Saga of the Company President with an Attitude

Imagine the possibilities if you called your customers to have a conversation to help solve their problems.


The story so far...

I was unhappy with the service with a barter service company and tried to save the relationship. I had a 13 year relationship with this company so I contacted the president first by voice mail and then by email.

His initial email replies were positive until I answered his question about "What was lacking?".

So I told him with this email.
--------------------
Hello John,

Thank you for your reply and offer.

The main issue is the poor working relationship with my broker.

I feel there is a lack of trust, lack of respect, lack of effort and lack of response. I believe that I have been misled. I do not feel that my broker was working on my behalf. Instead I've been given insulting excuses and a you-versus-me positioning.

The exchanges over the past year have been too aggravating. I can't believe that I was paying to be treated that way.

George Torok

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

He responded with the following message.

He starts off by apologizing. That's a good start. The rest of the first paragraph is about nothing that I've raised.

The second paragraph is a continuance of the first paragraph.

In the third paragraph he suggests that my comments are far fetched. Was he really calling me a liar?

But nowhere does he offer a way to solve this. Still no phone call.
-----------------
Hi George

I'm sorry that you feel that way. It's unfortunate that clients in our network are placing a higher priority on using their TRADEdollars for expenses other than business coaching and training etc. The fact is, it's extremely hard to bring you business as it is all of our sales trainers etc.

I can switch you to a different broker but I fear that they will have the same difficulty bringing you new business so we will be back to the same frustration on your part.

Your comments below seem to be far-fetched. How have you been misled, that's a strong word and would imply that you have been lied to.

John
----------------
Why didn't he just call me?

I called him twice before we went to email and suggested a call more than once in email.

What emotions are triggered when someone calls your comments "far-fetched"?

This time my reply was short.
---------------
Curious.

You asked me a question and then you discount my answer.

Where do you want to go with this?

George

----------
This was was a short and simple message offering him the opportunity to reflect.

His response below is an indication of his position and how firm he is in maintaining that position.
---------
George

I have not discounted your answer, I merely suggested that the comments SEEMED far-fetched. I also provided feedback as to why I feel that you have not gotten a lot of business. Furthermore, I relayed to you that no matter which broker you have in our office, your frustrations may still be there because ultimately the product that you offer on trade is not that desirable.

I think that your overall tone has been a little harsh and I would agree that it is better for us to part ways.

In the recent past when I was reviewing your website I noticed that there was a referral from us posted there. I would respectfully ask that you delete it as we will your account.

Let me know,

John
--------------

John is defending again. He now attempts to emphasise the word SEEMED by putting it in caps. And he claims that he was providing feedback - on a topic that I had not raised nor invited feedback. 

In the next paragraph he attacks me by critizing my tone. Reread the previous posts and you decide about tone. I am his customer and he criticizes me. Very curious. When someone realizes they are wrong they often attack you to take attention away from the real issue.

The last paragraph is most curious. This SEEMS to be purely vindictive. He has hired me a couple times and he willingly wrote a glowing testimonial for that work. Now, he's taking it back. Was that a lie?

He framed his request with the phrase "I would respectfully". When someone starts a sentence with those words they are not being respectful. They don't respect you. They are lying to you.


What happens next?
Could it get any worse?
What would you do if you were the president?
What would you do if you were the customer?

Another Customer Relationship RIP

 

Here are the five chapters in this series of abusive conversations with the company president.

Chapter 1: Do You Trust the President of the Company? 

Chapter 2: Saga of bad service and President with really bad attitude

Chapter 3: Saga of the President Missing the Save

Chapter 4: Saga of the Company President with an Attitude

Chapter 5: If the President of the Company Won't Help You

George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing

Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

Saga of the President Missing the Save

The story so far....

I was unhappy with the service and contacted the company president (who knew me) to ask for a change of representative on my account. Although he didn't respond to two of my voice messages a week apart he did respond to my email in a positive frame. His last question to me was about what I felt was lacking in the relationship.

I felt encouraged by his interest and responded with the following email.
----------------

Hello John,

Thank you for your reply and offer.

The main issue is the poor working relationship with my broker.

I feel there is a lack of trust, lack of respect, lack of effort and lack of response. I believe that I have been misled. I do not feel that my broker was working on my behalf. Instead I've been given insulting excuses and a you-versus-me positioning.

The exchanges over the past year have been too aggravating. I can't believe that I was paying to be treated that way.

George Torok

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

As you can see, I was clearly an unhappy customer. If you were the CEO how would you respond to this open and honest feedback?

But when you read his reply you will see that even though John had asked the question he apparently didn't really want honest feedback. Sometimes people ask questions because they want to appear to be helpful but don't really want to listen to the answer.

It looks like the president saw my comments as unwanted criticism. His reply seemed more about defending than about discovering.

Read his response. By the way, you might wonder why he didn't pick up the phone and call me. I wondered the same thing.

----------

Hi George

I'm sorry that you feel that way. It's unfortunate that clients in our network are placing a higher priority on using their Barter dollars for expenses other than business coaching and training etc. The fact is, it's extremely hard to bring you business as it is all of our sales trainers etc.

I can switch you to a different broker but I fear that they will have the same difficulty bringing you new business so we will be back to the same frustration on your part.

Your comments below seem to be far-fetched. How have you been misled, that's a strong word and would imply that you have been lied to.

John

---------

Notice two things about his reply.

First
He responded to a different question. He talked about clients being reluctant to spend their money on coaching and training. That is a part of my business - but I had not raised that as a concern. Read my previous message and you will see that "my issue is the poor working relationship with my broker".

His response might say more about his own concerns.


Second


The strongest word in this message was "far-fetched".

In particular the phrase that grabbed my attention was: "Your comments below seem to be far-fetched."

He even went on to say "How have you been misled, that's a strong word and would imply that you have been lied to."

This would seem the time to pick up the phone or arrange a phone call. And curious that he left the question mark off that last statement - as if it really wasn't a question at all. He didn't offer to fix things or discover more.

That sentence started as a question and ended as a positioning statement.

Next

What happens when the president stops listening to customers?


Here are the five chapters in this series of abusive conversations with the company president.

Chapter 1: Do You Trust the President of the Company? 

Chapter 2: Saga of bad service and President with really bad attitude

Chapter 3: Saga of the President Missing the Save

Chapter 4: Saga of the Company President with an Attitude

Chapter 5: If the President of the Company Won't Help You

George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing
Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

Marketing Secret: Be a Name Dropper

What’s in a name? Could be millions. If you were a movie producer and you wanted a “name” to help you reap millions – you would pay $10 to $20 million for Bruce Willis, Julia Roberts, Jim Carrey or Arnold (when he returns to Hollywood…he said he’d be back). You know the money has no relation to their “acting” ability. It is the name that is valuable - the name that sells.

Imagine if you had the power of these names promoting your business: Wayne Gretzky, Lance Armstrong, Venus Williams, William Shatner or Celine Dion. Some companies paid millions to associate their products with these names. Why? Because there is something special in a name. A name conveys credibility, acceptance and emotional hunger. I want to be like him or her.

“I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”
Bill Cosby

Canadian universities figured this one out. They sold the marquee for their business schools to business names: Ivey at University of Western Ontario, Asper at University of Manitoba, Molson at Concordia University, DeGroote at McMaster University, Schulich at York University and Rotman at University of Toronto. The universities got two things from this association with successful business names. They got millions of dollars and they got the prestige of associating with the successful business name.

“What the Rotman School is doing may be the most important thing happening in management education today.”
Peter F Drucker

Of course associating with any name could carry a risk. Take the time to understand the character of the individual and culture of the organization. Due diligence might save you some embarrassing harm. But national and international stars can be expensive. If you are paying for endorsement consider regional or local sports celebrities.

The safest names to associate with are dead people. The longer they have been dead - the better. Their history is written and it is not likely someone will dig up new dirt on them. Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill, Orville Wright, Christopher Columbus, Alexander the Great, Marie Curie, Picasso, Edison, Alexander Graham Bell.

“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake."
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821)

Mythical figures are another safe bet; Hercules, Popeye, Peter Pan, King Arthur, Superman, Wonder Woman, Spider-man, Captain America.

"Do, or do not. There is no 'try'."
Yoda

If you understand the power of a name – then take advantage of it. And don’t limit your options to paid endorsements. Consider these possibilities.

Make Your Name a Name
State your name proudly and clearly when talking to others. Don’t apologize for your name. Don’t say, “I work for a company called…” or “You probably never heard of us...”
How would Bill Gates introduce his company name? Introduce yours the same way.

Make it Easy for Others to Hear and Remember Your Name
Pick a business name that is clear and unique. Don’t call your company some non-descript name like, “United International Enterprises” or worst, “HLMS Consulting and Associates Etc.”. Both of those are boring, vague and difficult to remember. Try this mental check. What company names can you instantly list? Write them and examine them. What is it about them makes them memorable? Here are some good company names – IBM, Coke, Pizza Pizza, Canadian Tire, and Blockbuster Video. Your million-dollar tip is to use hard consonants (b, d, j, k, q, p, t). We hear these sounds clearer and tend to remember them better.

Repeat Your Name – Often
We need to hear things at least seven times before we remember it. Put your name on everything - your business card, website, sign, golf shirt, coffee mug… And when someone asks you to repeat your name – be honored – not angry. When you leave a voice message state your name twice – once at the beginning of the call and again at the end. You can reinforce your name by spelling it. “That’s T-O-R-O-K.”

Associate Your Name with Winners
Tell others about your big name clients. Tell others about the associations that you are a member of and mention big name members. Tell others about the charities you support. Run a joint promotion with another leading business. Talk about your heroes and names that you admire.

“In my country we go to prison first and then become President.” Nelson Mandela

Name Your Clients
Get testimonials from them. Get their permission and quote their names in your promotions. Post their names and logos on your website. That helps them and you. Avoid using the testimonial from “anonymous”. You know – the great testimonial signed “Bob”, or “M”. We question the veracity of such vagueness.


Brag About Your Clients
Learn and remember their names and stories. Write them notes of appreciation. Proudly tell their stories. Recommend your clients to others. Stay in touch with your clients so they remember and repeat your name. And when you talk with them be sure to mention the names that are important to them.

Clients of George Torok include, “CIBC, Alcan, Bombardier, Dupont, Playtex, Canadian Management Centre, City of Toronto, Ontario Ministry of Finance, Empire Insurance, Zurich Insurance, Coors Canada, 5th Avenue Collection, Union Energy…”

Get Your Name in the Media
Help the media to drop your name – by keeping them informed about what you do. Then repeat what they say.

“Overall it’s hard not to pick up lots of useable advice from this book.”
Globe & Mail on ‘Secrets of Power Marketing’

Quote from Famous People
Use quotations from authors, business leaders and celebrities that convey your message. Can you use a quote from Stephen Covey, Anthony Robbins, Jack Welch, Sam Walton, Terry Fox or John Candy? When you do this it appears that those famous people agree with you.

"If you are going through hell, keep going."
Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

© George Torok is coauthor of the national bestseller, Secrets of Power Marketing – Canada’s first guide to Personal Marketing for the non-marketer. Get your free copy of “50 Power Marketing Tips” at http://www.PowerMarketing.ca To arrange a speech or executive briefing call 905-335-1997 Visit http://www.Torok.com


Power Marketing Articles
More Marketing Articles

Be a Name Dropper

Be a Name Dropper

What's in a name? Could be millions. If you were a movie producer and you wanted a "name" to help you reap millions - you would pay $10 to $20 million for Bruce Willis, Julia Roberts, Jim Carrey or Arnold (when he returns to Hollywood…he said he'd be back). You know the money has no relation to their "acting" ability. It is the name that is valuable - the name that sells.

Imagine if you had the power of these names promoting your business: Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky, Lance Armstrong, Venus Williams, William Shatner or Celine Dion. Some companies paid millions to associate their products with these names. Why? Because there is something special in a name. A name conveys credibility, acceptance and emotional hunger. I want to be like him or her. It is like a zombie trance - "Tiger Woods wears Nike - I must have Nike".

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody."
Bill Cosby.... read the rest of Be a Name Dropper.


George Torok
Personal Marketing
Power Marketing

Testimonial Power - The Economist

Testimonial Power – The Economist


Client testimonials rock! They are one of the most powerful marketing tools you can use. If you aren’t using them – why not? If your excuse is that you don’t have client testimonials perhaps there’s a big problem with your service.

If you have great service but don’t know how to collect client testimonials then we can discuss that in a future post. In the mean time here is a powerful testimonial that you might enjoy for The Economist magazine from the king of the world. No, not James Cameron – the real king, the guy with the most money.


The Economist

“The magazine I spend most of my days reading.”
Bill Gates, Chairman and Founder Microsoft


It’s a great testimonial for a few reasons:

Everyone knows Bill Gates.
Bill Gates is respected for his business acumen.
Bill Gates is a very successful business person.
Bill Gates is considered a global leader.
The people who are inclined to read The Economist magazine would likely be interested and influenced by what Bill Gates says.


First, my congratulation to The Economist for continuing to publish a first class, no – world class publication. I have read it for years.

And second congratulations for obtaining such a powerful client testimonial.

Now let’s be clear – The Economist did not pay Bill Gates for his testimonial. He is neither an entertainer nor athlete eager to shill for the highest bidder. This is his honest opinion given freely. That’s why client testimonials are so powerful and why they are better than paid celebrity endorsements. Don’t tell Nike that. Somebody might get fired. And they might save millions.

So why is this testimonial from Bill Gates so effective for The Economist?

Because The Economist is similar to Bill Gates. The Economist is respected for business acumen, is very successful and is a global leader. The Economist couldn’t have found a better spokesperson.

What is the message of the testimonial? If you want to be successful like Bill Gates – read what Bill Gates reads – The Economist.

And the secondary message is – if you want Bill Gates to notice what you are doing or saying – put it in The Economist.


George Torok

Read my client testimonials

Read testimonials about my book

Richard Branson has Chahones

Richard Branson has Chahones

Richard Branson has chahones and he likes to show them off. Here he is running nude in the waves. Sir Richard thrives on challenge and controversy. He is the billionaire that has retained or reclaimed the boldness and brashness of a teenager. (How many boomers remember streaking?)

He is a billionaire so he is worth studying. The question is, “Is he a billionaire because of his antics or is does he partake in his antics because of his billions?”

Perhaps it is a bit of both.

So what controversial stunts has Richard Branson committed?

Running nude from the ocean surf
Supporting the Ontario government Flick Off campaign
Parachuting into the city
Posing in a wedding dress


As a corporate spokesperson Branson is superb. As a corporate brand he is invaluable. The Virgin companies do not need to hire celebrity spokespersons because Branson is a celebrity. Whatever Branson does gets noticed because Branson does things that get noticed.

Sir Richard has chahones. How many corporate CEOs can stake that claim?


George Torok

Marketing Speaker
Corporate Spokesperson

Motivational Speaker Blog

Motivational Speaker Blog

Read about motivation.

Read how to be motivational when you speak.

Read about the challenges of motivational speaking

Motivational Speaker

George Torok

Santa Claus: Corporate Spokesperson

Have you noticed how many businesses use Santa Claus as their corporate spokesperson at Christmas?

Coke started this in 1931 by presenting a new image of Santa – the roly-poly jolly fella we recognize as Santa in North America today. Before this Coke advertising campaign Santa was not fat, did not wear a red suit and did not have reindeer.

What can you learn from that as marketers?

1. A successful marketing campaign can radically change the perception of the public.

2. Mythical figures are free resources for your marketing.

3. You are responsible for the images you create.

George Torok
Power Marketing
Corporate Spokesperson