- Home
- 2006 Articles
- Those Pesky Customers : Issue 90
- Home
- Business Development
- Those Pesky Customers : Issue 90
Those Pesky Customers : Issue 90
- By Alexandria Marx
- Published 06/6/2006
- 2006 Articles
- Unrated
Alexandria Marx
Alexandria Marx has 20 years direct marketing and response copywriting experience, including 11 years Internet marketing and as webmaster. In 2000, 2002 and 2005 she received Golden Web Awards.
Creative recognitions include Tops award, 3 Awards of Excellence and Award of Merit for sales and marketing. She authored 2 books on marketing.
She is project manager for client engagements and offers ideas, information and counsel to assist clients increase new business opportunities and revenue from online sales. Her creative web promotion strategies are known to produce measurable outcomes.
Alexandria enjoys theater, non-fiction books and playing with her two dogs, a Lhasa Apso and a chocolate Lab.
"I Keep Getting Interrupted by Customers!" This is a great story for everyone that is committed to serving clients gained from Internet marketing. It first happened many years ago when I was working for a major ad agency. I was taling with a couple of sales clerks while putting together a training video for our client's retail stores. One of them suddenly piped up and said, "I could get a lot more work done and a lot quicker if I didn't keep getting interrupted by customers."
And the other clerks nodded their heads in agreement!
Stunned. At the time I remember thinking it was a good thing our client wasn't on hand to hear that comment, or there would have been a few people immediately looking for new employment.
Obviously, customers are NEVER an interruption. They are, in fact, the REASON you've got any kind of business at all!
It makes sense then to think about everything you do in terms of what's best for your customer. For example, suppose you were a customer asking a question to the abovementioned clerk. What kind of response do you think you'd get?
Along the same lines, I've called businesses on the phone and the person answering has sounded like I called at the worst possible time, and they're way too busy to want to talk to me. Know what I mean? Ever had a similar experience? As a customer (or potential one, anyway) that's an instant turnoff. But it sure does happen a lot these days. People everywhere are crying out, "Where is the customer service?"
The lesson here is simple: take a look at everything you do, and make sure your customers never feel like an interruption. Is your website customer friendly? Do you answer the phone with the attitude that nothing is more important to you than that call? Do you respond immediately to customer concerns?
Your customer base is your most important asset. When they "interrupt" you, that's no interruption -that's opportunity!
Use "The Butterfly Effect" to Give Your Business Wings!
"The Butterfly Effect" describes a well known technical theory that small initial occurrences can have significant ramifications down the line. (I didn't make this up, really.) But it does provide a good mental picture.
The idea is that the flap of a butterfly's wing might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that ultimately cause (or prevent) a tornado somewhere else in the world.
So, what's this brush with chaos theory got to do with running a business?
Simple: What you do today, no matter how seemingly insignificant, can have a major impact on your future business.
This is an important, and hopefully an inspirational concept, especially for those of you with limited time to spend on developing your business. It may be encouraging to know that engaging in even a basic Internet Marketing Program takes very little of your time, yet may represent the flap of the wing that kicks off a sales tornado!
Here are a few more fast "flaps" you can try:
* Mention your business to someone you buy something from
* Give your business card to every one you come across
* Send an email to a customer you haven't heard from in awhile
* Introduce yourself to a local shop owner
* Check the Chamber of Commerce calendar for upcoming events
* Order online marketing services
* Hand a brochure to someone you don't know
Certainly you can think of many more ways to flap your wings and get things stirred up. The important thing is to DO SOMETHING EVERY DAY, because no matter how small it may seem, it could turn out to be the critical "initial condition" that resulted in your biggest sales year ever!
Get Creative Online. Get Better Results. Get DM-Creative.com - engage our services.
And the other clerks nodded their heads in agreement!
Stunned. At the time I remember thinking it was a good thing our client wasn't on hand to hear that comment, or there would have been a few people immediately looking for new employment.
Obviously, customers are NEVER an interruption. They are, in fact, the REASON you've got any kind of business at all!
It makes sense then to think about everything you do in terms of what's best for your customer. For example, suppose you were a customer asking a question to the abovementioned clerk. What kind of response do you think you'd get?
Along the same lines, I've called businesses on the phone and the person answering has sounded like I called at the worst possible time, and they're way too busy to want to talk to me. Know what I mean? Ever had a similar experience? As a customer (or potential one, anyway) that's an instant turnoff. But it sure does happen a lot these days. People everywhere are crying out, "Where is the customer service?"
The lesson here is simple: take a look at everything you do, and make sure your customers never feel like an interruption. Is your website customer friendly? Do you answer the phone with the attitude that nothing is more important to you than that call? Do you respond immediately to customer concerns?
Your customer base is your most important asset. When they "interrupt" you, that's no interruption -that's opportunity!
Use "The Butterfly Effect" to Give Your Business Wings!
"The Butterfly Effect" describes a well known technical theory that small initial occurrences can have significant ramifications down the line. (I didn't make this up, really.) But it does provide a good mental picture.
The idea is that the flap of a butterfly's wing might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that ultimately cause (or prevent) a tornado somewhere else in the world.
So, what's this brush with chaos theory got to do with running a business?
Simple: What you do today, no matter how seemingly insignificant, can have a major impact on your future business.
This is an important, and hopefully an inspirational concept, especially for those of you with limited time to spend on developing your business. It may be encouraging to know that engaging in even a basic Internet Marketing Program takes very little of your time, yet may represent the flap of the wing that kicks off a sales tornado!
Here are a few more fast "flaps" you can try:
* Mention your business to someone you buy something from
* Give your business card to every one you come across
* Send an email to a customer you haven't heard from in awhile
* Introduce yourself to a local shop owner
* Check the Chamber of Commerce calendar for upcoming events
* Order online marketing services
* Hand a brochure to someone you don't know
Certainly you can think of many more ways to flap your wings and get things stirred up. The important thing is to DO SOMETHING EVERY DAY, because no matter how small it may seem, it could turn out to be the critical "initial condition" that resulted in your biggest sales year ever!
Get Creative Online. Get Better Results. Get DM-Creative.com - engage our services.
Spread The Word
Article Series
This article is part 5 of a 10 part series. Other articles in this series are shown below:
-
Those Pesky Customers : Issue 90
