Atomic Penny

Last post I discussed building the recipe for starting a marketing idea. This week, let's talk about the atmosphere. Where do you choose to eat when you are in a new town or want to try a new place? Is it based on proximity, food choices, service or recommendation? Or is it something else? 

When I want to try something new I do it a couple of ways. I decide what kind of food I do or don't want to eat. Usually I eliminate what I don't want to eat, then decide what sounds good. Then I will check Yelp, see what is new, then take a chance.

The first experience is based on the above; my return is based on atmosphere.  Atmosphere in a restaurant  is a lot like marketing. You create an environment that enhances an experience, want the customers to buy-in, and most importantly creating the desire to return and voluntarily spend money.

When creating the atmosphere of your marketing program, think of what you enjoy. What are you willing to pay extra for, and what do you expect as part of your interaction?  Do you anticipate smoke or aroma in a BBQ restaurant? Are you looking forward to being given chopsticks or do you have to ask for them at an Asian eatery? 

Does your marketing program create the right atmosphere? Or is it based on the narrow vision of  a few people unwilling to look beyond the end of the nose. Or worse, is it so broad-based that it misses everyone? 

It is hard to choose the right marketing recipe, but it is sometimes harder to walk away from a mistake. Using the steps of The Confetti Project, start with the countdown to determine where to start. Most importantly, consider all options, make a choice and initiate liftoff.

POWER ON–Mark

Salt is a common element composed of sodium and chloride, each of which have various other uses, but together they form the simple compound of salt. Why is this important? It is an example of how two elements when combined can create a wonderful outcome. This is also true when you create a marketing program. Take your knowledge and an associate’s creativity, both of you combined can create a powerful program.

Think of it as an exercise in expansion. See how much each of you can contribute to the success of a project. You cannot let the fear of the outcome block your way. Be prepared to inspire, listen and GO! Be the salt of your marketing and business success. It just starts with a sprinkle.

The hardest part is usually starting. Here is a suggestion.

1. Get  a piece of unlined paper, a crayon and an empty space
2. Either write or draw the basics of your idea (no style points are given, and no experience necessary – I suggest drawing)
3. Have someone else look at what you have done and have them add to your writing or drawing with their own crayon
4. Go back and forth until both of you have the basics of the path you are going to pursue
5. Hang the picture where it is visible to all involved (no explanations necessary)

Now you have the salt of your project. And a recipe to follow as you move forward.

• As for recipes, I learned one the other day for steak that was unbelievable. Take your steak, grind twice as much salt and pepper on both sides as you usually would. Cook it over a grill with hardwood as the heat source. Remove when cooked to preference, enjoy!

What recipe for your success can you start today?

POWER ON–Mark

Bryan Waldon Pope, Founder of Marketing Success Institute, recently wrote about competing with Disney and how he observed the Disney Experience. Disney itself has a book and seminars that cover how it is done at Disney. It is a plan that plays to perfection almost every day in each Disney theme park around the world. Next time you visit, really look a little deeper and see how your interaction and experience is enhanced by the plan the Disney Corporation has put in place.

What led me to discuss Disney is a conversation with a client. When I asked what company he wanted to emulate, his immediate response was “Disneyland”. Not the rides or the food, but the experience. As I am working with him to create that experience I wanted to share a few of my observations.

• You cannot wish to create an experience without a plan. The plan starts before you answer the phone, greet the first customer or sell your first paper. The plan needs to address everything that affects the customer experience; seen, heard, smelled, felt or even tasted.
• Your plan needs to address all of the above and do so in a way that exceeds expectations and creates a better experience than expected.
• In creating an experience, look to the customers for validation – not in a survey, but in their smiles, posture and actions. If you see an issue, address it immediately.
• Give the customers more than they expect. Fireworks are always a good fallback. If you are inside, what fireworks can you create?

One thing that is lost in the creation of the experience is the price. Don’t price to beat the competition, price to make the customer feel they got more than what they paid for when the experience is complete.

In looking around your business, what can be improved immediately to enhance your customers’ experience?

POWER ON–Mark

Recently I contacted a businessman that I had done business with, commented on his blogs, tweeted his success and shared his writings with others. Because I knew he was busy, I used his personal email address, and did not want to interrupt him with a phone call. The response I received was not from the business owner, but from some unknown assistant. It read in part, “thanks for writing Bob (not his real name). If you wish to leave a message please go to his website and post a message.”

WOW!

Now I know what my support is worth. It must be that I didn’t attend all the seminars, workshops and consulting he tried to sell me. He will never understand my frustration, but I probably won’t go out of my way to use his services, which are quite good. I just wanted to support him when he started out, and hoped that I could learn something which I did.

By the way, I have emailed or twittered Seth Godin, Pamela Slim and Tony Hseih and received a personal response. I was no only surprised, but more importantly I was impressed. I am not a captain of industry, I am not a major player, and I am definitely not someone who can bolster his or her career. But to each of them I am important enough to respond to, and they have a fan for life.

If you put this in the context of your business, have you ignored your older customers because they didn’t buy everything that was offered? Do you consider the person with the biggest car or highest credit limit more important than the customer paying with cash?

Who stood by you when you started up and when times turned tough? What have you done for them lately?

POWER ON–Mark

John Jantsch has a new book, The Referral Engine, all about building referrals without begging. What is begging? Asking your customers for the names of their friends and family who may be interested in your product or services. The customer came in to buy your product or service, not to give you more prospective customers. At a retail store I was asked for my phone number and email address after paying for my product. I probably will get a survey or call on my “satisfaction” with my purchase. I really just wanted to buy the soap that my wife wanted, not to give a life history. I believe you do your customer a disservice by asking for more and more. At some point it becomes a dissatisfier.

If the customer is happy, they will tell others, if they are not, they won’t. It’s that simple.  Make your customers happy, and give them a reason to refer you.  Your measure will be when you ask your customer where they heard about you in a passing manner.

Your customer is not a checklist, she is a person who made the choice to interact with you. Don’t blow the opportunity by asking more than you need to know.  Begging will get you nowhere, but genuine thinking will get you everywhere.

POWER ON–Mark

You have many choices when marketing to customers. Imagine the scenario where you have $3 left in your marketing budget. You want to reach as many prospects as possible and want to grow your business. Sounds absurd, right or wrong. As a marketer or business owner you have that decision to make every time you begin a new marketing concept.

What can that $3 buy you? Printing, postcards, a couple of banner ads? How about some goodwill and respect? Instead of marketing to the masses, market to the ONE. Who is the ONE? It is the one person who can influence others to interact with your business.

Your $3 can buy a cup of coffee or a piece of pie. Make the interaction special, memorable and personal. A cup of coffee by itself is just a cup, but the conversation and interaction will make or break the deal. Discuss what is important to the ONE. Family, sports, cars, world peace. It is your money but her time. The whole idea is to gain the trust of the ONE. If you do, the ONE can be your gateway to your future. Not only in customers, but in VC, media, alliances.

$3 and an hour of your time. It’s worth the investment.

POWER ON–Mark

The Amish are known for their lifestyle rooted in the past, from their mode of transport to the quilts and furniture. The Amish stick to what they know and do it as well as anyone. CNN reviewed the business practices of the Amish as set forth in an upcoming book by Eric Wesner and discovered a few things that can help every business and marketer in the market today. A few simple but vital important principles came out of the article for me.  They were:

Culture

Cooperation

Traditional Values

Stick to what you know

The most amazing information in the article was the 95% success rate of the Amish business community. A number almost unheard of in today’s competitive  business environment.

There are all sorts of metrics, measures and reports available to see how your business is doing. Maybe keeping it simple, using your skills, and producing a quality experience that spreads the confetti of your marketing is the real answer. People, not pages.

In the Wall Street Journal last week, this article appeared regarding retailers teaching improved customer service techniques to improve sales. I found it somewhat ironic that major retailers such as Macy’s and Hope Depot did not already have these processes in place. As a major retailer, wouldn’t you expect nothing less than every effort to be made to delight you, the customer? Plus, the cashiers are always willing to up-sell the extended warranty or offer you the latest credit card.

As a marketer and a small business owner, this just reinforces the fantastic opportunity you have to gain new customers. Make service the foundation of your work, keep it in front of the customers. Don’t brag about you customer satisfaction index or JD Power score. Let your customers brag about you.

If the big boys aren’t doing this, you may as well take advantage. That is one of the building block of your Confetti Project. What else can you do better than the BIG BUSINESS?

POWER ON–Mark

Full disclosure: I am not a fan of Madonna, nor do I watch the TV show Glee. However, their recent strategic alliance serves as a shining example for how you can achieve your own Confetti Project.

Source: Popcrunch.com

This week on the Fox TV show Glee, Madonna provided the rights to her entire song catalog. Madonna was exposed to a slew of potential new fans and her current fans were rewarded with new versions of her songs. Glee also made out with similar exposure. But what does that have to do with your business? 
What do you have that you can share to help everyone win?

You have customers who currently spread the word about your company. So reward their dedication! Create an opportunity to form an alliance, which will promote both your business and your “fans.” There is nothing wrong with giving or receiving an opportunity if it helps everyone involved. It is better to give something of value than it is to keep it to yourself. It is a gift both of you can use.

POWER ON-Mark

What does being the best really mean? If you are the best, are you better than everyone else? Do you really believe that? Often, once one attains ”best” status, they realize that it can be a double edged sword.

Knowing you are the best is good if you don’t let it go to your head. If you do, it can make you a target. Getting an ego because of your success makes you unbalanced and easy to topple. There is nothing wrong with taking pride in your success, however that pride needs to stay controlled.

Always keep in mind that satisfaction about being the best can be one of the worst things that can ever happen to you. It can become the acme of your life and career. Once you reach that pinnacle and assume that you are done, you’ll cease to learn and grow.

The view from the top is great, but lonely. Why not look around you and find others who want to succeed and achieve together?  Find a way to  get to the top and make room for more because if you do it together, you all win.

Who can you help succeed today?

POWER ON–Mark