creating impact on-line

Never underestimate floor play

2011-04-01T03:45:00.000-07:00

How good is your floor play?

There are so many retailers wasting their money and resources on glossy marketing simply because the in-store experience fails to match customer experiences. Rather like being attracted to a woman's 'dangerous curves' only to discover its all padding and fillers! (I can say this, I'm a woman). And, it seems, the problem is getting worse because of the proliferation of online channels raising shoppers’ expectations.

If the objective of the retailers glossy marketing is to seduce us into their stores, and clicking through their sites, then surely it makes sense to ensure the end experience is just as glossy? This is, after all, where our ultimate buying decisions are made. If your floor play is poor customers get left feeling frustrated and resentful - certainly not an experience they'd like to repeat!

The face-to-face experience remains the purest form of brand experience and yet is consistently overlooked in preference for the easier, sexier and instantly gratifying world of marketing and advertisments

Exclusive research among 3,000 consumers to Marketing Week reveals that it is crucial consumers’ actual shopping experience matches what a brand has promised in its communications. Half of those polled by agency Live & Breathe say they look forward to visiting a high street store because of the image they have of a brand, only to be disappointed by poor product availability when they arrive.

The 'red thread' theory must be adopted by businesses if they want to avoid consumer cynicism, destroyed confidence and mistrust - this involves an equal focus and investment in the store experience as in glossy brand communication. Consistency is critical in the battle for loyal customers and 'forgive-ability' - saying one thing and doing another may be tempting but the impact is fatal for the success and relevance of the retailer.

Women are far more likely to notice, and subsequently become irritated however, men are just as likely to vote with their wallets and look elsewhere for the same thing.

Some things to avoid (and so invest in putting right) include -

Tatty shop fits with poor lighting and grubby fitting rooms
Visual pollution that confuses and overwhelms
Uninterested and bored sales teams who know nothing about your 'stuff'
Long queues - however great the product having to wait means perception plummets
No-one to ask for assistance because they're all busy with tasks

Glossy marketing counts for little if you're unable to deliver where it counts - in reality disappointing customers in the store does more damage than if you'd just kept quiet and they didn't know you existed. Consumers measures of competency are rarely, if ever, the same as our own. Assume nothing. Be honest with yourself. Remain consistent. Invest where it counts most. Quit posing - start performing.

Do we need to get more like the French?

2011-03-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

Do we need to get more like the French?

Recent research shows Brits get exactly what we deserve with service in the UK. Respondents were asked a series of questions to establish if they had ever boycotted a store or brand because of consistently poor service and if not, what would motivate them to do so.

It seems we’re largely apathetic when it comes to taking action, preferring to content ourselves with droning on about it instead. Staggeringly, less than 1% of respondents would actually complain or boycott the business.

Certainly, customer service is discussed as compulsively as the British weather…… so perhaps this is the reason why few are prepared to take a stand? Like the weather, is it that regarding service we believe little can be done to change it?

The survey results would suggest so. With over 47% feeling ‘too embarrassed’ to complain the remainder showed a troubling degree of apathy with comments such as “I simply can’t be bothered to complain because it doesn’t make any difference” or “what’s the point? They never listen to me”. 75% felt reluctant to complain to frontline staff either because of indifference or because they believed the issue remains outside of the assistants’ control “so what’s the point in giving them grief when it starts at HO”.

Rather like global warming, the problem of poor service appears to be too large, too complex and beyond our capacity to correct. And like global warming, the impact of our apparent apathy will take years to become fatal - the eventual outcome will surely be complete service extinction?

This all feels a little counter-intuitive, as very few companies will become sufficiently motivated to care or feel inclined to improve their service position as long as the paying punter, well……. continues to pay!

It seems the bar is now set so low that even small moderations in consumers’ behaviour and attitudes would pay dividends. Surely with this new-found frugality and economic downturn the time has come to sacrifice some short-term inconvenience for the losses to become long-term gains in service? Or is it that we lack the verve to become a little embarrassed, take a stand and demand change like the French do??

Scrutinised or Seduced?

2011-02-17T00:52:00.000-08:00

Retail experiences – scrutinised or seduced?

Unless you've been on planet Zog you’ll have noticed it was Valentines Day this week, and some of the attitudes and behaviours of my friends got me thinking about how subjective ‘attention’ is, in particular with retail brands.

Personally I loathe the idea of a prescribed day of romance so resist the clichéd pressure with a fierce determination, and in much the same way I resent intrusions from retailers who think they can anticipate how I want to spend money.

It would appear retailers are better informed about us than ever before – so how come some give us the creeps while others bliss us out with their attention? In a world where we demand ‘show me don’t tell me’ retailers must now demonstrate they ‘know’ us by making the experience relevant as well as personal.

The question is how to provide us with increasingly personal shopping experiences without falling into the creep out zone?

The answer lies with the critical aspect of consent. Before retailers can reasonably expect us to be delighted with their attention (rather than feeling our privacy is being violated) they must understand that ‘knowing the customer’ now means providing us with tips, advice and offers that help us out. Actions which support our buying habits are the ones which bliss us out, and the creepy behaviour is where the retailer has studied information based on personal demographics and used this to take a punt on what we love.

And that’s the thing – we choose who we want to be close to. Before retailers can ever hope to succeed they must develop a consensual relationship based on respecting our choices rather than the ones they’d prefer we make (or the ones they’re sponsored to persuade us to make). They must embrace the notion that we’re either into them or we’re not, and start to respect this.

So, how wonderful would it be for our favourite store or brand to delight us with random surprises when we least expect it, compared to the Valentine equivalent of prescribed attention that doesn’t really mean that much.

At the supermarket instead of a loyalty card, a coupon or a voucher wouldn’t it be great if the cashier was able to spontaneously announce “we know you’re favourite coffee is blah so as a thank you there’s a free one ready for you when you next visit” or in the coffee shop they said “have that one on us today” – far more memorable and packed with surprise and delight. Yet its all based on the same techie information systems currently employed.

As in the world of relationships, we notice what people don’t do, rather than what they actually do, and the minute we start to feel taken for granted resentment and cynicism sets in. Rather like the world of romance, retailers have to place their attention on subtle seduction rather than an obvious technique. So to avoid the accusation of “bet you say that to all the girls” retailers must be prepared to support, respect and encourage what we love already – and give us more of it!

Romancing in retail ....fashion

2011-02-15T09:07:00.000-08:00

Sounds so obvious but wouldn't it be fab if all the people working in fashion retail actually knew a little about, well, fashion! Nothing too fancy, just one or two pieces of advice they could give to numpties like me who don’t really have a clue what really suits them.

I was truly, absolutely and utterly delighted when I visited New Look in Solihull last Saturday. I confess I didn't have much of an expectation when it came to receiving service, but rather like a party you’re not looking forward to, I had a great time once I got there. I mooched the store, selected a few items to ‘try on’ (sadly, as a wizened fart, the days when I could buy something and know for sure it would fit/suit me are long gone) and this was when the delight began ……..

The fitting rooms are really rather lovely – none of the usual high street tumbleweed dust balls, dirty mirrors, chewing gum or broken doors. Next came the ‘big mirror’ experience. I don’t know about you but when I try on clothes I want out of the little cubical PDQ to get a proper look at the outfit (latent catwalk yearning perhaps?) The etched quote on the central mirror is in the tone & personality of a mischievous best friend urging you out, then, even better than that, it actually encourages you to be honest with the female next to you – if she looks gorgeous – tell her! Yey

Then the defining moment. A sales assistant who (a) knew her stuff (b) had energy, enthusiasm & charm (c) was helpful, friendly and like a breathe of spearmint fresh air. A total joy. Let’s call her retail Rosie – not more than 17, maybe 18, she knew how to engage me, advise me, share her knowledge and suggest alternatives. I just loved it – she wasn't in the slightest bit pushy, simply loved what she was doing – and it showed by the bucketful!

I took her advice, made my choices and left for home feeling like a million dollars …….all because retail Rosie showed an interest, listened and was confident enough to share her enthusiasm

What she did that was so delightful …….

Smiled – simple & so obvious but sadly missing from high street retailing
Paid me a genuine compliment (must have been, other customers said naarce stuff too)
Made sensible suggestions in a charming, conversational way “tell you what looks great with that” or “I saw a lady this morning try that with a belt and it looked lovely” or “that colour really suits you, bet you’ve already got black trousers you could wear it with” and then finally, “when you’re tall it can be really tough finding the right fit but that shirt looks great” – genuine, honest and thoughtful
She made suggestions then she shut up! Never in my face, pestering or badgering – simply available with a smile or eye contact whenever I ventured for the ‘big mirror’
She said smiled and said thank you when I left the fitting room
Nothing was a pain – I’m so fatigued by sales assistants huffing, rolling their eyes or tutting in exasperation when I seek their advice – they just give me attitude and I don’t need theirs, I got one of my own!!

If fashion retailers made a conscious effort to recruit individuals with the energy, brilliance and enthusiasm shown by retail Rosie then the British economy would see a significant shift upwards – we’d all be seduced into a little but highly pleasurable retail therapy.

Romancing in Retail .......skin care

2011-02-15T08:04:00.000-08:00

Hello and a heartfelt welcome to the first addition of romancing in skin care retail, a specialist blog for all skincare therapists and consultants. The aim is to offer inspiration, thought provocation, endorsement, and touches of humour in your world of retailing skin care products.

Surprise & Delight

This has nothing to do with ‘traffic stopping’ although the effect is just as valuable. The difference with the romancing principles is both you and the customer feel fabulous with the greeting – as of now approach everything you do and say with an “every encounter counts” mentality.

Quit using traffic stopping techniques which customers dread, and you’re bored to death with. Instead, engage your charm and imagination and begin to make every encounter count.

Ban the 4 most useless words in retail

Banned from this instant are the words “can I help you?” – it is dull in the extreme and makes you look like a numtie. Replace with a few of these suggestions, mix with several of your own and make it into a bit of a game. Have fun. Laugh a little. Be authentic. Be lovely

Compliment the person – love the style or colour of their coat/dress/hair? Then say so! Children do this effortlessly and it is charming, highly infectious and deeply irresistible – think for a minute how fabulous you feel when a complete stranger pays you a genuine compliment – so easy to do, and how much fun is it to make as your mission each day ‘discover something lovely about everyone’
Dare to be different – so few skincare consultants smile and say hello, and I have no idea why, we’re surrounded by such loveliness – what’s not to smile about?? Stand out from the glumness and say hello & smile at everyone (yes, even grumpy knickers, they offer the greatest reward when the smile gets returned)
Start an epidemic – smiling, enthusiasm and excitement are all totally infectious – so let’s start an epidemic. This has nothing to do with being perennially and psychotically irritating and everything to do with making the decision to communicate with energy and passion what you love about your products ……don’t love them? Leave – you do yourself a huge disservice staying with something you hate
Show off more! – when you have knowledge about skincare you owe to me to share this knowledge. Quit assuming I already understand why an eye cream is an essential part of my battle against face migration – I don’t! Quit assuming I want to know about product ingredients and ask me what I want to know about. I must, must, must leave smarter than when I arrived so inspire me with your expertise & insider knowledge
Answers create natural conversations – when you ask a question do you truly listen to the answer or are you waiting to speak? Asking questions is definitely the secret to creating great connections and effortless conversations so make it your mission to ask your question and then shut up! Sometimes people need a little time, especially if you’ve asked a fab question they’ve never thought about before, so give people space & time to answer instead of jumping into the silence. It really is the greatest compliment you can pay another – genuine listening is a rare and beautiful thing

The next blog will be about the ways we unwittingly confuse the customers ……until then, keep shining!

2010-07-29T06:25:00.000-07:00

The tale of tiresome tyres and hysterical brides

Tyres and brides – not a natural marriage (sorry, should have resisted) however, the moral of the story means they did not live happily ever after.

When will companies wake up to the fact that blaming customers simply doesn’t make for ‘happy ever after’ – never, never, never ….

Take my friend who wanted a new tyre on his car. Web price shows an all-in price of £166 (it’s a very posh car). Delighted he calls his local branch, enquiring about availability. He’s then asked what the car is (uhh oh, that’ll move the decimal point to the right) to be told “that’ll be £220 all in mate” …grrrrr, he’s not your mate …..

Explaining he’d seen it cheaper on the web he then gets offered “£175 all-in mate” – so what stopped them offering this price to begin with???

The customer waiting area was unlit, the coffee machine was filthy (and cost £2.00) and the magazines were ratty …….what was the brand message being experienced?

Confident, competent, honest or sloppy, careless, dodgy – you decide

And so to the bride …..and this just makes my jaw drop

Friend getting married, doing so in major style, decides it has to be a dress to die for (metaphorically we trust) so appoints high profile designer Susan Goodchild (the £ signs are immense at this stage).

Abridged version – went to collect on Saturday, full of excited anticipation & happiness. Sadly not to last - dress has been made for what appears to be friends younger and potentially anorexic sister – it simply ain’t gonna fit in a million years.

Wondering if they’ve got 2 dresses mixed up my friend (the customer paying vast sums of money remember) is told it must be her fault!!! She must have got the size wrong!

Erm, hello, this is a designer, tailor made dress, how on earth could she have got the size wrong??

By now in tears she is told “well, you’ll just have to make do with one of the dresses from stock”.

Far be it from me to suggest the dresses from stock are any less than totally gorgeous, being told “you’ll just have to make do” is not what a bride-to-be wants to hear.

Leaving the store without a solution and spending the weekend in tears, she eventually receives a call from the designer on Monday afternoon and is told “well, you must have put on weight” (this is a lady who’s recovering from liver cancer so I think not) ……there now remains something of an impasse. Friend doesn’t have a dress – designer doesn’t appear to have a solution.

And it’s all her fault!

Obvious points here, however I just wonder how many times common-sense flies out of the window, where employees and business owners lose sight of what they’re all about. I describe it as ‘choose your battles’ ……..some customers really do attempt to take advantage, however it’s rare. Most simply expect common courtesy, understanding and a ‘what can we do to put this right’ attitude – nothing too complicated really. Staff need to understand this attitude is going to win more business, increase loyalty and create a far more pleasant day. Leaders need to give permission. Customers are not the enemy

2010-07-15T08:04:00.000-07:00

e-tiquette – 10 email no-no’s

War & Peace

The email that goes on and on and on and on …..and not nearly as amusing as the old Ariston advert either. I often wonder if their strategy is to bore you into submission, like you’ll lose the will to live so sign up just to get rid of them

Flawed thinking – do these people really believe that we’re so captivated we have time to read their verbose ramblings?

Get to the point!! Keep your points succinct, relevant and punchy ….unless that is you’ve got stuff to hide, in which case keep rambling and we’ll keep deleting!

Flags

Not the world cup variety – flags telling me how to prioritise.

Hello??? I decide the level of importance not you. All smacks of ‘my priority is now your priority’ and is guaranteed to get me as mad as Maradonna.

My suggestion? Unless you’ve called and we’ve agreed this is a very important/open this immediately/it’s a top of the league message please let me decide where to place the importance

Reply all

This could fall into ‘cc list’ territory except for one major difference – the public row that generally ensues. Failing that, the rather tedious reading of an email conversation between the sender and the originator – either way it’s rarely compelling – it’s nothing to do with me!

The ‘public row’ happens when egos are clashing or bitchy points are being scored – perhaps making for short-term amusement but like toilet humour, soon starts to leave a lingering and unwelcome odour.

To avoid being viewed in a pretty feeble light take any disagreements out of the email arena, put your big boy/girl pants on and have an adult debate – privately

And ‘reply all’ for a private conversation is rather like naff cartoon ties or ‘you don’t have to be mad’ notices – you may believe its interesting for the rest of us – it’s not.

Poor spelling/grammar/structure/text talk

Grrrrr, one of my all time pet hates – what’s wrong with using F7 for goodness sake?

Compose. Cut & paste. Spell check. Sorted. Took a nano-second.

In the same way as emailing in text language – it just makes you appear sloppy, ignorant and incompetent.

Email communication is a pretty impoverished at the best of times but has now all but replaced the mailed letter as a method of business contact.

Hold this in mind the next time you’re tempted to believe spelling and grammar matter not a jot – they do

Finally, spelling names incorrectly – simply no excuse. This is such a deep, ingrained feature of our psyche (primary school and possibly even nursery) that you’ll cause huge disconnection by ignoring name spelling.

Forward history

Here’s a great oxymoron for you – what I mean is the email where you’re being asked to comment on something urgently which is lost in an ocean of fwd, fwd, fwd ………

Help me cut through the fog and just send me the relevant points

Cc list

I appreciate I guard my privacy with the ferocity of Sigourney Weaver in Aliens but seeing my contact details on view to the world and his brother in a business circulation is just plain bad manners.

Use bcc (blind copy) or find some email whiz who knows how to keep your distribution list anonymous.

On a slightly different tangent, being included on an email without any specific instruction or request for information drives me insane.

If your intention is to ask someone to do something please avoid cc-ing them on an email and assuming they’re going to understand what is you’re expecting from them.

Finally on the subject of ‘cc list’ is the inclusion of a superior.

It’s not big and it’s not clever. In many ways it’s the equivalent of “right, that’s it. I’m telling on you”.

Filled with politics, spiteful, childish behaviour – time to put the big boy pants on again

Wrong tone

Being all about authenticity I get pretty miserable when an email is either overly matey or full of pomposity and high-brow words that would never see the light of day in general conversation.

Use language appropriate to the recipient, or better still, use a language and tone that is genuinely how you speak (providing you’re not the ignorant incompetent who fails to use F7).

This also includes ill placed humour – misogyny is just tasteless and sexism is rarely a redeeming feature.

Think a little before sending and ask yourself how much gender stereotyping it contains – not all females love shopping and hate sport, in much the same way that not all guys are constantly thinking about sex ………are they??

We-ing over the recipient

The worst kind of email is one that is full of ‘we’. Disgusting thought isn’t it? You know the sort of thing – we can provide, we work with, we think you should, we pride ourselves on, we would like to ……I could keep adding to this but hey, that would become War & Peace wouldn’t it?

The content needs to be about the person receiving it, so consider using a narrative with me in it to guarantee I’ll keep reading.

This one area will do more to help me determine your competency, your quality, and the value I place on you than anything else you may conceive of – promise.

Rather like a first date if the email is all about you I’m going to become cynical and bored faster than a fiddlers elbow – give me a reason to open your email by providing information relevant to me, inspire me, educate me, enlighten me but please never we on me!

Bad news day

Likely each one of us can recall the unfortunate email sent out intending to be buried on a bad news day – this isn’t what I mean, I was just teasing.

This is the use of email to fire/dump/air disputes/complain – simply don’t do it. Ever, ever, ever

Visual pollution

They say a picture paints a thousand words – except when the email is so chock-full with images that finding the text in the preview pane proves futile.

Instead of being able to make an informed choice about whether to invest time reading it I’m more likely to delete – that’s if my spam filters haven’t zapped it first!

Be succinct. Signpost. Structure.

Use visuals with caution otherwise it becomes a designers wet dream

The curse of auditory pollution

2010-05-13T04:55:00.000-07:00

Having decided to ditch the car in favour of walking, cycling and taking the train I have become fitter, firmer and frustrated.

The first two F’s require no explanation. The third F began as wry amusement which has rapidly become screaming exasperation ……public announcements on trains.

Now, please don’t misunderstand me, I believe it’s vitally important to receive confirmation of platform departures and the fact that I’m on the right train, however, the apparently arbitrary nature of further announcements appears to be inexorable.

For those unfamiliar with the intricacies of rail travel please let me explain.

It begins with the train manager announcing the type of tickets NOT valid for travel, of which there are zillions. Next are the safety announcements, to which no-one appears to be listening.

Announcements for where to safely store luggage swiftly follow – on the big space clearly labelled LUGGAGE would be my guess. Then comes another announcement from the train manager about where the quiet carriages are, with further prattling about what this means (dumbing down or what?)

Then we get the on-board catering announcement, lamely attempting to seduce us to indulge in their plastic tasting bacon rolls, molten hot beverages or poor quality wines. Even more hilarious is the catering manager’s announcement that there is no catering! Intermingled throughout these ubiquitous interruptions is the unrelenting and generic recording of where the train is about to stop, and what future stops are planned…….cross country trains make up to 20 stops …..imagine how monotonous this becomes.

Sometimes the announcements are made by individuals with a severe case of verbal diarrhoea, who, compelled to come ‘off script’ add their own witticisms (rarely are they) about the service, who they are, where they come from, what they had for breakfast, in fact just about any random fact you can imagine. All the while I just want to scream “For the love of God just be quiet”.

OK rant over……..am I the only person climbing the carriage windows in frustration? Compelled to start a campaign to eliminate auditory pollution ……who will join me???

Power of the positive

2010-04-30T03:03:00.000-07:00

Having listened to the final leaders debate last night I was amazed by Gordon Brown’s insistence to focus on entirely negative statements throughout his concluding speech. There was not one single positive thing in that statement. He missed a glorious opportunity to reinforce all the positive reasons why voters should re-elect a Labour government by sounding scared and desperate – both deeply unattractive characteristics.

Number one lesson in customer engagement and sales – NEVER slag off the competition!!!

Almost without exception it leaves a deeply cynical and suspicious customer behind. It rarely communicates how fabulous you and your services are. It never suggests you’re an innovative thinker. Seldom does it act to strengthen feelings of trust and confidence. In short, you inevitably communicate how preoccupied you are with everything other than the customer you’re here to serve.

There are many ways in which we unwittingly undermine our authority – Gordon Brown gave a master class in alienating potential customers and causing existing one’s to disconnect.

Jobs-worth on the train

2010-04-15T06:49:00.000-07:00

May the Lord forgive me ………I simply loathe ‘jobs-worth’ types and I managed to attract one on this mornings train journey to Birmingham.

In my endeavours to reduce my carbon omissions/ get fitter/ enjoy fresh air I have decided to start cycling the 1½ miles from home to station and then station to office……I know, my halo is glowing bright.

However, this morning’s journey was blighted by possibly the worst example of jobs worth I’ve ever had the misfortune to encounter.

Let me set the scene……I get myself and said bicycle safely onto the train at International for the short journey to New Street (approx 7 minutes) and in the absence of any better place I holed-up between standard and first class, largely because the latter was empty and the corridor was wide……then jobs worth strikes!

My first error is to have underestimated the murderous intent of my cycle, something jobs worth identified in a heartbeat when he greeted me with the words “that bike could kill”. My bike? A murderer? Surely a miscarriage of justice if ever there was.

It seems what I should have done was enter the train at the opposite end, through a locked door, which only the absent staff at International could have unlocked for me. And I would know this because ……..???? Aahhh, it seems I couldn’t have known this, for only the man with the key would know.

By now I’m feeling confused (not hard I admit) which is rapidly replaced by a fit of the giggles as jobs worth grabs his mobile, puffs out his chest and complains to some faceless bicycle fascist at HO “we have a bike on the train and I knew nothing about”.

Suitably pleased with himself as he finishes his call, looks me in the eye and announces “that showed ‘em”

What a totally pointless waste of his time & energy! More critically I know see Virgin inspectors as silly, bullying and ridiculous ……more alarming is the murderous intent of my previously benign cycle!

Business or quick fumble?

2010-03-03T09:40:00.000-08:00

A customers measure of our quality, competence and value are very different to what we might imagine. The bad news is it is rarely, if ever, determined by how brilliant we might be at something. It is almost always measured and judged by what we’re saying through non-verbal communication.

Let’s look at business cards -

In business I see companies and consultants listing endless services, I guess in the belief that as a customer I’ll be impressed by this. The opposite is in fact true.

I have no idea what it is they’re good at, they appear lacking in confidence, perhaps unsure themselves about their strengths and expertise, and so unwittingly communicate in a way which leaves me confused and doubting their credibility. Jack of all trades, master of none

It does little to create anticipation and irresistible temptation either. It’s the equivalent of baring all and leaving nothing to the imagination.

You surprise and delight your customers far more by introducing additional products and services in an appropriate and relevant manner, rather than attempting to explain everything at the same time. Better to find the judicious opportunity to unfurl your businesses breadth of services and products in a thoughtful manner than to pitch everything at once in a desperate and frantic manner.

5 tips to think about –

Decide what it is you want to communicate with your business cards – do you want to tell all or offer just a hint of what you offer? This is often the first thing people see in a business environment or networking event. It is the first opportunity you will have to create the wow
Consider also the ergonomics of your card – it must be able to fit into the wallet, and also business card holders. Designing something that is none-standard is flawed – if it can’t be filed it will be dumped! Confine none-standard shapes to your promotional material not your business cards

· One vital point on your cards is to ensure you use both sides. It is a missed opportunity and a false saving to only print on one side – don’t be misguided – use every available space

· Get them professionally printed. This is a necessary investment – substandard cards suggest you either don’t take yourself seriously or worse that you won’t be around very long. This may not be your intention but it certainly is what gets communicated

· If the contact details are out of date get new ones printed – never scribble details through, it just looks cheap and naff

The quality of your business cards, as with all your printed stuff will communicate more about your professionalism, how much you value yourself and ultimately how much I’m prepared to pay for your products and services. Avoid BTN (better than nothing) thinking – because it never is.

The value of ordinary

2010-02-19T07:10:00.000-08:00

Nicholas Winterton is causing a bit of stink and the debate in our office is how accurately does this reflect (as suggested by Labour) the true face & attitude of most Conservative MP’s – do they all believe ‘ordinary’ people are the great unwashed, unintelligent and so dumb that we have little right to complain about their shenanigans?

My own feeling is that MP’s, footballers, business leaders and most cosseted celebs inevitably become totally out of touch with us ‘ordinary people’. Inevitably because they surround themselves with trusted sources who filter, spin and massage what reaches their privileged ears and so they stop listening to the very people who can tell it like it is.

I have said many times that business leaders would discover far more about how their brand is experienced and perceived simply by talking to and listening to their front line staff. These ‘ordinary’ people are critical in communicating a brand message, and they do so far more eloquently than any marketing executive or glossy campaign.

I wonder what stops them? Fear of being challenged? Fear of discovering how things really are? In the current climate many are retreating to autocratic styles simply because they have the employee by the short & curlies – this may give them a short-term gain and put a stop to all that complicated people management stuff but ultimately it will come back to bite them on the bottom.

At the first opportunity people will leave them, a cost to the business with both downtime and recruitment. Meanwhile and more troublesome, the cynical, de-motivated and disempowered employee remains in position to cause untold damage because of sanctimonious, autocratic management who fail to listen or even grasp the notion that ordinary people are creating their customers brand experience – the purest form of which is with face-to-face encounters.

Lets hear it for the ‘ordinary’ people – I look forward to meeting you in standard class!

Labels are for jars

2010-02-19T03:11:00.000-08:00

We’re all no doubt aware of the heartbeat judgements we make about others we encounter in our lives. The labels we give them, the herds or groups we put them in. It’s a matter of human instinct after all – it kept us safe in the past and served us well. As we’ve evolved it’s become ever more instinctive yet a little less sophisticated, perhaps no longer serving us quite so well.

Having the privilege to discuss these ideas with young graduates I’ve learnt that more damaging than the labels we give other people are the ones we put on ourselves.

I figure in modern life this begins with how we’re labelled in the school system. Interesting debate on this week’s radio 4 Woman’s Hour about our love/hate relationship with the subject of Maths crystallised my thinking. Children as young as 5 are labelled on their abilities in this subject, and very few learn to rip the label off – children after all, learn to live up to our expectations, however low or high they may be.

Having been given many labels during my life I’m increasingly aware of the ways in which my continuing to wear them has hindered or helped – I was literally given a badge to wear in my geography class for the last 2 years at school which read ‘I am a disruptive element’ (shame on you Mr Webber). I believe a more accurate one would have read ‘I am so bored’ but this sounds a little defence doesn’t it?

Some labels have been placed on us by others, although many more we have stuck on ourselves. Take time to consider which labels serve you well and remove the destructive ones, the ones which hold you back, the ones which feel at odds with who you truly are. In particular think about the labels which start with ‘I’m not’ …..these are the real demons.

Finally, a Friday thought from Malcolm Forbes “too many people overvalue what they are not, and under value what they are”.

The real message behind the gesture

2010-02-16T08:04:00.000-08:00

Don’t know about you but I just love surprises. But what happens when the surprise becomes a bit of a disappointment? Do you shut up because it was a surprise so ought to be a bonus, it didn’t cost you anything, and anyway, it’s the gesture behind it that counts ….or is it??

My recent surprise was winning a Mood clock from Orange mobile; I didn’t even know I was entered into a competition, so this made the surprise even more lovely.

Well, the Mood clock arrived in the mail today and it doesn’t work! I’m now caught between feeling like an ungrateful mare & a person who should get out more – it just leaves me feeling a tad disappointed that this was the best they could do. And yet I can’t help wondering about the thought process behind this marketing initiative by Orange.

Have they fallen into the BTN (better than nothing) style of thinking? Like all surprises they at least require a degree of thought – so what was the thinking for Orange when they send this duffer of a ‘prize’ out? The Mood clock arrived in a beautiful glossy box, complete with a ‘with love from’ gift tag – all very cute and classy, very on brand for Orange …..then I took the clock out, and oh dear, oh dear. It was almost as if they’d come from different brands! One who takes their customers and themselves seriously and one that’s a bit of Rhett Butler (couldn’t give a damn).

My whole take on the surprises thing is do it well or don’t bother. This includes personal as well as branded gifts (think cheap tacky pens at trade shows, or in this case cheap tacky mood clocks which don’t work). BTN thinking is damaging on so many levels; imagining it is better than doing or giving nothing rarely is. It remains in the mind far longer, suggests you’re a bit of a dullard and finally that you’re a cheapskate – none of which was the intention I’m sure.

Think about the quality message you’re communicating – it will determine how much I’m willing to trust you, how much I’m prepared to pay for your goods or services, or even whether I’m prepared to continue to do business with you.

Harsh but true.

Better than nothing rarely is …….

Can you afford to wear eau de self-doubt?

2010-02-15T07:34:00.000-08:00

Have you ever met someone who simply doesn’t appear to love their own brand? Rather like Eyeore from Winnie the Pooh the fragrance of their doom & desperation fills the room. Perhaps there’s something in the air right now, maybe the moon is spinning in a different direction, but it just seems I’ve encountered this several times over the past few weeks with new coaching clients.

I’ve taken a huge risk on these occasions by saying its not sales or presentation coaching they need, it’s a boost of brand belief and a change of fragrance (metaphorically).

The risk has been because us Brits rarely want to offend or upset people, so we collude by staying silent instead of being courageous and saying it how it is. Now this doesn’t mean being offensive, personal or in any way cruel; it has everything to do with holding the other person in great respect. I’ve ‘owned’ how I’m experiencing them, how they project themselves and on every occasion they have said “thank you, I had no idea”.

If I were to put a name to their fragrance then I’d call it eau de self-doubt, and it really is a stinker! That wonderful line from the film The Incredibles keeps coming to mind ‘self-doubt is a luxury we can no longer afford’ …..it is an expensive luxury so needs to be viewed as such. Only indulged on rare occasions, best savoured alone or in the company of trusted sources (ie: those who will tell us it stinks and help us wash it off).

I figure we all experience moments of self-doubt – even the best have these moments , however I’ve come to realise it’s how we handle it when it pays a visit…..

I like to adopt my nieces approach to life & the people we have around us – a wonderful, sparkling and giddy carousel. Who do you have riding on your carousel? Do they truly deserve that space? How much time does the carousel spend stopping at self-doubt central? Does it have the smell of self-doubt?

Get yourself on the most amazing carousel, surrounded by fab people and saddle up for the ride. This doesn’t mean you won’t face adversity or set backs; plan for these, for of course they will visit from time to time – just make sure you’re not wearing eau de self-doubt when you’re preparing for the ride

simple not easy

2010-02-11T08:21:00.000-08:00

Having just spent a couple of hours with students at City of Birmingham Uni I was struck by a couple of things. Firstly how open and how free from agenda they are – they’re not looking to prove their point, protect their position or otherwise have a vested interest in maintaining fixed beliefs.

Don’t misunderstand me – this certainly doesn’t mean they’re lacking in opinions or thoughts of their own – their challenges and questions demonstrated they have this in abundance – what it means is they’re genuine free-thinkers.

Corporate leaders overlook and ignore these guys at their peril.

I couldn’t help wondering how many of them are currently employed, albeit part-time, by brands that could genuinely benefit from engaging with them, asking for their perspective and finally taking on board their ideas?

My guess is very few, if any, of their managers have the courage or the wisdom to do this simply because they see them as part-time students rather than a source of valuable and deeply relevant perspectives.

Secondly, many of the comments made were how simple the Romancing message is, that it’s really, well, pretty obvious stuff and what is it with corporate brands that simply don’t get this?

I honestly believe that it is because it’s so simple and jam-packed full of common sense it gets missed. That it’s not complicated to implement or because it’s so obvious, somehow devalues its currency?

Sometimes when we live close to something we become so familiar with it we tend to stop paying it the attention it deserves. It’s almost as if this familiarity renders our instinctive knowledge to the ‘irrelevance file’.

Couple this with the fact that obvious and common sense things are often incredibly simple ….. but they’re not easy. Not easy to adopt. Not easy to implement. Not easy to recognise.

For if it were easy then we’d all be doing it wouldn’t we?

Warm & Fuzzy feeling

2010-02-10T09:54:00.000-08:00

Just finished reading an article from the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD) about the unhappiness being felt by workers at the moment. It seems the biggest single issue isn’t earning more wonga (although this may help in the short-term) it’s to do with the lack of opportunities to learn new skills.

Training and marketing are the easiest, so first budgets to cut in response to the recession but I think they’re the one’s that lead to permanent and lasting damage once there’s an up-turn. With almost a quarter of workers developing an ‘itch’ (23% according to the CIPD) the up-turn could see an increase in employee wanderlust if employers fail to romance and inspire their key staff.

Leaders may be screaming “there’s enough to do with managing the business!! I can do without high maintenance staff” but it’s a little like concentrating on bringing home the money and never being around to share the benefits. Sooner or later one or both parties start to feel lonely and taken for granted.

Keeping staff happy, loyal & motivated doesn’t mean having to spend squillions – it means making those tiny, heartfelt gestures that create wonderful memories, oodles of ahh moments and armies of loved up employees.

Perhaps listen more attentively for hints of what would bliss them out –

Their favourite biscuit
Pens running out – get them a new one
Mugs chipped – replace it
Picture of their favourite pin-up
Cakes because it’s a day with the letter Y in it
Crunchie bars because its Friday
Send a ‘you’re totally fab’ card/message

The approach takes imagination & care – its simple not easy – but it means you get to prevent costly break-ups, you reduce stress levels and best of all you get to do something really rather lovely.

And, now prepare for the warm and fuzzy feeling to happen …….

Trip down memory lane

2010-02-05T09:06:00.000-08:00

Listening to Prof Mary Beard on Desert Island Discs this morning resulted in affectionate reminder of my angst ridden teenage world – the simple mention of ‘first bra’, PE and the girls changing rooms acted as unwelcome triggers.

For females reading this, who remembers ‘training bras’? – training for what I now wonder?? For the male contingent read on to better understand any teenage girls you may be Father to.

Training bras (sorry, unable to say this without a titter, erm I mean giggle) were wonderfully soft, powder blue or baby pink, came in packs of two, and were totally useless!! They fitted over your head and my yearning to wear one was fierce.

Unfortunately the yearning was not matched by breasts.

Similar to the humiliation faced by Prof Beard when ‘walking the line longing to be picked’, I made the painful discovery that the appeal for teenage boys did not include girls who were 5ft 10” with tits like two fried eggs - and no amount of training bras stuffed with cotton wool or Kleenex tissues* was going to alter this

So, the message for Fathers of teenage girls pleading for training bras is yield – they are a necessary part of growing up and the joy of ownership will far exceed the lack of breasts needed to fill them.

*on reflection it may have been the appearance of lumpy breasts which was so off putting

Without thinking - what's the answer?

2010-02-03T09:13:00.000-08:00

I would love to discover what your immediate perception is if I said ‘utilities’ – so, rather like word association, I say utilities you say ????
Answers on tweet please – warmest thanks

Surreal bulletin

2010-01-29T09:02:00.000-08:00

Listening to the 6pm news bulletin last night was a surreal experience, in fact I questioned if it was April Fools day. It began with the shocking revelation from Toyota that some of their cars, but they didn’t know which, had problems with the accelerator sticking. I couldn’t help giggling at this, and if it weren’t so serious, I’d have enjoyed a good belly laugh – more on the damage to their brand later.

There followed a report about a guy prosecuted by the police for blowing his nose in his car – in stationary traffic – with the cars handbrake on – because he was not in control of the vehicle!

Next came a bulletin about Tesco in Cardiff banning locals from shopping in their PJ’s. Apparently many of them have taken huge offence at being told to get dressed, feeling its perfectly OK to pop in for their morning paper and packet of fags wearing nothing but their pink chiffon nightdress, or barefoot in their stripy PJ bottoms.

The final bulletin concerned the tragic event of the young children found in sports bags in the back of their Mothers car. Talk about a contrast of bulletins – if this weren’t heart-rending and horrific an event on its own, the impact following such frivolous news events seemed in many respects to be so badly positioned by the producers. It really troubled me that such little thought had been given to effect on the listener. Have we really become so desensitised to the horrifying story of small children being murdered and bundled into sports bags that producers feel a bulletin on chavs shopping in PJ’s is a natural link to child murders?

Dear Lord, I hope not

All about attitude

2010-01-27T07:46:00.000-08:00

My salvation while sitting in the Birmingham traffic is listening to Radio 4 – never fails to entertain, educate or elucidate. Listening to the Hugh Skyes report from the Yemen I was captivated by two young brothers, Mohammed & Ahmed aged 10 & 12 talking about their average day.

School for 5 hours, looking after donkey’s 12 hours. Hugh Sykes suggested this was hard work and the response from Mohammed was breathtaking. Full of joy, enthusiasm and energy he replied emphatically that it was nothing of the sort.

These young boys were charming, polite and wonderfully expectant – one wants to be a pilot, the other a soldier. Both are proud to serve and do so with passion, determination and delight. A salient message about the power of our attitude to the world we live in.

How to abuse an audience

2010-01-27T07:13:00.000-08:00

At an awards dinner last week, (delighted to be finalists sadly no trophy) we were subjected to a perfectly awful celebrity keynote speaker. It was painful for many reasons. firstly, he clearly didn't want to be there - his boredom was tangible - and secondly, he had no respect for the audience. With hands in pockets while doing a poor imitation of a foppish Hugh Grant, he proceeded to show slides of his TV antics in the style of someone showing their holiday snaps! And pretty dull ones at that.

The privilege of the platform comes with huge responsibility - entertain or inspire. This speaker did neither, although he could easily have done both given a little thought. The damage done to his personal brand was immense. Had he been authentic then the principles of digging deep and always being the best you can be would have been applied.

We all have off days I guess - my own feeling is to confine these to duvet days rather than when we're with others......every encounter counts, whether you're a celeb or a check-out operator.

A word of encouragement is never lost

2010-01-14T06:32:00.001-08:00

Isn’t it interesting the power words can have? They are never useless, for they have the power to both encourage and inspire or defeat and destroy. The right word, at the right time, can have the most magical affect.

Do you save yours for a ‘just cause’ assuming that confident, accomplished and successful individuals won’t appreciate your words, that they somehow don’t need them or that you’ll simply be telling them what they already know to be true?

I’ve learnt this assumption is folly – often times the most gifted and talented receive few words of encouragement simply because they are so gifted and talented!

Everyone, even those who inspire us, welcome appreciation and a sincere word of encouragement

Seasons of life

2010-01-14T06:30:00.000-08:00

I just love it when crazy stuff happens, as it did last night. Returning home late, cold and a little weary I opened my bedside cabinet looking for a hair slide when I noticed a small book. A small book which had been there each time the draw had been opened. A small book which had never before caught my eye. Yet there is was, demanding to be read.

The Seasons of Life by Jim Rohn has followed me around via my bedside cabinet for the past 10 years, remaining silent and benign until the time came for me to receive its message.

How many times does this happen? And perhaps more crucially, when it happens and goes unnoticed?

This delightful and insightful book is essentially a message about attitude, awareness and discipline. I urge even the most enlightened to read this book and absorb its message. Talk about right time right place – it offered me the insight I was searching for and a whole heap more. Thank you Mr Rohn may you RIP

Be mindful who the customer is ......

2010-01-12T09:48:00.000-08:00

Lord please give me strength! Have you ever had one of those experiences that just leaves you exasperated and wondering about the professional ethics and sanity of some businesses? Professional ethics because this company took the goods, were delighted with the results and even asked for further recommendations. Their questionable sanity – I work as a professional speaker, I write about brand reputation and these guys refuse to pay my invoice or return my calls and emails. How rude, how very rude indeed.

Hello????? This is rich material I’m being fed

Brand reputation is as much about how you treat your suppliers and employees as it is about your ‘customer face’ ……in many ways it’s more important. I believe your behaviour ‘behind the scenes’ is a truer indication of your integrity than any glossy marketing campaign, brochure or who you may be associated with. Businesses need to understand that the most pure form of brand experience is in every encounter we have with them, not the glossy communication which so preoccupies them.

Wish me luck!

Service not servitude

2010-01-07T08:29:00.000-08:00

A great debate erupted this morning around the subject of service, where I was accused of ‘typical female semantics’. It started because I complained about poor service in a local coffee shop. The guy I was meeting was mortified, later asking me why it bothered me so much. I explained that it was about how people choose to be perceived by others – lacklustre, rude and uninformed versus enthusiastic, polite and knowledgeable.

“Why should she grovel, she’s only serving coffee” was his cry of defence

“I don’t expect her to grovel I expect her to serve” came my reply

Being proud to serve has nothing to do with servitude – it is everything to do with self-esteem and a determination to be the best we can be – whether that’s serving coffee or serving your country. We can choose with every encounter how we’re perceived and how we’re going to conduct ourselves. Do people really, consciously choose to behave in a way that makes them appear manner-less & dull?

I appreciate she’ll probably never see me again, I have no direct influence over her life, so why should she give a damn what impression she left me with? However, I can’t help wondering how she sees herself.

My mantra remains – every encounter counts – we owe to ourselves

The same wind blows on us all ......

2010-01-04T04:50:00.000-08:00

Having been evacuated from my home on Christmas Eve due to a gas leak (thankfully no explosions or dramas) I happily swapped my homeless status on Tuesday and gratefully returned safe & sound. I found the experience a salient and fascinating one. Principally the reaction from others in the building who announced glumly “Christmas will now be a disaster” or family friends who declared “it must be a nightmare” (no it wasn’t, no-one was hurt and our homes were safe) or people who were angry and resentful on my behalf (what’s the point, my misery would only have been inflicted on the poor sod who’d taken me in)

When I returned home several things happened – firstly an overwhelming need to tidy, clean and move furniture around, swiftly followed by a deeply contemplative state of mind setting in, and finally a desperate need to be alone – an odd reaction you might think, a more conventional one being to open a vintage Rioja and the box of Green & Blacks I’d been given by a wonderfully thoughtful friend.

Having tidied the tree and decorations away I was struck by how peaceful everything looked. In the past I have found the contrast from sparkling festivity to minimalist neatness almost too much to bear; now I found it wonderfully restorative. Settling down in my now calm surroundings I began to contemplate 2010 and what actions and behaviours I would change and those I would retain to achieve my goals. There was an interesting piece in the Guardian on the 28^th explaining why New Year resolutions are doomed to failure and it struck a chord for many reasons.

Firstly, many of the self-help gurus telling people what to do appear to be advocating powerful visualisation techniques as a recipe for success – stick a picture firmly in your mind (or on the fridge door) and bingo! you’re off. This is just plain crazy. I’m highly tuned to the power of the sub-conscious mind but it needs to be accompanied by consistent behaviour change too, otherwise it will all end in tears.

Next there are the set big-hairy-arsed-goal-gurus – lose half my body weight, make a million, travel the world, build a property portfolio, fall in love, drive a big expensive car, become more successful – these are impressive if that’s what floats your boat, however, steps are needed on the way to get you there – something seldom mentioned.

This may sound rather obvious stuff. Of course we need to identify what needs to be done and how we need to change our habits, however for the many looking for a silver bullet, or the gullible and the desperate, the charlatans message of ‘create the picture and all will be gorgeous’ is a highly seductive one. It’s a dangerous strategy and one guaranteed to propel individuals towards failure rather than steady success.

I love the approach developed by David Hyner of Stretch Development – have a big hairy goal and then identify the little steps, knowledge, training, help, support and actions needed to create it. Build each of the steps like a pyramid, making a strong foundation to ultimate achievement. And reward yourself along the way – what a joyless life it would be if we had to postpone celebration or deny ourselves until we had achieved our hopes, dreams, desires.

I’m left wondering how different things would be if more people understood the power of their reactions to life, the power of taking personal responsibility and the bliss of celebrating small achievements on the journey to our goals. My own personal recipe for success is pinned to the fridge door – Know what it is you want. Know what it takes to achieve it. Persevere.

The 4 most useless words in networking

2009-12-21T10:41:00.000-08:00

Having just returned from an event where I was the speaker I wanted to share why these networking events seldom leave me with a warm and fuzzy glow toward my fellow man. Being the speaker was not the problem, it was the attitude of one or two individuals attending. I’m currently writing the next book from the Romancing the Customer business guides so this was a splendid opportunity to test some of the material (all about communication).

Joining me at the start of the event was a networking virgin – a young, ambitious and really interesting solicitor called Lucy. As she was unsullied by the ravages of networking past I decided to share some of the material I was developing in order that she might avoid uttering the 4 most useless words in networking ‘what do you do?’

All went beautifully until we met the network dinosaur who was so rude it was breathtaking. He destroyed his opportunity to connect and discover how interesting someone is simply by looking at her name badge, recognising the law firm and dismissing her with a ‘oh right, you’re a solicitor’.

I remain convinced this was not his intention; it was simply due to a thoughtless word and a mindless gesture. Yet he did so much damage to his brand integrity that I doubt either Lucy or I will ever be referring or recommending him or his services any time soon.

I do hope this experience doesn’t put Lucy off. If nothing else, she at least discovered some useful alternatives to what do you do, and I trust embraced some rather smart ways of responding to the faceless herd who decide this is the best way to connect and create potent brand experiences.

the power of a good word

2009-09-02T08:11:00.001-07:00

The following is an extract from the second in the Romancing the Customer series of business guides, Espresso Yourself - The Taste of your Brand just to whet your appetite ......

The Power of a good written word

Here is a humorous, and some consider extreme example of the power of words. I believe it is a sure fire way to illustrate the power of copy and how potent it can be. I have taken my inspiration from the lonely hearts ads found in the dailies (I was looking as part of my research OK). These are unedited, real examples for those cynics who think I made it up …….

Go getter seeks romance – attractive, blonde, wants romantic, caring partner. No baggage
Indian M, chubby, shaved head, very hairy, likes pubs & eating out
Cuddly single Mum seeks M who likes children & nights in

These are not many words and yet already we’ve formed a picture of this person (contact details available upon request). It is no different with the copy or language we use in our brochures, our websites, our voicemail, and our direct contact with customers.

What does yours really say about you? How predictable are you being? How focused on you and not them is it? How much of it is meaningless puff? How safe is your approach? How alluring and persuasive is it? Are you trying to say too much?

Pick a message and then stand proud and tall (you can impress them later by unfurling your other amazing talents when appropriate)

If your personality, or that of your business, is different from the competition because you have a good sense of humour, you’re enthusiastic, slightly eccentric, deeply knowledgeable, highly experienced, friendly, approachable….. whatever it is then let this come through in the copy or the language you use. And don’t tell me, show me.

Telling me how good you are rarely means anything. Use your copy to create a mental picture of what I’m likely to get. (which of course is naturally consistent with the service I receive). Ease of understanding, a great experience and clear messages affect our mood and decision process – especially when it comes to parting with cash. Irrespective of the product or service being written about.

Just take a little time to think about what it is you do and how you could communicate this in a refreshing, professional, cliché free style. Make sure it is focused on their needs, wants, desires rather than your agenda.

If you have enjoyed this extract then visit http://www.bookdispensary.com/ to pre-order your copy.

Seducing the Senses

2009-09-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

FTSE 100 retailers have finally woken up to the fact that they must stimulate all 5 senses to capture consumers attention and loyalty - read on to discover our top tips for creating a memorable and sensory business - and reap the rewards!

Creating much needed differential is critical to remain relevant in the mind of your customer. Discover ways of doing this without spending a fortune and eliminate the curse of those peskie copycats

A luxury spa recently decided they were falling into the BTN category (better than nothing) with their brochure and subsequently started to look & sound just the same as other spas. We worked together to create compelling copy that was reflective of their brand personality, but more importantly, communicated details which were relevant to their clients - how will they feel, why this treatment, who is it perfect for - rather than the usual focus on gobbledy gook & expressions we have no idea ......who are generally focused on the company not the consumer!

Our top 5 tips for seducing the senses include –

1 Become obsessive about understanding 'why you?' .....this gives you confidence which is irresistible and massively attractive

2 Develop a hyper critical eye about the visual aspects of your business - you may assume no-one notices the smallest detail - this is dangerous thinking. They do, they will, and you won't like what this communicates about your professional competency

3 Avoid visual pollution - too many messages means I see you as a jack of all trades or I'm simply too confused to 'hear' what you're saying to me. It's like a visual mumble. Pick one message and change it regularly. On your business cards pick what you're amazing at and headline with this .....unfurl your other talents when the time is right.

4 Change your voicemail - if it does nothing to communicate to me what you do (not what you are) and is predictable then you will soon fade into boring and forgettable. Script this and focus on what do you do for your caller

5 Give tips and insider know how - give your 'stuff' away - it does so much to demonstrate your knowledge and is far more effective than telling me how much you know.

More information can be found in the Romancing the Customer series of business books

The devils in the detail

2009-09-02T07:56:00.000-07:00

PRESENTATIONS THAT SELL

The devils in the detail

How many times have you seen a great presenter and wished you could create the same impact?

If you currently believe being an effective presenter is a skill some are born with, and unfortunately you weren't one of them, then you're about to be pleasantly surprised!

There are some fundamental principles to creating powerful presentations. These are simple to understand and even simpler to adopt. If you long for that elusive presenter confidence and are filled with desire to win more business then this is the workshop for you.

top 5 tips to get you started -

· Be sure about what you're there for - understanding the purpose of why you? and why now? will make certain your presentation inspires, informs, influences and impresses

· Show passion! Heartfelt enthusiasm connects more powerfully than any other single thing. Yes, have great content - just communicate it with passion

· Practice - as the great Peter Drucker said "Spontaneity is an infinite number of rehearsed possibilities" - talk it out loud as many times as possible

· Know how long you've got and then keep the content relevant - identify the must say, should say and could say. Great presentations are like diamonds - the more you cut it, the more it sparkles

· Use stories to illustrate - you know the maxim 'stories sell, facts tell' - well, it's true. Use your own stories to give you confidence and provide that relaxed authority which means you create a powerful impact – every time!

Holistic Therapists who disappoint their clients

2009-09-02T07:52:00.000-07:00

How effectively do you use your therapy ‘room’?

How much does it cost you to provide your services to clients? Irrespective of whether you work from home, hire a room, see clients in your own salon or supply a mobile service you will have a degree of fixed costs that have to be met.

Countless therapists and practitioners fully embrace the idea of our profession being a holistic one. One where clients come to receive great care and advice. Seldom few however, have embraced the notion that their clients are also the source of their income. An unsavoury thought for many – but let’s return to those fixed costs.

How many times have you discovered a perfect ‘little place’ that you come to rely on, only then to experience the disappointment when they’ve ‘closed for business’ Failing to safeguard your future as a brilliant therapist means you will at some point be forced to stop providing the services your clients have come to depend on you for because the money in is insufficient to meet your fixed costs.

One of the easiest ways to reconcile this is to hold in mind that the advice you offer is with their interests in mind. More often than not a client doesn’t ask for advice simply because they genuinely don’t know what their options and choices are. This is your responsibility. Failure to provide confident advice about treatment plans, homecare products and additional services which would provide the solution they have been looking for is far more damaging to our profession than being unable to sustain a business they come to rely on.

If the fear of ‘how to’ is stopping you from making your business balance then get yourself a copy of Holistic Skincare and discover wonderfully natural ways to start a conversation about homecare and treatment plans with your clients. There are ideas to inspire you in the Romancing the Customer™ chapter, information on advice to offer about stress, nutrition, exercise and tons more great stuff to give you confidence to shine as an amazing therapist.

This is a limited offer and will expire at the end of September - so please act quickly and visit the website to discover more and place your order.

LIMITED COPIES AVAILABLE AT LESS THAN HALF PRICE

Purchase Online:
http://www.purevisionuk.com/book-holistic-skincare.html

7 habits of highly fearful speakers

2009-09-02T07:50:00.000-07:00

7 Habits of Highly Fearful Speakers

Fearful speakers can be found in many different places – from the business club circuit through to client presentations and anything in-between ……consider also your websites, brochures and face-to-face encounters as these also constitute times when you’re required to ‘speak’ to your audience.

1. Power Point presentation is an on-screen prompt - this is the biggest clue to a fearful speaker …….especially when they read from the screen. A cardinal sin which is highly offensive to the audience. Keep your style conversational and edit your power point to a handful of amazing slides

2. Lecture Style - content rules with this speaker! They labour under the mistaken belief that what they say is the most important thing. It's not! Sure, content is important, but how you make people feel will have a far greater resonance. People often forget your words but they’ll always remember how you made them feel

3. We-ing over the audience - play a game of buzz word bingo - watch out for we, I, our …..nothing is worse than listening to someone drone on about themselves for an hour, especially when you’re presenting to a potential client. If your presentation contains anything relating to ‘we are based, we were founded, we employ, we pride ourselves on being professional/reliable/trustworthy’ then delete it – now! The first encounter should be like a first date – if all you ever talk about is you then you’re unlikely to get a second date!

4. "Can hardly wait for it to be over" - this thinking oozes from every pore - it's agony to listen to this type of presenter. Rarely confined to speaking in public – there are countless boardrooms and sales teams around the country enduring this type of presenter. It suggests you’re presentation is ill-prepared so you’re dreading the moment. Guess what? your audience dread it too

5. A script? Never leave home without it! - reading from a script fools no-one - it just adds to the pressure you put yourself under. Perfection isn’t connection and you’re aim must surely be to connect with the people you’re talking to? Prepare and be sure of the points you want to make. What MUST you say? What SHOULD you say? (if you have time) and what COULD you say? (if there’s still time)

6. One size fits all - giving the same presentation suggests you don't care and lulls you to believe you're doing OK. If you haven’t bothered to take the time to adapt what you’re going to talk about to fit the needs of the audience why on earth should they bother to listen to you? Understand who you’re audience is, what are their dreams, hopes, desires? What do they want you to solve for them? How can you do this better than anyone else? Why are you the answer to their dreams? Dare to be different – show off and flirt a little – it makes all the difference

7. Podium Power - you're just willing yourself to venture out from behind the podium but how on earth do you get back? When you move do it with purpose. Never rock back & forwards, jangle things in your pocket, or worse still, put your hands in your pocket, wander about aimlessly or anything else that is massively distracting for the ‘listener’. Standing still can add to your presence – providing you stand still with a purpose.

How many more agonised moments will we spend as highly fearful speakers? How much more business could you win by presenting more confidently? If you have adopted any of these habits then visit www.purevisionuk.com to discover more about our workshops and discover easy ways to break them. If you see a highly fearful speaker at a conference and would like to help them overcome their fears please feel free to give them our details

Remain true. Remain authentic

2009-08-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

I was listening to a client this morning describe how concerned they were with a new directive from the company's HQ. As a franchisee it appears they have little choice but to tow-the-line or "experience a hatchet job on their stores"......all appears rather sinister, yet not as sinister as the new directive.

Typical of the epidemic of short-term thinking cursing most UK businesses they have been asked to erm, how best to describe without compromising the libel laws …..exaggerate some of the benefits attached to their products. All in the name of securing a higher spend by the customer. This from a brand which is allegedly proud to be positioned as a 'better value, transparent pricing, impartial advice' to the consumer.

Their short-term thinking stems from their desperation to make more money during these difficult times…..and screw the consequences of customers who eventually realise they’ve been had over and encouraged to buy products they didn’t necessarily need.

This approach will not only do permanent and far-reaching damage to their brand it will see them struggling to retain market share once the recession is over. The old maxim comes to mind ‘It takes a lifetime to build trust and an instant to lose it’.

Brands need to remain true to their values, true to what we have come to expect of them, otherwise they will go the way of many high street casualties who in their desperation to make a fast buck become ‘me too’ …..imitations are rarely attractive or sexy – they are at best boring, at worst, positively dodgy!!

using the senses is essential

2009-06-30T04:06:00.000-07:00

Just read an excellent article by Neil Gillis CEO of Blacks Leisure in the current copy of Retail Week - he talks about new ways of touching the customer by engaging the senses. Hoorah!

Someone else in retail who understands the power of the senses to create emotions - essential when we're appealing to customers and demonstrating why we're 'the one'.

Too many businesses pay scant attention to their visual message let alone using any of the other four senses to seduce, engage or charm customers. This is their downfall. Business must start to exploit all of our senses or risk becoming irrelevant in the mind of the customer. If you're failing to embrace the innovation of emerging trends you can be sure your competitors will, and they will reap the rewards.

The global trends for 2010, predicted at this years Retail Conference, suggest that money now has short-term relevance in the race to retain customers - we must provide meaning and relevance through making sure customers leave smarter than when they arrived at our door. This means understanding our products and services and communicating with passion, enthusiasm & confidence how they can serve the customers wants, desires and dreams.

Let me know what your thoughts are about providing a sensory experience in business - what do you do, or are planning to implement, to create that much discussed 'differential'.

Keep shining

Angi

Tired of poor speakers?

2009-06-01T05:25:00.000-07:00

How many more times will I have to sit listening to speakers who do little other than 'me & we' all over the audience? You know the type - they begin with their life history, how great they are and what big names they work with .... in the belief we're going to be impressed. I can't help thinking "so what?"

Or the totally mind-numbing individual who we-s all over us by telling you we're based in, we were founded,we pride ourselves on great products & service (like they're going to say otherwise!) and we are .....fill in the blanks. Dull in the extreme both of them.

I don't want to know what they are, I want to know what they do, and more importantly, what they do that works and is relevant to me.

Speaking in public is a huge priviledge so audiences need to hear about how the speakers experience can benefit them, their business and their community. Speaker authority is created more by what they give rather than telling us how brilliant they are.....actions speak louder than words everytime.

Begin a game of buzz word bingo at the next seminar or conference you attend and shout "off" everytime you hear any me-ing, we-ing or irrelevant stories designed to make the speaker look great.

How much more satisfying would it be to listen to someone who can inspire, entertain and leave us feeling richer for the experience. Let's start a game of buzz word and get rid of poor speakers.

Please let me know what you think. What do you think are the cardnial sins of speakers? How can we stamp this curse out? What would you really like when you attend a seminar or conference?

Meanwhile, keep shining

angi

dictionary for networking speak

2009-05-29T07:04:00.000-07:00

Having been to most of the networking clubs from horribly early breakfast meetings through to evening events that make you wish you had stayed in the office, I began to notice there is a kind of cliched speak that deserves a dictionary. This is to assist newbies to networking, and those who have noticed the same thing and fancy adding their own contributions to the dictionary.
In true Angi style let's start with a top 5........

They say It would be great to meet for coffee What this really means I want your expertise but I don't want to pay for it

They say I think we could work together What this really means I'm keen to access your client list for easy ways in

They say Can I have your business card? What this really means I want to build up my database

They say How long have you been a member?What this really means How much business do you get from this?

They say What do you do?What this really means I haven't a clue what to say and I really want to talk about me

This is a lighthearted tease more than a sinister dig so if you decide to join in do please keep your contributions in this style. I have now adopted a policy of keeping my business cards hidden unless I decide they are genuinely someone who I could work with - the alternative is just too dull to contemplate! If you fail to do this prepare to be spammed and sold to for months to come.

keep shining

Angi

stand out in the global car boot environment

2009-05-21T06:59:00.000-07:00

Listened with interest to the Radio 4 Woman's Hour programme this morning and was delighted to hear LG Rich and Heather from Wiggly Wig Worm company describing their principles for creating

on-line success.

They support the central principle of Romancing the Customer and why this creates success and bliss for the communities we serve – connect with people through being authentic and more human, understand the market before you wade in with 'wham, bang, thank you ma’am' selling and finally the dare to be different to get noticed – using the right words, creating great visuals, free from cliche and give people the information they’re looking for. Especially on-line …..the global car boot LG Rich described (see Initial Lust chapter 6 on websites).

It was encouraging to hear other successful business women discussing the need to cut through the corporate thinking and instead focus on the needs of people looking for what you are passionate and knowledgable about. Give inspired expertise and give it willingly, and everyone benefits.And do so with genuine charm and humour - this is far more compelling than boring corporate speak that serves as an ego stroke to anyone but the customer.

Keep shining!

angi