to be noticed, fight a powerful and evil enemy. Who or what demon are you fighting? While planning your PR strategy, pick your enemy strategically. The tougher, meaner and more disgusting your enemy—the better for you. That positions you clearly as the hero.


The Joker taunted Batman with the phrase "you complete me" in the movie The Dark Knight. The public image of both Batman and the Joker were stronger because of their conflict. A champion needs a formidable villain, and vice versa.

The PR lesson is that the public defines you by your competition. If you are not well known maybe you need to pick a tougher, more visible enemy.

Make your enemy appear more frightening

Read the rest of this article on PR News Online


George Torok is a Marketing Expert and a contributor to PR News Online

Post Card Marketing: Good Idea - Bad Design

Have a quick look at this post card. Ask yourself two questions as you scan it: What stands out? and What are they selling?

I'm a big fan of post card marketing because it is not used enough - so it tends to stand out and it is relatively inexpensive compared to other off line direct marketing. And most of us would rather receive a post card over a letter.

The first question: What stands out? What caught your attention?

Likely the first thing you noticed was "Bil Copeland" in the top left because that is where our eyes start. But who and what is Bil Copeland? Is the name a mis-spelling? And more more importantly, how can he help you?

The next place that catches your attention is the bottom right corner "RockStar".

Perhaps he is a Rockstar or wannabe Rockstar. So what? Why should you care?

Because I'm a marketer, I reread this postcard a few times. My guess is the average recepiant would not invest the same about of time or attention to this confusing postcard.

The mistakes:

No clear benefit to grab attention
Trying to promote two different services on the same postcard
Too much text, Way too much!!!
No clear understanding of what your prospects want
No call to action
No benefits to grab attention
Difficult to read text and way too much
No clear direction of eye movement

It's a colourful postcard - but a lousy marketing piece.

George Torok

With All Due Respect

What does the phrase, "with all due respect" really mean?

It might mean:

"But"

"You annoyed me and I'm only saying this because you are a paying customer"

"I don't respect you or your opinion at all"

"This message has nothing to do with respect"

"Now listen to my excuse"

"How dare you"

"You just don't appreciate how hard I work"

"Now I'm going to tell you why you are wrong"

"No respect is due"

Which of those do you think is most appropriate for the use in the following sentence?

"With all due respect, I have over 190+ accounts to take care of and I with all honesty try my best to give everyone special attention..."

I received an email that started with that sentence in response to my message of disappointment and request for more specific details about a promotion that this supplier had done for my service.

Couple "with all due respect" with the phrase "with all honesty" and you have a major train derailment here.

Both of those phrases are land mine phrases. They trigger questions and feelings of just of the opposite of what they might be intended to imply. Why? Because they seem out of place and a case of Shakespeare's "the lady doth protest too much".

If you're unhappy or simply asking for better service, do you care how many clients your service representative serves? How is that relevant to you?

And if the disappointing service that you received was "special attention" what would "less than special" look like?

With all due respect (oops)


George Torok

Marketing Speaker

Secrets of Power Marketing

Do You Need More of Your Clients To Complain?

Maybe your business would improve if you heard more complaints from your customers.

Re-read that last statement and instead of focusing on “more complaints” focus on “heard more”.

It might not be about needing more complaints. There could easily be enough available. It might be that you need to listen better to the complaints. Those customer complaints could be an amazing free marketing research resource for you – if you listen.

I overheard a mother protest that she was tired of the school calling her about her son. Wow. Why would she not want to receive feedback from the school about her son? Good or bad news – wouldn’t a caring mother want to know how to help her son? The school was calling her because they cared and thought that she did too. Apparently she didn’t want to be bothered with bad news.

Good or bad news – you’d think that a concerned business owner or company president would want to know how to improve the experience for his customers. Listen without judging to customers and they will tell you what you need to know.

Customer complaints mostly come from customers who care about the relationship and want to improve it. Why would any business ignore this valuable constructive feedback?

Customers who don’t care about you or your relationship don’t complain. They quietly leave and buy somewhere else. They will most likely tell their friends about their negative experience.

You might not like to hear what they are saying. It might hurt. You might even take it personally.

The simplest way to reduce the complaints from customers is to tell your customers that you don’t care about them or their opinions. You can to that by making the complaint process onerous. You can dissuade customer complaints by instructing your staff to quote company policy. You can reduce customer complaints by refusing to talk to customers and instructing your staff to screen all calls.

I agree that not all complaints are valid. But you can learn from all complaints. If you are the CEO don’t be surprised if you don’t like the tone of the customer complaint by the time it gets to you. Just imagine the layers of frustration that your customer might have encountered on the uphill climb to reach you.

If you are the CEO and you are shielding yourself from customer complaints – then don’t be surprised when you get fired – by the customer or by your board.


George Torok

Marketing Speaker

The Deceptive Power of Contrast

This photo surprised me.

The two men on my right were the greeters at this restaurant in Yazd, Iran. It was an Iranian restaurant. The food was terrific.

What surprised me?

When I entered the restaurant I was first greeted by the smaller man, then the larger man.
My memory recorded the second man as a giant.

But looking at this photo you can see that I'm noticeably taller than the giant. Curious how our brain plays tricks on us. I would have sworn that the giant was at least 7 feet tall and 300 pounds.

I'm about 6 feet tall and weight (still) less than 200 pounds.

Why did my brain record the facts differently than the camera?

Contrast.

The brain records new information in relation to existing information. When we learn something new our brain first searches for a way to relate that new information to the existing database within our brain cells.

Upon entering the restaurant, I first saw the smaller man, then I saw the larger man. The larger man was ordinary by himself. But the smaller man was so unusually small that my perspective was changed so much that the second man appeared massive in comparision.


George Torok

Keynote Marketing Speaker

Are You Curious? So Are Your Prospects

How might you harness curiousity to attract attention?

Tell someone they can't have something and suddenly they want it.

Here's an example from P T Barnum of using both curiousity and umbrage in marketing to grab attention.

This is an excerpt from the book "The Art of Money-Getting" by P T Barnum, published in 1888.

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Some men have a peculiar genius for writing a striking advertisement, one that will arrest the attention of the reader at first sight. This fact, of course, gives the advertiser a great advantage. Sometimes a man makes himself popular by an unique sign or a curious display in his window, recently I observed a swing sign extending over the sidewalk in front of a store, on which was the inscription in plain letters,

"DON'T READ THE OTHER SIDE"

Of course I did, and so did everybody else, and I learned that the man had made all independence by first attracting the public to his business in that way and then using his customers well afterwards.

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Excerpt from "The Art of Money-Getting" by P T Barnum, 1888

How could you use this idea and principle in your marketing?

Tell people to do something that you know they will rebel against.

Make them pass the qualifications before they can continue to the next stage.

Tease them with the hint of what is to come.

Whisper instead of shouting.

Make them wait. (But not too long)

George Torok

Personal Marketing

Power Marketing on Facebook

50 Power Marketing Tips - free - if you qualify

Why do People Need to See Your Ad Seven Times?

You might have heard that prospects need to see your advertisements seven times before they buy. That phrase is often repeated by advertising sales reps when they are selling you advertisements. "You can't expect results from only one ad" they'll scold you.

Teachers and trainers agree that new information is best remembered after repetition.

But who said that seven times is the magic number for effective advertisement - and more importantly how did they discover that magic number? What research was conducted to draw that conclusion?

Where did that wisdom originate?


Perhaps it was P T Barnum, the famous American showman, businessman, entertainer, promoter and sometimes scam artist.

Or perhaps was a real or fictitious French journalist.

Read this excerpt from P T Barnum's book, "The Art of Money-Getting" published in 1888 and you decide. Enjoy the amusing analogy that P T Barnum uses to make his point. This curious type of analogy appears several times in his book.

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A French writer says that "The reader of a newspaper does not see the first mention of an ordinary advertisement; the second insertion he sees, but does not read; the third insertion he reads; the fourth insertion, he looks at the price; the fifth insertion, he speaks of it to his wife; the sixth insertion, he is ready to purchase, and the seventh insertion, he purchases."

Your object in advertising is to make the public understand what you have got to sell, and if you have not the pluck to keep advertising, until you have imparted that information, all the money you have spent is lost.

You are like the fellow who told the gentleman if he would give him ten cents it would save him a dollar. "How can I help you so much with so small a sum?" asked the gentleman in surprise. "I started out this morning (hiccuped the fellow) with the full determination to get drunk, and I have spent my only dollar to accomplish the object, and it has not quite done it. Ten cents worth more of whiskey would just do it, and in this manner I should save the dollar already expended."

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Excerpt from "The Art of Money-Getting" by P T Barnum 1888

Can you picture P T Barnum smoking his cigar, swirling another glass of whiskey and chuckling as he wrote these words. Do you think he dreamed that his anecdote would become advertising dogma one hundreds later?

So how many times does an advertisement really need to appear?

George Torok

Marketing Speaker

Co-Author of Secrets of Power Marketing

Deception is Normal

Is deception normal in your industry?

The menu listed the wines available with dinner. My wife selected a glass of wine while I chose a beer.

The meal was delicious and the service was prompt and friendly.

But, when we received the bill we noticed that the charge for the wine was double what we expected.

Naturally we asked for a correction.

The waiter “explained” (in a haughty tone) that the price shown in the menu was for one deci litre but it was common practice to serve two deci litres.

He suggested that if you only wanted one deci litre you should have asked for that.

We pointed out that that we were not aware of this practice and not given a choice - and that practice seemed deceptive.

He responded, “That is normal” with a dismissive wave and a shrug.

Apparently it was normal to deceive the customer. Instead of remembering the delicious meal, enchanting setting and attentive service we remember being deceived.


George Torok

Benefits Sell: Appeal to Emotions

You’ll look cool

Those are selling words.

Are you using the best selling words in your marketing messages? Review your marketing messages with the perspective of an uninterested prospect.

What is the first response that prospects might have to your message? Is it “So what?”

That will happen when you describe features.

We are open 9:00am to 7:00pm
We have 24 flavours
Backed by 25 years of service

Yeah, so what?

When I was signing the contract for my new car – the sales rep asked me if I wanted tinted windows.

I hadn’t given it any thought and I didn’t want to spend any more money.

But, when she said the magic words, “Tinted windows will make you look cool, I decided in an instant. I happily ordered the tinted windows.


George Torok

Canadian Business Speaker

Move Up-Market to Differentiate: Burj Al Arab

If you are in a commodity market there might be room to move up-market for new products.

For decades the hotels of the world worked on a rating system of 1 to 5 stars. A 5 star rating meant the best in terms of service, luxury and amenities. That high rating was accompanied by the highest prices.

So if you were developing a new luxury hotel you would be competing in a crowded market even with a five star rating.

What’s the answer? Differentiate your hotel by creating a new category.

The Jumeirah Group differentiated the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai by designing lavish luxury into the property and exquisite service. The look and feel was so superior to any other hotel that it was labeled as a Seven Star Hotel.

Once granted an imagination-capturing label like that – the label sticks.

Leaders will always have followers. It seems that at least a half dozen other new hotels around the world are claiming Seven Star Rating.

Apparently, (I haven’t been there yet) the Burj Al Arab offers check-in desks on every floor and Rolls Royce limousine service. Rooms start at $1,000 a night and run up to $25,000.

With luxury like that I don’t expect to hear about an eight star hotel anytime soon. But maybe I’m not thinking big enough yet.

If you are fighting for scraps in the middle of your market maybe it's time to move up-market and claim your Seven Star rating.


George Torok

Marketing Speaker

Market to your Peers

Why? The email offered an advertising opportunity to buy an ad in the issue of the magazine that would be distributed at my association convention.

Why would that motivate me to buy an advertisement? Why would I pay to promote my services to 400 of my peers and competition? They aren’t going to buy from me nor promote my services.

It didn’t make sense to me. Yet that was the lead point in this sales message. It turned me off quickly.

Your first point in any marketing literature or sales letter should be your strongest point. You want to grab your prospects quickly and get them to buy.

You don’t want your first point to offend your audience by appearing frivolous or ridiculous.

Always lead with your strength and preferably a success story.

I have asked this magazine sales rep for a success story and she had none. Instead she chronicled an imagined scenario that was based on her fantasy. But that’s another story.

The closing message in this promotion was:

"Be the envy of all your peers and be in the convention issue as its distributed at the upcoming conference."

That's a clever appeal to pride. Appeal to emotions especially when you can't compete on substance.

Be clear on who you are marketing to and why.


George Torok
Marketing Speaker

Marketing Like Picasso not Like Van Gogh video

First World Advertisement Forum - keynote marketing speaker, George Torok, points out the marketing lessons from great artists, Van Gogh and Picasso. Video Clip.




Market like Picasso - not like Van Gogh. George Torok delivering keynote marketing speech at the First World Advertisement Forum.

More videos from George Torok at YouTube

Being Pleased with Your Announcement is not Enough

Read this ineffective email announcement and beware. It was sent by a local non-profit organization. Read it and see if you can decipher what they want from the receiver.

Check your interest level, thoughts and emotions as you read this. Of course that’s what you need to do before you ever send an email like this. Certain words have been edited out (substituted with xxx) to protect the guilty.


-------------------------------
It is with great pleasure that we announce the launch of the xxx xxx webpage on our website.

We are fortunate to have some amazing xxx in xxx who have agreed to share their views on what it means for them to be a xxx.

We are pleased to showcase these individuals who have made it their priority to instil work ethics and essential skills, by providing valuable xxx opportunities to our future workforce across a variety of economic sectors.

We invite you to read their stories and hope that you will be inspired to join the thousands of xxx, who believe that knowledge-transfer and xxx are the key to the growth of our economy and our community.To view the xxx page please visit, xxx

Thank you
Name
Title
Organization

What do they want the reader of this message to do? Do they want people to visit their webpage? If so why? What’s the benefit to the reader? If that was the desired action why was it in the fourth paragraph after four boring and send focused paragraphs?

Let’s examine the lame language in this announcement.

“It is with great pleasure that we announce”

Boring, cliché and lame. Why would the receiver of this message care about the sender’s pleasure or announcement?

“We are pleased to showcase”

Why would the receiver care what pleases the sender?

And I left the typo “instil” as it appeared.

“We invite you”

Invite might be a good word to use but the rest of this run-on sentence/paragraph is vague, confusing and boring. What does it mean “to join the thousands”? Do they want money, a signature on a petition or a like on Facebook?

This non-profit organization might end up complaining that people are complacent. I wonder if they will ever consider that perhaps, they haven’t done their homework. They haven’t learned what motivates their market and they haven’t stated their message clearly.

The message needs to be about your audience - not about you.


George Torok

Marketing Speaker

Sponsorship Marketing: Five Criteria For Success

Sponsorship is a friendly way of marketing. It’s friendlier than advertising.

When prospects are on the receiving end of your advertising they know that you are trying to sell them something. So naturally their guard goes up. They prepare to deflect your advertising assault. And they are looking for the fine print. They are searching for the lie in your claims. Mass market advertising can be the least effective form of marketing and it’s very expensive.

Sponsoring is perceived as a good thing. When you sponsor an event, community group or cause that your prospects like – they are more likely to like you. And they are more likely to trust those that they like. Trust makes it easier for prospects to buy from you. You don’t need to say a thing about yourself. By sponsoring you are indirectly saying that you support the cause.

For that reason be sure to include sponsorship in your marketing. But, choose your sponsorships strategically. The next questions are, “What should you sponsor?” and “How do you know if you are getting a good return on your sponsorship?”

What should you sponsor?Pick your cause – a charity, social issue or community group.Pick an event – a fundraiser, community event or gala.Pick a group – a business association, team or social group.From a marketing point of view the question is, will the people who participate reward you with enough referrals, business or good will? Some of this payback is long term. So you need to test your personal convictions. Do you support this cause enough to loose money on it in the short term?For example: I sponsored my daughter’s soccer team. Did I expect a full return on my investment? No – not really. It was a small amount of money, much less than the cost of a traditional advertisement. I needed less than one sale to pay back. I was happy to support my daughter and proud to appear as a sponsor. Any business that I got would have been a bonus.Sometimes you sponsor just for the exposure to the right group. For years I was a wine sponsor at the Chamber of Commerce President’s Gala – a black tie affair. I did not expect direct business from it – just recognition and profile. It was a relatively small amount of money, only a few hundred dollars. Yet I received almost as much profile as the event major sponsors who invested thousands of dollars. It also provided a good conversation opener because folks thanked me for the wine.
Test your sponsorship opportunities against these five criteria:

A negative rating for any one of these criteria could be enough to disqualify this particular sponsorship.


1. Relative cost to exposureIs the cost relatively small compared to other venues of reaching this group? Are you getting more exposure or better targeted exposure from the sponsorship compared to other marketing avenues?

Related to this point, is how well can you leverage the sponsorship? Can you get a list of names? Can you market to them before or after the event? Will it help you to list this sponsorship in your other marketing materials?


2. Audience targeted to your best prospectsThe best prospects for my marketing training and consulting are business owners of mid-size companies. So, I would rather sponsor a forum that reaches 100 business owners versus 1,000 front line customer service reps or 10,000 students. Be clear on who your sponsorship message will reach.


3. Your relative exposure among the sponsors
How many sponsors will there be? How well will you stand out and be noticed among the other sponsors? Being one sponsor among three is much better then being one among 20 sponsors. Don’t get lost in the mob.

4. Do the other sponsors lift your profile?Will you be in the company of other sponsors who make you look good? If you are a small business you might want to be seen in the company of large well known corporations that elevate your influence. You might choose to be associated with fellow sponsors Microsoft, Chase Manhattan Bank, and Coke over Unknown Consultants, Everyday Franchise and Local Taxi Cab.

Even the cause you sponsor can help or hurt your image. We judge you by the company you keep. Whose company are you keeping?

5. Do you support the cause?
If you don’t believe in the program, group or their battle cry – then stay away from it. If you fake your support you will be uncovered and it will haunt you and hurt you.

Sponsorship can be an important element in your marketing activities. Sponsorship can provide you with a profitable return if you have clear expectations of the results and your motivation. Use the five criteria described above to help you make smarter choices in your sponsorship marketing.


© George Torok is co-author of the national bestseller, "Secrets of Power Marketing". To receive your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" and your free subscription to Power Marketing Tips visit www.PowerMarketing.ca
George Torok is a motivational business speaker who speaks to entrepreneurs, corporations and associations. www.business-speaker.biz/

For more business insights, comments and tips visit the marketing blog at http://georgetorok.blogspot.com/

Sponsorship Marketing: Five Criteria For Success

Seven Marketing Myths that Devastate Business

What marketing myths have you “learned” or are you being fed? Marketing has its own dogma - outdated beliefs and mumble jumble all intended to protect self-declared marketing mandarins. Marketing should be helping you get your key messages out - so you can grow, sell more and win more business.What should marketing do for you? Help you sell more. Period! Don’t get fooled by the self anointed marketing gurus who try to sell you blood letting marketing mythology.

Watch out for sacred marketing rules that only seem to protect the marketing mystic without helping you grow your business. Beware of the marketing bureaucrats who seem to be missing the point of marketing. Depending on what business you are in, marketing must help you sell – product, service, membership, investment, participation, and/or support.

You can get past the myths of marketing. You must get past the myths if you want to out-market your competition.Where do you start busting marketing myths? Study these seven marketing myths. Understand them and grasp it as bane against those marketing zombies and business blood suckers.Business killing marketing traps myths you must avoid.

1. The “talent” trap

The myth is that you should hire “talented” people.The reality is that you should never rely on talent. It runs hot and cold. It subjects you to the whims of prima donnas. Instead – build your business by following systems.

2. The “build a better mousetrap” fallacy

The myth is that you should build a better mousetrap – then wait for the crowd to arrive.This is an old myth. The reality is that you need to market. The difference between the financial failure of Van Gogh and the success of Picasso was marketing.

3. The “find a need and fill it” myth

The myth is that you should find a “need” and fill it.This myth is still taught by many business schools. The reality is that people don’t buy what they need. They buy what they want. Your marketing challenge is to make your customers want what you sell or to sell what they want.

4. Myths about the media

Too many business owners believe that the media hates business.That is not true. The media is a business. The media will help you if you help them. What they need is information and stories. Your marketing challenge is to convey your stories to the media in a way that they find interesting and worth repeating.

5. The myth about “how to be number one”

It is surprising that whenever I ask this question of business owners many answer, “Deliver the best product or service.”The reality: To become number one, create your niche. Your marketing challenge is to find and claim your unique niche.

6. The fallacy about value

Value is not what your engineers create or your accountants can measure.There are two elements to total value – real value and perceived value. Your marketing challenge is to maximize the value you deliver from both elements. Be very clear on the importance of perceived value to your clients and the growth of your business.

7. The “lucky break” myth

Stop hoping for the lucky break.Success is never the result of the lucky break. I learned this lesson from the hundreds of entrepreneurs and CEOs that I have worked with and interviewed over the past decade.The reality is that success results from following good systems. Even an imperfect system is better than none. This is especially true of your marketing.

The above might be the most dangerous marketing myths that you must be aware of, and prepared to avoid.The Greek and Norse Myths make for wonderful fantasy. But if you base your marketing on myths – your business will soon be a forgotten fantasy.

© George Torok is the co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing. Get your free copy of “50 Power Marketing Ideas” at http://www.PowerMarketing.ca George Torok works with business owners to give them an unfair advantage over the competition. He helps you unlevel the playing field. Arrange for George Torok to work with you by calling 905-335-1997 or visit http://www.Torok.com

Customer Service Sucker Punch: How Can I Help You?

Have you noticed that this phrase does not often mean what the average person might think it means.

It’s a deception, a feint, a sucker punch phrase wielded by customer service managers.

A sucker punch is an old boxing term. The fighter in the red trunks lowers his right hand thus leaving an opening. His opponent, the fighter in the blue trunks notices the opening and excitedly moves to take advantage of the opportunity. But Blue fails to notice Red’s cocked left hand. Blue ignores caution and springs forward for an expected easy win. But Red catches Blue with his ready left. Red destroys Blue who walked into the sucker punch.

Customer service managers seem to be using this same technique on their customers. Instead of helping customers they sucker punch them.

I recall the times that I have been approached recently and asked, “How can I help you?”

At the grocery store I explained the overcharge at the customer service desk. I explained the math on the precise refund that I expected. They had different math. One of them searched for the store manager. I waited while I noticed the two of them conversing for several minutes. When the store manager approached me she said, “How can I help you?”

Come on. She already knew. What else where they talking about? She did not help me. Instead she preached company policy. She even chastised me for not listening to her every word. She wasn’t there to help me. She was there to get rid of me. Why pretend that you are offering to help me? Why say such misguiding words?

We presented the coupon at the restaurant and the server refused to honor the terms. So we asked to speak to the manager. Several minutes later a grim looking man approached our table and stated, “How can I help you?”

You guessed it. He was not there to help us at all. He did not introduce himself or even try to be friendly. He also refused to honor the coupon for his franchise restaurant. He complained about the franchisor. He was never there to help us. Why did he open with that deceptive phrase?

I called about my cell phone account. After speaking with the first company representative I indicated that I was unhappy with his answer. He offered to connect me with someone else who could help me. I waited several minutes. Finally the second person came on the line and said, “How can I help you?”

I responded, “You already know what I want.” Her quick response was to tell me what she could not do and repeat company policy. She was less friendly than the first representative. Clearly she already knew what I wanted and did not need me to explain it again. Her responses to my questions were either, “I would not”, “I’m not allowed” or “I will not”. She didn’t help me because as she pointed out, “Nobody can.”

Why are customer service people asking, “How can I help you?” when they don’t mean it?

Perhaps the words have no meaning to them. They’ve been trained to parrot the words without understanding and internalizing the meaning. Like the service staff that say “Have a nice day” but say it without warmth or conviction. Maybe like the cashiers that say, “Did you find everything that you were looking for?” I once responded, “No” and proceeded to tell her what I was looking for. She looked at me as if I was a leper. She made no effort to help me. Instead she mumbled something about “maybe next time”. Of course, I’m now trained to ignore that question at that store. I mumble something in reply.

Maybe customer service people believe that they are actually helping the customer by stating company policy. Perhaps they believe that customers only complain because they aren’t aware of company policy. Once the customer knows the policy the customer will feel helped and enlightened. Hmm, not sure I want to smoke that drug.

Or those customer service managers have been encouraged to process customer complaints as bothersome fleas. They might be rated and promoted based on the lessening of official customer complaints. Head them off at the pass and they never become official complaints. Then, the answer to reduce official customer complaints is to work on your sucker punch.

“How can I help you?” Ha – ha! Got you sucker!


© George Torok is the co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing. His book is published in seven countries. To receive your free copy of “50 Power Marketing Ideas” visit http://www.PowerMarketing.ca To arrange a presentation for your team visit www.Torok or call 905-335-1997


Customer Service Sucker Punch: How Can I Help You?

More Customer Service Articles

The Van Gogh Marketing Syndrome Can Kill Your Business

Vincent Van Gogh was an artistic genius. His work is an inspiration to artists and coveted by art fanciers. He was a superb artist. He challenged the norms and created powerful art. Van Gogh was unique. He was a master of his craft. He was a prolific artist. Today many of his paintings sell for millions of dollars. However, he was a failure as a business owner.

If you fancy yourself an expert, a genius, or a Van Gogh of your field – wake up before you’re dead. Don’t base your business model on Van Gogh. Don’t get lost in your art. Van Gogh believed that his magnificent art would sell itself. He didn’t like to sell. He didn’t believe in marketing. Look at what happened to him. He died a penniless man.

Today Van Gogh’s art sells for millions of dollars. However he never saw a penny of that money. Poor man, he died a pauper. His tale is one sad example of a financial disaster. And it’s one from which you can learn. A business that neglects selling and marketing will soon be out of business.

If you consider yourself a professional, technical expert or artist, learn from the mistakes of Van Gogh – quickly – if you want to grow your business. When I research and work with these folks I often find that their business is suffering because they are reluctant and uniformed in marketing their business. They mistakenly believe that being good at their craft is enough. Poor fools.

During his lifetime Van Gogh was not appreciated for his work. Apparently he sold only one painting while he was alive – and the purchase was secretly made by his brother. His brother bought the painting to encourage Vincent. As the story is told, it had the opposite result. When Vincent Van Gogh discovered his brother’s well-intentioned deception – Vincent was angry and became more depressed. He probably blamed everyone else and failed to realize that like it or not he needed to improve his marketing and selling.Instead of being encouraged by his brother’s support, Vincent Van Gogh was more depressed at the lack of public appreciation for his art. Sometimes those who care about you will encourage you because they believe that is what you need. Maybe what you really need is to be told the truth. You need to improve your marketing.If you are in business for public adoration, get out of the business fast. Because, public appreciation comes and goes. And media appreciation is most fickle. One day you are the rose – the next day you are the thorn or plant food.Vincent Van Gogh never realized that he was first a business owner. He didn’t understand that his number one job was to sell his art. His number two job was to market his value. His number three job was to paint. That’s a tough lesson for creative artists to understand. Be clear on your job priorities in your business.Now he is dead and his paintings sell for millions of dollars. Don't let your business fall victim to the Van Gogh Syndrome. Don’t cut off your ear or wait for your death to be your greatest marketing event. Make more money while you are alive by learning how to market and sell better. Don’t count on the art to sell itself.

If you want to paid to paint you first need to market and sell your art.

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©George Torok is the co-author of the national bestseller, Secrets of Power Marketing. The book is published in seven countries. Get your free copy of “50 Power Marketing Ideas” at http://www.PowerMarketing.ca Find more marketing tips and insights at
http://www.facebook.com/PowerMarketing1 To arrange for George Torok to speak to your next business meeting or conference call 905-335-1997

Publish

Publish and you will prosper.
Writing and publishing your words can be an effective way to market yourself. These days it is so easy publish. You don’t need to write a book to be published. It could be as easy as publishing articles on your blog, FaceBook or the article directory sites.


Publish to position yourself as an expert.
Even though it is so easy to publish – many are still unpublished. That means we respect those who are published. Being published suggests that you have expertise. That might mean knowledge, experience or simply opinion. The three of those together qualify you as an expert. Consider that there are very few experts who are unpublished.


Publish to enhance your perceived value.
The ability to write is a valued skill. In order to be published you must first develop your writing skills. If you are published we assume that you have the writing skills. If you have the writing skills but aren’t published then no one knows or appreciates your skill.


Publish to generate leads.
Write and publish enough and you will receive business leads for your service. The more informed you appear, the more practical you sound and the more controversial you seem – the more likely you will generate real business leads with your writing.


Publish to provide additional value to your clients.
Help your clients better understand your product, your service and how those can them. The extra clarification, tips and idea will be appreciated as follow-up added value. Send them the links or print and send hard copy via snail mail.


Publish to think about and explore new ideas and perspectives.
The more you write and publish – the more you will be forced to explore new ideas and add substance to them. In fact a wonderful way to improve your understanding of your topic is simply to write about it. You will need to understand the concepts better to put them into print. If you want to trigger your brain for new articles, just start asking yourself probing questions about the topic.


Go ahead – write and publish.


Published on Facebook

Published on Article Ezines

Small Print Does not build Good Relationships

Bell Canada was fined $10 million for their deceptive advertising and excessive use of small print.

The response from the Bell Canada spokesperson was along the line of - well everyone else does the same thing. This is normal in the industry. In other words, we were no better or worse than the others.

Maybe the industry needs to clean up it’s act.

Maybe Bell Canada could decide to be the industry leader by setting new standards of honesty and clarity in advertising.

Maybe the shareholders of Bell will demand repercussions, executive resignations and public floggings.

Maybe the other players will smarten up and leapfrog Bell by coming clean with new and transparent advertising standards.

Maybe new entrants in the industry will mock Bell and position themselves as the honest ones.

Maybe other industries will take note of the fine and realise that we are tired of being lied to.

Are you the same as or better that the other thieves?


George Torok

Marketing is everything you do

Marketing is about sending messages. Think of all the ways you might be sending messages – whether you intend to or not. What could be critical is the unintended messages that you might be sending.


The way you look
Your dress, manner and character say the most about you and your business. It is not so much how you look and sound but more importantly how people feel about how you look and sound.


Phone
What message do you want your phones to say about you and your business? Now go check to see what it really says.


Your staff
Your staff is a reflection of you. So if you think that you have ignorant, lazy and sloppy staff – look in the mirror.


Your material
You are not your business card. But if that is all we have – you are that business card – at least in our mind. And what could be more important than the image in the mind your prospects and contacts?


Website
How do people check you out? The Internet. They use their favorite search engine. They might wonder why you are so hard to find. The might wonder why your site is so difficult to navigate. They might wonder why it is so cold.


Check out the messages you might be sending.


George Torok

Marketing Speaker

Power Marketing on Facebook

Richelieu Hardware: Dissatisfaction Review

Sometimes using a product can be frustrating. We report our complaint to the seller. It's reassuring when the seller actually acknowledges our complaint and responds. I'm pleased to report that Richelieu Hardware responded quickly and pleasantly to my complaint.

Below is a copy of my complaint submitted via their website and below that is their response. I don't expect the world to be made perfect. Sometimes an acknowledgement is all we frustrated customers want.

George


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To Richelieu Hardware:



Today I bought a set of Shelf Sides for a kitchen drawer. Your product number :TP10250030

The product appears to be good. After a lot of work, the drawer is opening and closing smoothly.

However there were some problems.

You might want to change the things that annoyed me with this purchase. They are detailed below for your understanding.


1. Screws were not included with the hardware.

This is the first time I have run into this problem. Imagine selling hardware without screws! Ridiculous. Of course there was no way I could have known about the missing screws. So you can imagine my frustration when I opened the package at home and discovered that the screws were missing.

Upon returning to the store (Home Depot) to exchange for a package with screws I was informed that this particular hardware from Richelieu did not come with screws.

Annoyed I purchased your brand of screws to ensure the correct installation of your product.

The packaging mentioned that "installation instructions" were on your website. The packaging did not say "Screws not included".


2. So I went to your web site and look for a tab or link that said "Installation" or "Instructions". I checked all the menus and could find no such link.

If you are sending people to your site to find instructions - perhaps you could show them a link that says that.

Then I put the product code in the search box and found the product page.


3. No sign of installation or instructions there. There were two tabs at the bottom of the page - Overview and Technical Documents.

If figured that Overview would have what I was looking for. When that didn't work in ongoing frustration I figured "well let's see what the technical documents are". I wasn't looking for technical specs but who knows what I might discover.

Surprise - here are the instructions under technical documents.


4. The instructions didn't help me much. More frustration.

They refer to Slide A and Slide B but did not show which was which. They referred to "the screws" but did not mention that the screws were not included or what type of screws should be used.

There are three different types of holes in the slides. There were no comments about the purpose of each type or suggested use.

I first attached the slides to the drawer by fastening the screws on the side. Then when I tested the drawer I discover that the screws interfered with the movement of the drawer. So I needed to remove those screws and fasten them on the bottom. If you told me this - I would have saved time and additional frustration.


What should have been a simple and quick DIY repair turned into a frustrating and very long job. What I thought was going to be a 30 minute task stole more than half my day.

I look forward to your reply.


George Torok

PS: In full disclosure, I will be posting this email and your reply on my Marketing Blog.

-------------------------

Thank you for your email, I am are sorry about the delay of my answer, but I tried to call you a few times to give you the information and got no answer, I did not leave a message as I thought that it would be best to talk to you directly.

Richelieu hardware distributes hardware according to our distributor’s specifications. In this case part TP10250030 is not supply with screws as it is virtually impossible for us to know which material the slide will be installed in. As you might know, there are various screw types and lengths used to install drawer slides.

The types of holes in the drawer slides also have to do with the type of screw used for installation. The larger holes are used for “Euro screws”. These are mainly used by kitchen cabinet and furniture makers that pre drill the drawers before installation.

Your recommendations concerning item packaging, instructions and specifications have been forwarded to the product manager; we will keep them in mind for further web and product development.

Have a nice day

Regards

Vanessa Bureau

Richelieu Hardware
Services Web / Web Services

toll free CANADA : 1-866-832-4040
toll free USA: 1-800-619-5446

Google Your Key Words and Phrases

Google is King of search on the Internet. If you want to be found you better be found in Google. That includes both pay for click and search engine optimization.

At least once a year and perhaps every quarter you should Google all the words and phrases that might be important to your business.

For example those words might include:

Your name (person and business)
Your product names
The generic name for your product
The pain or problem that your product fixes
Your trade marks
Your slogan
Your competitors’ names
Your competitor’s product names
Your competitors’ trade marks
Misspellings of the above
Your industry + the word “expert”
Your industry + the name of your city or geographic area of business
The names of your best clients
The names of your key suppliers

Study the results and look for patterns, insights and opportunities.

Google is the King of Internet Search – but Google is also a servant King. Ask the right questions and it will answer. But you need to ask and listen.



George Torok

Marketing Expert

Marketing Speaker

Canadian Business Speaker

Sell to the Greedy – not the Needy

Business Lessons for New Entrepreneurs

I spoke to a business class at Mohawk College recently and gave them several lessons about marketing, business and life.

This point might have been unpleasant to hear.

Sell to the Greedy – not the Needy

That was the advice that I heard from my mentor and co-author, Peter Urs Bender. It might sound mean spirited at first. When you think about it you might see the wisdom. As a business owner you can save yourself a lot of grief if you follow that advice.

You will waste much time and money trying to convince the people who need your product to buy. The reality is those who need you the most are too stupid to buy. That’s why they are so needy. They are looking for a magic pill to cure all their problems.

I have talked to many business owners who need help with their marketing. I know that I can help them tremendously. But they can’t see the value and they only see hiring me as expenditure. They can’t see their marketing as an investment for which they can increase their return. They really need what I’m offering but aren’t willing to invest.

Instead the business owners who hire me are already leaders in their field. They’re looking for incremental improvements and they are willing to invest in that.

Sell to the greedy – those who want what you are selling. They recognize that they only need to gain a few inches or seconds to beat the competition and are willing to pay for that competitive advantage.

If you want to help the needy, make a good profit and donate generously to chairity.

Don’t waste your time and money trying to convince people that they should buy your product. Instead find the educated souls who already want it, appreciate the value and are willing to pay.

Your marketing then becomes a process of search, qualify and sell.


George Torok

Marketing Speaker

Canadian Business Speaker

The Purpose of Marketing is not to Build a Brand video

The purpose of marketing is to sell. Yet, when the marketing fails to product results some marketers claim that is was good branding. Who cares?

If you are small business you should not be wasting your money on branding. Instead you are better off investing your marketing in building more profitable relationships. You are not Coke or Nike. You are "insert your name here".







George Torok

Marketing Speaker

Canadian Business Speaker

Cheeky TV ad from First Bank

I like this TV ad from First Bank. It's cheeky, funny and memorable.

It also pokes fun at self annointed experts and motivational speakers. Those are easy targets that very few people will get upset about. I'm called a marketing expert because of my bestselling book and satisfied clients. And I've been described as a motivational speaker so many times that I finally just accepted the label. Yet I wasn't offended by this ad because I recognize the truth in it. The lesson for marketers: It's effective to take a position and be cheeky. And stating the obvious can be a refreshing marketing approach.

Notice that this ad didn't say anything about the features and benefits of working with First Bank. It simply implied that they have a sence of humor, are down to earth and easy to deal with. Hmm, pretty distinctive for a bank. Two thumbs up for this advertisement and the First Bank.

Stop Branding and start marketing - video tip

Kitchens or Bridges: What are you selling?

Customers don’t care about your internal process – until it goes wrong. Customers don’t care about how many trucks you have until it arrives late. Customers don’t care about the ingredients until they decide they like it.


Concrete FormationsHere is a company that didn’t get it. Guess what this business sells? Not bridges. Not curbs. They sell custom shaped kitchen counter tops.

Who would have guessed that from the company name? When I pointed this out to the business owner he seemed distressed that I didn’t understand him.

He was selling kitchen counter tops that could be shaped as the customer wanted. It would look like marble at much less than the price of marble. But he was a concrete guy.

What might prospects be looking for – in the yellow pages and online? Something about kitchens and customer shaped counter tops. I suggested that he rename his company or product with kitchen counter tops in the title. He looked at me as if I was strange.

If this was an affordable alternative to marble counter tops call it Faus Marble tops.
Looks like marble
I can’t believe it’s not marble
Why pay for marble?
Kitchen counters shaped the way you want
Beautiful counters in your kitchen


Anything but Concrete!

Google “Concrete formations” and you will find bridges not kitchen counter tops.

Google your name and see what you find.


George Torok

Marketing Speaker

Business Speaker