1.

Be the authority

Amazons effort to offer all things to all people risks making the company a jack of all trades and master of none, especially where advice and presentation are a big part of the purchase experience. Multichannel retailers can exploit this opening by making themselves category experts through best-in-class service and advice, positioning themselves as curators of the finest and choicest SKUs. By representing the best of a given product category, retailers subtly take the customers side in the matter. They become an advocate for the customer.

Providing expert reviews and recommendations, building a community of experts who can help each other, developing specialized searches for products (search by style, personality, occasion, etc.), and creating rich, engaging content are all ways to communicate expertise and help customers make informed choices. And in stores, train sales staff so they have deep expertise in their category. Some retailers have even set up video chat functionality to call on remote experts to answer customer questions on the spot. 2. Use that data With the increasing availability of data, marketers can move from identifying segments to targeting micro-segments based on patterns in individual consumers research and purchase behavior. This kind of analysis enables a stronger relationship with customers as the data specificity allows retailers to cater to specific needs and wants. This approach can help develop offers tailored to the individual and target underserved segments, such as teen-age consumers or Hispanic mothers, with distinctive marketing, experience, and product offerings. Target, for example, developed micro-sites targeted at specific segments, such as its Club Wedd microsite for couples that includes registry and planning tips as well as a suite of services provided by partnering vendors. 3. Re-imagine the retail store As digital becomes more integral to the shopping experience, traditional retailers need to reconceptualize the role played by their stores. Emerging innovations are redefining what convenience means to customers. This is more than allowing customers to pick up or return products ordered online to a physical store. Its about using the store as a service hub, refashioning store set up and rebalancing space allocation across channels, and altering the character and atmosphere of a store to put customers in the mood to buy, an approach the sociologist George Ritzer calls retailtainment.

4. Make it personal While technology has allowed for more sophisticated targeting, its important not to forget the personal touch. Offers such as personal shoppers across multiple channels can bring a similar personalized experience that is supported by just-in-time data. Neiman Marcus, for example, is looking to enhance its service legacy with an app that identifies when customers enter the store and prompts staff to engage with them consumer based on purchase history and preferences. An important part of making personal connections is creating local connections. The mobile apps Shopkick and Foursquare are offering local businesses innovative ways to use digital offers that lure shoppers into their stores, and keep them coming back. Shopkick has reported driving more than $110m in in-store revenue for its partners. 5. Partner up Retailers need to find new partners and allies to get capabilities, expertise, and access that they cant easily develop on their own. Cross-retailer loyalty programs, for instance, could help create the same multi-category loyalty experience that Amazon has created through their Prime offer. Retailers can look to promote products and services across the on- and offline worlds through personal one-to-one marketing delivering email and text offers to mobile phones, potentially when the consumer is near or in one of the retailers stores. 6. Be unique We already know that competition in the world of commodity goods is fierce. To break the commodity perception, you need to develop unique products. Partner with fashion brands and celebrities, for example, to launch exclusive lines of merchandise. Kohls has done just that with its JLo clothing line and collection, created with the singer and actor Jennifer Lopez. They can also double-down on exclusive private label offerings and get more control over operating margins. 7. Be first Finally, traditional retailers can move into new, untapped markets. This might mean entering emerging markets where competitors dont have a foothold yet, especially in highly fragmented, but heavy online emerging markets where there are opportunities to bring a lot of buyers and sellers together. China and India in particular are fruitful targets because of the rapidly growing middle class and wide access to technology. Even some economies in Africa offer a mobilesavvy consumer base and a rising middle-class. Political risk will be higher, to be sure, but entry costs require less capital investment.

Multichannel retailers need to nail the digital shopping experience customers expect nothing less. But retailers ability to turn physical stores into profit centers will determine if they are able to prosper or become another victim of the ongoing digital revolution. The other day on an out-of-town trip, I needed an emergency pedicure. Yes, there is such a thing as an emergency pedicure, especially if you're a woman going to a special event with a new pair of open-toed shoes. As a result, I spent an hour in a small salon. Since the salon didn't have any magazines, I spent the time thinking of ways that the salon's owners -- or any small retailer -could increase business. First, let me tell you what this shop was doing right:

Their business name clearly identified what they offered. When I looked in the Yellow Pages and saw a name like "Main Street Nails," I immediately knew they'd offer what I needed and were conveniently located. I focused on them rather than trying names such as "French Connection" or "Allure." They enticed me to buy more by attractively pricing a package of two services. I came in for a pedicure; since a pedicure was $25, and a manicure and pedicure together were only $35, I decided to spring for both. They had enough staff and flexibility to handle my business. Each of the other salons I tried had only one manicurist, and they were all booked solid. This store had three people working, so they could manage to squeeze me in.

Nevertheless, there seemed to me a number of simple things they could have done to significantly increase their income. If you're in a retail or service business, you might want to try some of these as well:

Court potential referral sources. Hotels are a perfect source of referrals for hair salons, spas, nail boutiques, and other personal care services. Yet, when I asked at the front desk of my hotel, they didn't know the names of any. Had the owner of the manicure store regularly dropped off business cards to the major hotels, perhaps even given some of the staff free manicures, they would have known the company's name. Figure out who could send business your way and keep in touch. Be visible. Customers have to find you. Some of the most effective ways to be seen include having a well-trafficked location, good signage, an ad in the Yellow Pages, and a regular ad in the local newspaper. Develop a mailing list. I suspect this shop had no way of getting in touch with their customers. They certainly didn't ask me if I wanted to be included on their mailing list. With a mailing list, they could have sent a reminder card to any customers they hadn't

seen in a while, let customers know of special promotions, and if they ever changed locations, tell customers how to find them. One of the biggest mistakes most small companies make is failing to stay in touch with customers.

Give reminders of possible "second sales." Most of the nail salon's customers come in for over an hour a week for manicures. But they don't get reminded of other ways to spend their money. The owners could have easily prompted customers with small signs saying things like "Looking for a gift? We sell gift certificates." "Treat yourself right -try a pedicure." "Take your color home -- we sell nail polish." Make your space inviting. In most businesses, you want to keep your customers around as long as possible. The longer they linger, the more they'll usually spend. (Not always, of course; some companies want to get customers in and out quickly.) In any case, you want customer to enjoy coming to you. I wouldn't have been eager to return to this salon. While it was clean, the smell of acrylic nails was overpowering, and the owners had made no attempt to decorate. Look around at most small establishments; you'll be amazed at how few have bothered to provide a visually interesting or inviting space. But that's also part of merchandising.

Brand strategy is a top down process. Executive buy-in to a branding program is nowhere near enough executive management must lead the entire branding initiative. This is not only true for startup brands, but established global brands as well. Brand building is about the quality of your presence in the marketplace. Without the whole effort being led by the top executives, the process will die in the organization and in the marketplace. Rarely are such endeavors delegated to lower level managers who would have full authority to make critical business driven decisions. Its also not a democratic process. If you have a steering committee structure with lots of opinions to cater to, chances are the whole effort will get watered down, take twice as long to complete, and be half as effective. Brand development begins with a clear definition of purpose. Every company is in business to make a profit. Brand building is about defining the purpose the brand exists beyond moneymaking. An enduring brand stands for something more important and transcends product development and the transactional nature of sales and marketing. Why your brand matters to people is reflected in the stated purpose the brand exists in the first place. Brand development is about the art of sacrifice. The value your brand represents must be positioned in the minds of a target audience with exact precision. I have worked with clients who are afraid to miss any opportunity to sell something. Brands live in the mind, and the mind has limited capacity to remember a long list of anything. Enduring brands represent a singular, simple idea that is motivating and unquestionably relevant to the target customer. If your brand does not stand for one thing, it will not mean anything to anyone. Brand building is about organizational behavior not copywriting. Saying its so wont make it so. The whole organization must be informed and aligned to the guiding principles of why the brand matters. How organizations deliver on their promise to customers is more than making snappy taglines, flashy brochures and ad campaigns. Employees

must embrace the mission and values as if it were there own and behave inside and outside the organization accordingly. Brand development is about integrating the true north ideal of the brands purpose into its every day behavior in the marketplace. Brand development is not logo making. So many early-stage CEOs get caught up in the excitement of logo making. If your brand development initiative starts and stops with a new logo, you have missed the whole point. Logos are important, but they are not the whole of the brand. Behind the symbols that represent the brands value must be mission, values and brand voice. Logo making is way down stream in the brand strategy value chain. Brand development initiatives should never be completed in-house. I know this may sound self-serving coming from a brand consultant, but doctors dont operate on themselves and you should never elect to conduct a brand development initiative in house for the same reason. Many early stage companies believe they are saving mone y, but its a penny-wise and pound-foolish decision to tackle a brand development initiative inhouse. Brand strategy is a highly specialized discipline far different from advertising or other forms of marketing communication. If saving money is the reason you think you can tackle this alone, think of it this way what price would you pay to ensure a successful outcome for growing future brand value? Brand development initiatives must be measured for success. Its not enough to create and implement a brand development program and then hope for the best. Brand development is an on-going process not an event. How your brand is delivering against the success criteria youve established at the beginning of the process is critical to longterm success. This requires you gain insights from the marketplace all along the way. Is your brand delivering on the five key equity measures anddrivers of brand insistence awareness, value, accessibility, relevant differentiation and emotional connection? Five strategies for a successful global brand 1 July 2010 | By Lou Cooper

Print Email Share Comments (6) Save With brands increasingly crossing international borders via the internet, marketers may need to fine-tune their strategies to ensure their brands are making the most of the global market.

Check out Santanders director of brand and communications Keith Moors expert viewpoint click here Read our in-depth case study on the upmarket social network ASmallWorld click here

A new generation of global brands is emerging. Globalisation used to mean identikit high streets, May Day protests and a Starbucks on every corner. But with an international business suggesting strength and stability in the fragile economic markets, global brands are no longer being seen as dominating bogeymen. In April, Forrester Researchs Steve Noble called for companies to create an adaptive global organisation to deal with post-recession pressures. It seems that being global is back on the boardroom agenda. Coca-Cola seems to be taking note, scrapping its local UK marketing director position in May, in favour of a more regional strategy. Kraft has been quick to follow suit. While it will leave a UK marketer position, it has also said it will lead its strategy more centrally from Europe. For brands seeking to join the new set of global brands, there are five strategies that companies need to take into account. These involve creating a strong and consistent brand culture, borderless marketing, internal hubs, a new glocal structure and co-creating with consumers. Marketing Week sets out these five strategies that can help companies embrace the new business of globalisation. 1 Build a strong, consistent brand culture In the past, a rigid corporate structure was an important element of the global brand. Local markets were in charge of developing their own brand strategies. However, in recent years building a consistent and strong brand culture that remains familiar to consumers wherever it is in the world has become a priority. Tony Effik, chief strategy officer at Publicis Modem, explains: A brand needs a single view of the world, a single philosophy. The rise of digital channels has shifted the brand emphasis from structure to culture, believes Neil Taylor, creative director at language consultancy The Writer. He notes: Social media and viral marketing stop brands doing what they used to do, which was to manage brands in a command-and-control sort of way.

It becomes more important that your brand reflects your culture, rather than your guidelines. The brands that have done it well are those that have a strong culture of their own, says Taylo r. ASmallWorld is an example of a business that has created a brand which is consistent around the globe (see case study below). Language is an important element in ensuring a consistent brand culture, he adds, citing Innocent Drinks as a good example of a company that has successfully retained a distinctive tone of voice across markets. You read Innocent Drinks in French and it feels just as playful and cute as Innocent in English. Its the same personality. Now anyone can see the companys Facebook page, or videos on YouTube Its forcing brands to question: how do we get a single content story that works across all of those markets Tony Effik, Publicis Modem Compromising your brand culture in a world which is becoming increasingly borderless can have damaging consequences a fact that Google discovered when it launched a self-censored search engine in China in 2006. Its previous search engine in China was subject to government blocks because of the countrys new media policy restricting internet access. Googles mission is to make the worlds information universally accessible and useful. But how does a brand with values like Google set up something in China that sticks to those values? Taylor says: If youre operating in China, the Chinese government doesnt want you to make information universally accessible and useful and it [Google] has naturally ended up compromising. The consumer backlash against Google in other markets was significant. Not surprisingly, customers around the world went: well hold on, we thought you were about this, how can you possibly run that business over there? News will travel and start to damage your brand even in your home market. Since late March 2010, Google has resorted to redirecting search requests from mainland China to Hong Kong, which doesnt have the same restrictions. He suggests that if your culture really is about making information universally accessible then maybe this is something Google shouldnt compromise on. 2 Be borderless in your marketing With the abundance of digital platforms, it is no longer possible for brands to follow different brand strategies in different countries. Companies are being forced to adopt a more unified marketing approach. Marketers need to rethink the term glocal, explains Publicis Modems Tony Effik. Theodore Levitts think global, act local slogan doesnt work in a digital age in the same way, he argues. The way we do global campaigns had to change because digital doesnt respect borders, particularly now with social media. What were finding is that as content moves across borders, brand stories are crossing over internationally.

Open territory: Cokes Open Happiness campaign has a relevance in every country Brands that dont adopt a borderless approach risk becoming marginalised, warns Stephen Woodford, chairman and CEO at DDB UK. People are much less aware of international boundaries than before. Digital channels are borderless media and therefore brands that operate across such media feel more pervasive and part of the world. If you look at brands like Nike, Adidas, Coca-Cola and McDonalds, they are everywhere and have local strength and identity, but also consistency across markets. Having a single identity is important to the success of Santander on a global level, explains Keith Moor, brand director at Santander (see Viewpoint above). The banks UK acquisitions Abbey and Bradford & Bingley have been rebranded so that the Santander brand has a presence across Britain as well as its domestic Spanish market. We wanted the Santander brand to be very well known, to have a single identity globally, so that we can capitalise on other markets and global sponsorships like F1, explains Moor. The recent Nike football advert, timed to coincide with the World Cup, is a good example of borderless marketing, thinks DDBs Woodford. The ad has taken footballers from around the world and weaved them into one story. Its just great stars from around the world, all united by one thing. Its a great example of not a multinational brand, but a transnational brand. It doesnt have any boundaries; its truly global. This process is especially difficult for FMCG brands notes Publicis Modems Effik. In the past, a brand could have one target audience in one country and a different positioning in another. Now anyone can see the companys Facebook page or its Twitter stream or videos on YouTube, as things start to pass from border to border. Its forcing brands to question: how do we see our market? How do we get a single content story that works across all of those markets? If we talk about a new way of operating or a new global brand, it will be a brand that is asking for opinion, that listens to consumers and asks for co-creation Anna Valle, Durex With this increased interconnectivity, markets that were previously seen as second or third tier must now be treated in the same way as top tier ones, he explains. You had a global brand operating in Uganda and you never really paid much attention to them because they didnt really matter in the grand scheme of things.

Somewhere like Uganda really does matter now because a bad interpretation of the brand or a human rights issue affects what you do in London, New York and Tokyo. Now every market is a tier one because tier three markets can come around and bite you on the bottom. The marketing focus for global brands has moved away from division to cohesion, thinks Richard Huntington, Saatchi & Saatchi director of strategy. Instead of looking for what divides consumers up, brands should be looking at what unites them. He says: Marketing traditionally has been focused on differences and segmentations between markets and consumers. If brands start caring about the things that real people care about then those differences seem to disappear. 3 Build yourself an internal hub The need for a unified marketing team is more important than ever. Involving marketers from across the global brand in the overall marketing strategy will engender overall cohesion, says Kip Knight, president of Knight Vision Marketing, who has set up marketing academies for global heavyweights such as PepsiCo and eBay while working at those companies. He says: It doesnt work to simply hand somebody a strategy and say, well good luck with that. They have to feel like theyve had a chance to vet it, to debate it, ideally in person, with others that are equally responsible for the brand. Ultimately, theyve got to feel like they own it. Its not my strategy; its our strategy. By taking this approach, marketers are much more likely to focus on the same goals for the brand, as opposed to feeling like theyve got to go and create their own version of this brand in the market, he adds.

Strong proposition: Durex is encouraging consumers to help spread the marketing message International condom manufacturer Durex has recently built a global brand centre so that marketers within the company can maintain a global perspective wherever they are based. This global hub is helping its marketers become brand evangelists so they can all talk about the company in the same way, says Anna Valle, head of global marketing at Durex. The same way that were building communities with consumers, were now building our internal community, a website where we will have blogs; there will be a space for markets to put their best practice. It will help us to share the global vision, to engage and be more consistent. It will also help us in terms of speed to market. Im seeing what everyone is doing, so I can pick it up and move faster. Its all about alignment and building the brand together.

Santanders Moor is also an advocate of bringing the global team closer. Twice a year everybody from every market comes together. We share best practice, knowledge and information. This approach means that every marketer from Spain to South America is thinking about the brand in a unified way. 4 Adopt a glocal structure Two major global brands have recently challenged the local marketing structure that had become the norm. Instead they are adopting a more regional structure in a bid to become more unified. Coke has scrapped its GB marketing director and simplified its operations in Europe by reducing the number of business units it has from ten to four. Similarly, Kraft has decided that while a GB marketing director position will exist, marketing will be led centrally from Europe. A spokesperson for Coca-Cola explains: The restructuring of marketing is simply part of this wider process. The changes will enable us to innovate more quickly and accelerate the increased coordination in our marketing already taking place in Europe and globally. The ability to be both global and local is paramount for successful international campaigns, explains Wendy Clark, senior vice-president integrated marketing communications and capabilities at Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola has a legacy of leveraging global scale and local relevance. And we know how important it is to balance both. The FIFA World Cup Campaign, and Cokes global Open Happiness campaign are examples of how its marketing works on a global scale. They are created so that they work across all territories, she adds. There are two conflicting models for global brands, says Effik. One is almost exclusively centrally led, where theres a single global brand. Technology company HP works like that. Its the same HP wherever you are in the world, although you might have different content running locally. The other is that local markets can do what they want so they remain adaptable and flexible. Thats the model thats being most challenged at the moment. Knight cautions, however, that control must be exercised over local adaptations if the brand is to remain strong. There is a tendency that the further away in terms of both distance and time you are from a place, the more someone is going to feel like they have the freedom to change the brand to whatever they need. You cant allow that to happen because it weakens the brand for everybody. Effik describes the optimum. Create a strong global hub, which is about managing and initiating projects, where you can share resources, create central segmentation models, but also help coordinate local markets. He says brands should operate like the EU: Youve got to leave a bit of room for devolution.

5 Make consumers your co-creators Durexs Valle thinks that social media has helped to create the perfect environment for interactions. Its all about consumers advising each other, talking to each other, as well as talking to the brand. It all happens on a global scale and it all happens at the same time. Consumers are creating virals and content for Durex, which then becomes widely available across the internet. We cant have the illusion that because we are the manufacturers or the industry that we have control because that isnt the case anymore. What makes the difference is the degree of partnership. If we talk about a new way of operating or a new global brand, it will be a brand that is asking for opinion, that listens to consumers and asks for co-creation. Cokes Clark agrees that making space for consumers is now a must. At Coca-Cola, were changing with our consumers. Were moving from polishing our content to perfection to leaving room for our consumers to add their voice. Maybe the answer is to make the brand as accessible as possible and wait for consumers to come to you, says Saatchi & Saatchis Huntington. Rather than companies saying, lets open up shop in the Netherlands, maybe global brands will become more organic because the tools exist for customers to draw brands to themselves. Proper item placement can be the difference between success or failure for any brand, item and even retailer. Consumers want stores that are easy to shop and sections that are well merchandised. Busy customers hate scavenger hunts. They appreciate retailers with clean, wellorganized and easy to shop stores. Like with like One way to achieve this is to merchandise like items together with a similar theme or function, such as gluten-free. These categories appeal to very specific consumers who are typically committed, loyal shoppers, willing to spend more than the average consumer to buy quality products that meet a specific need. According to a recent study done by Boulder Brands, A gluten-free shopper spends about three times more per store visit. The gluten-free shopper spends almost $100 and the average American shopper spends about $30. However, if the section isnt there, they are going to leave. These are your best customers and are definitely worth your focus. A savvy retailer will dual merchandise top items from the sections within regular categories. This strategy invites customers to try new items and to learn about products that support specific needs such as gluten free. For example, merchandise gluten-free crackers in both the gluten-free section and the cracker category. Once your customers try and like a gluten-free item, they might

then try other gluten-free items. Then they become one of your committed loyal gluten-free shoppers. 'Eye level' strategy Merchandising is also how a retailer commits to specific customer needs. A retailer might merchandise certified organic items at eye level and items that are less clean above and below. This strategy works equally well for non-GMO, allergen free and specialty items. Segmenting Most categories allow you to group items into different segments. The different segments make it easier for customers to shop the category. One good strategy is to merchandise items into quality segments: super-premium, premium and economy. Placing super premium items at eye level and economy items on the bottom shelf is a great way to trade a consumer up. Customers want good value for their money and that frequently includes super-premium products. This is where a strong brand strategy helps. Merchandise your brands into different segments. Sprinkle your private label in next to the top-selling brands. This gives the consumers additional product choices. Grouping complementary categories Another important strategy of merchandising is to group complementary categories together (spices with baking needs, pasta with sauces, etc.). Not only does this make it easy for consumers to shop your store, it makes it easy for them to purchase all of the items needed to make a cake or a meal. An often overlooked benefit of this strategy is the ability to co-promote items with a similar theme (holidays, Superbowl, etc.). Co-promoting complementary items stretches your trade budget and draws attention to other products throughout the store. Remember, the goal is to have your customers fill as much of their shopping list in your store as possible. The 10 Do(s) and Dont(s) of Outstanding Customer Service.

Email Print By Sarah Leon | December 21, 2000 | ecommerce

1 Is it just me, or is customer service really bad all over the place? Its bad in retail shops, on the phone, through the mail, on the Web, But you dont have to be part of the problem! Here are some tips and real-life examples to help you improve your relationships with customers through outstanding service. Amazingly, as well see, it all comes down to what your mother told you all along. DONT 1. Ever break your promises. If you say, "I will email you back with that information today," or "We will ship that out to you within 24 hours," then DO IT. Make a promise once to a customer and then break it, and they will think, "Oh, too bad, this business has poor customer service just like every other business" Continually breaking your promises to customers will earn your business a reputation as flaky and unreliable-and, guess what? you will lose your customers. If you cant keep a promise, then dont make it; if you do make a promise, then also make every possible effort to keep it. Period. 2. Make things overly complicated for your customer. For example, if your web store forces potential customers to email you for prices; or they cant find your contact information (email, phone, fax, etc.) easily on your website; or they have to talk to 10 people in 6 departments to get the help they need; then you are making things too hard for your customers and they will leave you. On a website where I regularly purchase software, I once needed technical help with a product. Going to the home page, I noticed a big animated graphic that said, "Click to leave a message"so I used it to send an email that I hoped would get to the support staff. Of course, I got no response at all until a couple of days later when, still frustrated, I spent time to seek out the actual support email address on the website (which was several layers down). Dont frustrate your customers! Whatever they want and need from you, make it painfully easy and obvious for them to get it. 3. Let your automated systems make using your website or business difficult for your customers. There was the one site where it took me about seven manual tries at unsubscribing, then repeatedly writing to the webmaster, just to get off their email newsletter listNeedless to say, I wont be re-subscribing to that newsletter, although their site is very useful! If youre going to automate, do it right, so that customers really CAN help themselves. Otherwise, youre just going to make them angry and drive them away. 4. Forget that your customers have a strong sense of fair play. You need to make sure that you always treat them fairly, first come-first served; fair pricing

and shipping charges; fair policies-because if you dont treat them fairly, they will find out about it and leave you. For example, a friend of mine ordered something from an online shopping site that was listed as in stock. A couple of months later, he received an email from them saying that the item was actually out of stock when he ordered it and that they were, once again, out of stock. The kicker is, the site had the item in stock several times between when my friend ordered it and when they notified him-but because when he ordered it was out of stock, they never sent the order! However, other people obviously ordered and received the item in the same period of time that he was waiting for it. Then when he called them, they said, in essence, "Sorry, we cant help you." My friend will never order anything from that site again-they violated basic rules of fairness in dealing with him. Dont let this kind of stuff drive your customers away; if there are flaws in your system that have the potential to cause unfairness, start fixing them now. 5. Forget to say thank you. A web developer that I know has a system for working with clients in which he says thank you (in letters, cards, lunches, and flowers) no less than seven times over the course of his relationship with the client-from the first contact to the maintenance contract. Hes very successful doing this. Make it a point to say thank you at every opportunity-your customers will feel like you really appreciate and value them. DO 1. Answer your communications-emails and voice messages-promptly. I hate to have to say this, because its so darn basic, but apparently 90% of businesses still dont get the first rule of good customer service. For example, I have an account with a toprated online bank. After setting up my account with them, I needed some information-just a couple of numbers-to get started on setting up a merchant account. Now, I KNOW that my bank WANTS me to use their online systems to get help, so I sent an email request to customer service. And then I waited. And then I sent another email request. And waited some more. After waiting for five days, I called their customer service department and got the information I needed within 15 minutes. When I finally did get an email back from customer service a few days later, the response was completely unrelated to what I had asked and was totally unhelpful. So, here it is again: ALWAYS answer your email, voice, and other messages AS QUICKLY as you can. Even if its just to say, I will look into it and get back to you within 3 business days, thats a million times better than most businesses are doing. (Note: no, using an autoresponder does not count as answering the message. Sorry.) 2. Make the information that your customers want easily available to them. Once when I wanted to order 4 copies of a book, I shopped around the major Internet booksellers. At one of the booksellers, it was impossible for me to tell how many copies of

the book were in stock-and even after I ordered the 4 copies successfully, I got a message back from the company later that my books were NOT in stock. Going to their major competitor, I found that there I could tell whether the books were in stock, check the status of my order, and even cancel it myself if I wanted to. When I shop for books online now, I will be sticking with bookseller #2, because the quality and comprehensiveness of the information I could access on their site was much better. 3. Treat every customer like a completely precious individual. Relate to him or her as if they were the only person in the world, while youre on the phone, in chat, or writing an email to them. Customers love personal attention, so hang on their every word and dont let yourself get interrupted. Remember that your customers are absolutely the lifeblood of your business, and treat them accordingly. No, Im not suggesting that you form romantic attachments with your customers! but they will sense whether you believe they are valuable. So you must believe that they are valuable and then put that belief into action. 4. Cultivate an environment in your business where each employee takes personal responsibility for your customers. When I wanted to get DSL for my home office, what I thought would be a fairly simple transaction (I order DSL, I pay for DSL, you install DSL, were all happy) became a 3-month long headache. I did finally figure out which department of the DSL company I needed to call to check up on the status of my order; however, every time I called or emailed that department, I spoke to a different person and had to explain my whole situation over again. All these people were very nice, but ultimately totally unhelpful. What I needed was for one of them to say, I understand your need, we dropped the ball, and I am personally going to make sure that this happens for you as soon as possible. You and your staff need to adopt an attitude of personal responsibility for each customer; your customers will keep coming back if they know that they can talk to Bob, or Susan, or whoever just once and get their problem fixed. 5. Every so often, make an outrageous, extravagant effort to serve a customer. At StrangePegs.com, their web store sold out of a hot collectible item within a few hours of a news announcement on a related website. However, a potential customer then wrote to StrangePegs (from an email link easily located on every page of the site) to ask whether any more of this item was available. The business owner, Andrew, replied promptly that there were no more for sale but that he was trying to get some. But the story doesnt end thereAndrew hunted through online auctions for weeks, trying to find more of this collectible item. When he finally found one, he wrote to the potential customer to ask whether the price being asked on auction was OK; then purchased the item and arranged for it to be shipped directly to the customer; and didnt charge the customer a single cent beyond the original

auction price plus shipping. StrangePegs actually lost money here-hours went into finding the item and arranging the deal! but the customer was completely impressed with this level of service. You should make an extravagant customer service effort soon. Do it at a financial loss, even. Maybe even put it on your schedule to find some extraordinary customer service activity to do each month (for a different customer each time). That customer will be yours forever, and might even tell his or her friends about you. When you consider the essentials of outstanding customer service, it really just comes down to doing what your mom always told you: keep your word, play nice, be fair, say thank you, answer me when I talk to you, and have a little respect. Do these things, and you might not even have to clean your room or comb your hair-although those probably wouldnt hurt! So go ahead, make your mom proud and show us some great customer service. Your customers will appreciate it, too.

Social Media Marketing Dos And Donts

With over 1.2 billion users embracing social media across varying platforms theres no denying that its certainly here to stay. Clearly then social media marketing should also be embraced. To back this up lets examine all the facts. These findings are from Social Examiners Social Media MarketingReport who questioned over 3500 business marketers. Fact 1 Those marketers who spend on average six hours a week or above, using social media platforms to share quality content, benefit from fifty two percent more leads than those marketers who do not. Fact 2 - Twitter users generate more than twice the amount of leads as those who do not use Twitter. Fact 3 More than one third of B2B and B2C businesses who do market say that Facebook is a critical part of their marketing strategy. Take from this what you will, but one things for surebusinesses who dont utilise the power of social media to market their products and services are going to be left

behind. With this in mind, lets take a look at those all important dos and donts of social media marketing. Dos Post regularly if you disappear for long periods of time, so might your followers. Be slightly controversial A little controversy can generate interest (as long as it fits with your brand). However dont overdo it! Share content Quality content sharing through videos, posts and pictures is the best way to build brand trust and awareness. Become a source of knowledge about your industry Make yourself known as an expert in your field to build trust in yourself and your brand. Encourage interaction Be open and friendly and encourage that all important social interaction. Donts Self promote A little bit of promotion is a good thing but over promotion will turn prospects off very quickly. Make extreme statements A little bit of controversy is good. However extreme statements that alienate your position probably arent. Be ignorant If someone has taken the time to interact with you, the last thing you should do is to ignore them. Always respond (whatever the feedback). Make it complicated You may well understand your industry inside and out, but that doesnt mean your followers do. Using complex jargon is more likely to be a turn off, so keep it simple. Sing the same tune Dont keep rehashing the same content over and over. Give continuity to your brand by all means but be careful not to be repetitive. As you can see, there is a certain social media marketing etiquette which should be observed and hopefully if you can follow these basic dos and donts then your social media marketing efforts wont be in vain.

Dos and Don'ts for 2013

Experts weigh in on making 'l3 a lucky year.

To get readers off to a good start in the new year, we asked experts to help set their 2013 agendas in a number of areas. Social Media... Do develop strategies and adopt tools that will enable you to partner more closely with consumers to drive insights, ideate, and power peer-to-peer conversation. In 2013, the focus of social media marketing will move beyond listening and building a following to activation and collaboration. Don't envision social media as a medium for campaigns. Social marketing is an always-on channel and marketers need solutions that enable them to continually build deeper ongoing relationships with consumers. --Brandon Evans, CEO of Crowdtap, winner of 2012 CRM Idol competition Big Data Do include IT as a co-equal partner in your Big Data efforts. Technology shapes the customer experience--from delivering multi-channel campaigns to managing myriad data sources to aggregating analytics and insights. To prevail in today's world, marketers and their IT counterparts must jointly define, share, and own customer objectives, with data as the lingua franca of the business. Don't fall for the urge to get more Big Data. Instead, aim for analyzing the Right Data. Start with a single customer hypothesis or a specific marketing goal. If you don't have the right data on hand to accomplish it, you have a "small data problem. You must extract more through social media, image data, geolocation data, and other sources. If you do have that data in your company but can't get at it, then you have an analytics problem. Knowing the difference between the two will help you home in on the Right Data. --Wilson Raj, global customer intelligence director, SAS Privacy DO make the opt-out or opt-in choice clear. Using wiggle-room language in hopes of getting a higher participation rate only confuses your prospects.

DON'T over-promise customers or prospects. Some companies go overboard in stating their commitments to protecting personal information. Most people see this as whitewash, which diminishes their trust and confidence in the message. --Larry Ponemon, chairman and founder, The Ponemon Institute Loyalty DO free your customer information from the data ghetto--the marketing department--and share it across the entire organization. Then every department can use it to inform consumer decisions about merchandising, product design, store locations, layout, and even pricing. We call this Enterprise Loyalty, and it's the first step toward placing the customer at the center of a company's purpose. DON'T confuse repeat business with customer loyalty. A customer's repeat business may indicate satisfaction, but that does not mean the customer is loyal. Repeat business may be the simple result of a variety of practical factors: location, price, product or availability. Loyalty is when a customer chooses to stay with your brand even when an equal or potentially better alternative is available. -- Bryan Pearson, President of LoyaltyOne and author of The Loyalty Leap Mobile marketing DO integrate mobile barcode readers directly into apps. Apps create incredible brand affinity, but forcing consumers to leave the app to perform another function can hinder the consumer experience. Integrating mobile barcode readers into brand and retail apps can reduce the number of steps consumers need to go through to activate a scan and drive more interaction. DON'T just rely on brick-and-mortar stores. Though it's not big in the United States yet, more than 300 virtual stores opened worldwide in 2012, and 2,000 are planned for 2013. Instead of waiting for customers to come to you, bring your products to customers by placing ads with QR codes where your customers are on trains, in airports, in malls. Consumers can scan the code right there and have the product delivered to them. If your prospective customers can buy your product then and there, they are more likely to complete the transaction immediately --Laura Marriott, CEO of NeoMedia Technologies and former president of the Mobile Marketing Association Brand Advocacy DO leverage advocate content smartly on websites, social channels, and third party review sites. It increases time spent on sites and boosts conversion rates and order sizes. Advocate-generated content is pure digital gold. DON'T focus on influencers. Many marketers are investing in influencer outreach strategies in hopes that a known name can deliver their message to a vast audience. Forty thousand Twitter followers or blog subscribers may look tempting, but don't overlook your own satisfied customers, your genuine brand advocates. Their networks may be smaller, but their enthusiasm is greater, their trust level is higher and they drive real business.

Top 10 Ways to Turn Off Customers

From Shari Waters, former About.com Guide

At the end of this article, we invite you to share your shopping turn-offs As individuals, we all have our own little pet peeves. What may turn off one customer may not bother another. As retailers, we can't afford to turn off a single customer and image is everything. Keeping our stores neat and clean is not only easy to do; it is generally an inexpensive way to attract customers and create a pleasant store atmosphere.

Take a look around your retail store. Do any of the following situations exist? Here are ten ways your store may be turning off customers:

1. Dirty Bathrooms This customer pet peeve clearly deserves the number one spot on this list. Retail store restrooms should always be sparkling clean, whether they are open for public use or not. Make sure to stock the bathrooms with plenty of paper products, soap, trash receptacles and clean it daily. 2. Messy Dressing Rooms Keeping the dressing room area free of discarded hangers, tags and empty packaging goes beyond creating a neat store appearance, it is also a good step towards loss prevention. Take a quick look for out of place items after each customer uses the dressing room. 3. Loud Music Playing music in a retail store can help create a certain atmosphere for our shoppers. Music that is too loud, inappropriate or of poor quality can run a positive shopping experience. 4. Handwritten Signs In this era of technology, there is no excuse for displaying handwritten signage. It is too simple to print a sign from our computers or use pre-printed signs. Printed signs simply look more professional and signs with hard-to-read handwriting can be a customer turn-off. 5. Stained Floor or Ceiling Tiles It is true, accidents happen. However, our customers don't have to see them. Dirty carpet, stained flooring and ugly ceiling tiles can turn off many shoppers. Sweeping, vacuuming and mopping should be done on a regular basis. Consider hiring a professional cleaning crew to polish tile floors. Replace stained portions of carpet and ceiling tiles where possible. 6. Burned-out or Poor Lighting Replace any burned out light bulbs as soon as possible. Make sure all customer areas of the store have ample lighting and take into consideration shoppers with aging or less than perfect eyesight. Your store should be well illuminated for all customers. 7. Offensive Odors Customers understand if they visit a lawn and garden center they will have to deal with the smell of fertilizer. The same goes for shoppers of a feed supply store. Certain odors are understandable and may even appeal to the customer's sense of smell. However, shoppers don't want to smell an employee's lunch drifting across the store. Use neutralizers to combat any offensive odors. 8. Crowded Aisles Consumers like a selection but not if it means sacrificing comfort while shopping. Be sure your store is designed to allow adequate space between aisles and keep walkways free of merchandise. Cramped spaces can ruin a shopping experience and turn off a customer.

9. Disorganized Checkout Counters A stack of hangers, returned merchandise and sloppy work areas behind the checkout is a huge customer turn-off. This particular area where a customer's financial transaction is taking place should not show any signs of disorganization. Like messy dressing rooms, a disorganized checkout counter can lead to theft. Keep those register areas neat and tidy. 10. Lack of Shopping Carts/Baskets Your type of retail shop may not require a shopping cart or your store may be too small, but there's not a single type of retailer that wouldn't need at least some sort of shopping basket. If you hope for your customer to purchase more than one item in your store, be sure to have an adequate supply of shopping carts or baskets on hand.