As humans, we are naturally drawn to things we can measure and quantify. It is because of this human instinct that the Marketing world has been moving towards more measurable efforts. We need to know what worked and what did not so our marketing dollars are not wasted. While this makes sense, there are some…
Read MoreFar too many times I hear operators talk about adding something to the higher package to try and move customers up; or, when a new store is about to open, they start at the top package (which obviously includes everything they just purchased as wash components) and then start taking away equipment until they get…
Read MoreIn the book The Simple Life by Thom S & Art Rainer, the authors talk about removing congestion from your life. Some synonyms of ‘congestion’ are to block, choke, clog, jam or obstruct; pretty heavy stuff, not only for your life but also for your business. In Jason Fried and David Hannson’s book Rework, they…
Read MoreEmotional Factors in Marketing & Branding Humans are emotional beings, so it’s not surprising that using emotions in your marketing strategy and branding can yield powerful results. Wikipedia defines emotional branding as the focus of “building brands by way of connecting a brand proposition and purpose to people’s emotional need states and aspirations.” In parts…
Read MoreIn a day and age that revolves so heavily around technology and online communities, Social Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and social customer service has never been more important for small businesses. To paraphrase the Wikipedia definition, “Social CRM is a philosophy and business strategy designed to engage the customer in conversation in an effort to…
Read MoreTime marches on…nothing could be truer. Despite all the breakthroughs in medical technology and age defying creams, we all get older. That goes for the cars we drive also. Cars today look better, have more features, get better gas mileage and, overall, are built better. That means they are on the road longer and are…
Read MoreIn part one of this series, we looked at the pros and cons of the “High-Volume, Low-Margin” business model. I also made the statement that there are only two models and that standing in the middle of the road long enough will get you run over. That would be a third model and we will…
Read MoreCustomer Service: Eliminating the Negative Emotions & Evoking the Positive It has been widely assumed that the service provider is solely responsible for managing emotions in an exchange. For instance, a flight attendant should smile, a bill collector should sound intimidating, and a massage therapist should talk in a soft, relaxing tone. All of these…
Read MoreI was asked the other day, ‘which is better, fewer cars but more profit on those cars, or more cars but less profit per car?’ Really what this person was asking is-should I be Wal-Mart or Gucci? Try as we may to prove that there is a third model in the universe, if you stand…
Read MoreOur five senses (Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste & Touch) can evoke emotions that can set the mood long before we get the chance to even interact with the customer. In parts 2 & 3 of this series we will talk about emotions & senses and their connection to customer service and marketing, but for now…
Read More
