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Survivors Guide to Social Media

Before a recent social media workshop for owners and executives in the printing industry I sent out three pre-workshop questions each participant had to ponder and try to answer before the session started:

1. How does social media fit into your current marketing plan (if there is one)? If there isn’t a plan, what would you like to get out of social media?
2. What is going to be said, by whom, using which channels and why?
3. Could social media management be a service you could use to help your customers? If not, why not? If so, how?

The answers I got back were expected and it helped me develop the content for the workshop. Here is an example of one of the responses:

“I don’t know that I am able to answer these questions. I want to know:

1. What social networking is
2. How a business [printer] can use it to his benefit
3. The step by step process to establish our social network.

At that juncture I expect I would be more prepared to answer the questions. I can tell you that we have a marketing plan; however, social media marketing is not part of it. What I want from social media marketing, like my overall marketing effort, is to develop more business.”

What follows is an abbreviated Social Media Survivors Guide you can use to help begin your journey in navigating the challenges and opportunities around social media.

What Is It? Social networking addresses the human need to interact. Social media are methods and channels to interact with other humans as part of a person’s network. Social networking isn’t new. The ways in which it can get done: blogging, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and many more are very new to most. According to Wikipedia, social networking transforms broadcast media monologues into social media dialogues.

Why Should We Do Anything? There is a video on the web worth watching as part of your survival training. The Did You Know? video is currently in its fourth version and describes global changes in the world, new technologies, convergence and the way people behave. The video asks us if we’re ready for the changes and I believe that sets up one of the most important success behaviors in social networking and business—having a plan. Developing a strategic approach to the opportunity is better than haphazard tactical attempts. An even more relevant reason to work on your strategy about how to deal with the changes is because most of your customers are trying to figure this out too, why not work on it together?

Where Does Social Media Fit In? I’m not trying to overwhelm you with videos, but they are an effective medium along with print and there’s one you don’t want to miss. Eric Qualman wrote Socialnomics, a brand new book on social media. Eric developed a video that takes many of the social media statistics and puts them in an engaging presentation on how we are totally changing the way we communicate. The beginning of the video asks “Is Social Media a Fad?” By the end you will see that some form of social networking with new media tools will continue to grow in use and application.

What Can a Business (Printer) Do About This? No one likes the first part but it’s a good first step. Think strategically about what you could do. Where are you, where do you want to be? Where is your current customer and where are they going? And what about the customers you don’t have…where are they going and can you meet them ahead of time or help them get where they are going? It’s how you can win new business from existing customers and new customers by identifying what they want and having a process in place to deliver on it. That’s marketing.

The second part to the question is a tactical one. It’s got a 4 part answer according to Qualman and it works because I do something similar and help others do the same: 

1. Listening: Choose a social media channel and set up an account. Find out who is saying what to whom and perhaps why. Following your customers, customer’s customers, vendors, partners and competition can increase your knowledge—and suck up a lot of time if you don’t watch it.
2. Interacting: Participating in conversations, sharing ideas, asking questions, answering questions, exploring what can be done and said are all part of this step. 
3. Reacting: Make changes to your social media approach, your business, your services, your customer service…your whole mission can happen here. FedEx listens actively on Twitter and follows up in minutes if someone Tweets about a bad FedEx experience.
4. Selling: The first three steps will help you identify what a business wants. Keiger Printing in Winston-Salem, NC uses Facebook, LinkedIn, RSS, Delicious, Digg and more to show their customers they are listening and creating dialogs about how they’ve helped their customers beyond cost savings alone. They use case study content on their social media channels to show what can be done. They can even ask for business from some of those who follow them. 

When you leverage social media so people find you, listen to you, and ask you if you can do business with them—that’s a great indirect sales approach. There’s less selling and more helping. You have the opportunity to get paid for that help.

Four popular social media technologies for you to investigate should include a blog (for writing complete thoughts about trends, happenings, thoughts, challenges and more), LinkedIn (for posting information about yourself and your business and network with others who may be looking to find people like you or about topics you may know about), Facebook (to interact with people personally and/or professionally and create communities that are interested in common goals or ideas) and Twitter (to share a quick thought or idea about who you are, what you think, what you want others to know, what you can do to help and follow how others are doing the same in their own way). How you use these tools can help you find out things, get found and identify new opportunities to grow your business in a new way. Once you’ve started the journey you have experiences you can share. You could even set up services to help others do the same in their business.

Share what you learn along the way in some new media…that’s what being social is all about.

Keep the learning going, pass it on. ~Peter

Updated: What Method Do You Lead With?

Polishing for More Possibilities

I took the last blog post about "What Method You Lead With?" and developed it further and included some self analysis activities. Let me know what you think. Would you use it? How? Do tell.
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Have you ever read a sales book? How many have you read? If you’re in sales you should at least read 3-5…at least! Comparing what you know about selling to the way someone else sees it can help make your approach even better. You don’t have to do what others do, but evaluating the way it may work for another can help you evaluate your own.

SPIN Selling, Selling to VITO, Zig ZIglar’s Secrets to Closing the Sale, and the Little Red Book of Selling are all great sales reads in my opinion. I know you may be thinking three Americans and a Brit don’t know what it’s like to sell in my market or in my country, but selling today is a global thing. If you don’t like these, look for the leading sales books in your own country and read one or two. The goal is to see how others sell and review your own process to see if you can improve it. I bet you’ll find at least one idea.

As for me, I've read my share, well over 50, and I enjoy hearing how different people approach the opportunity before them and make the move to closing business…or moving on to the next one.

Over the last few months I've been asked to speak more and more about the best sales methods. (Funny, when economies slow down people start looking at what's not working now—when they should be doing that when it's working too!) My short answer is that there is no "best" method. The one that works for you may not work for someone else. The one that works for your competition may not work for you. And so on.

In my analysis of many selling methods I have identified three drastically different approaches that can develop a different customer relationship and return on that relationship based not only on the general efforts made, but also the specific activities you choose to do (or don't do as you'll see).

The three methods or approaches one could lead with are as follows:

1. Wait: If you use the wait approach to new business...and existing business too, you literally are waiting for business to show up. You may spend your time preparing for the work you will get or maybe you are busy working on work you already have. There's not much effort in this method...but there is often time hoping for more work, praying for more work, or spending time complaining that no work is coming in. Last time I checked, there are very few investments where some amount of up front work, effort, or capital is required before you can enjoy any return at all.
2. Look: I believe this method is not only the most popular, but it has also worked for many up to this point. You know the core product or service you offer and you spend time going out and looking for companies who need what you have. This approach often leads to asking the potential customer, "Do you want to buy what I'm selling." Or asking an existing customer, “I know you bought some in the past, do you want to buy more today?” Some people are incredible at this method. The number of calls they make in a day, people they see, e-mails they send are all part of their ROI factor of "looking." They measure the effort by how many things they did to sell, rather than the return they got from their selling efforts. People who use this method would try to find people who need what is being sold. When people are buying this is a great method. But it’s not such a good method when people aren't buying.
3. Create: This is often the least used method to lead with. But as of late, the few who do use it are enjoying deeper and more valuable relationships with particular customers. This method can deepen an already existing relationship or it can help you get the attention of someone you've never done business with. In this method you spend time thinking creatively about ways to help your customer. Perhaps it’s about helping them make money instead of just saving it, saving time in their business or making them look good to a new type of customer they are trying to go after. The difference is that you're not saying, "Do you want to buy what I'm selling," you're leading with a developed set of ideas you created to help that customer's business. The “create” approach can sound something like, “I’ve done the best I can to understand you, your business and your customer and I believe I have some ideas that can help you beyond cost savings alone.” It may take more time to understand the customer's business or their relationships with their customers but it's an easy way for you to differentiate yourself by putting the customer’s business in the middle of your efforts and showing them how to grow and go further in their business enabled by your ideas. It sets you apart from your competition AND the potential to have a long-term relationship is not based on price, quality or turn around time only. Individuals who lead with this method may not win all the business and it may take more time, but the practice in developing the ideas and selling them to others makes for a more knowledgeable, creative and experienced salesperson. I consider this a business development mindset.

I own a small education and consulting business and I’m the principal sales person in my organization. In my life I’ve spent some time “waiting” for sales to come in, I also recognize this approach has led to some of the most stressful times. I’m not much of a “looker.” I don’t call, e-mail or visit people and ask, “Do you want to buy some training?” I identify people from my day-to-day experiences who I believe are worth my time to be creative and see what I can do to help them as an individual and as a business. The “create” method has also gotten me in trouble too. I’ve often developed incredible ideas to help my customer but capturing them, putting a proposal together, developing the solution and delivering it all can be hard to do. But, I also recognize this method has pushed me to close some of the most profitable sales I have ever had.

Now is a great time to look at the way you lead your sales efforts. Take out a piece of paper and write down the answers to the following questions. You’ll find that the time you take to answer these questions could be the most valuable time you’ve taken today, this week, this month to grow yourself and your business:

1. Do I have a sales method or a process I can explain to someone else? If not, why not? If so, write it down now!
2. Is the sales method simple and repeatable? If not, why not? If it is, can I make it even simpler and more repeatable?
3. In my sales approach do I use my existing knowledge, products and services to help my customer beyond cost savings alone? Why, why not? What if I did? How could that change my relationship with the customer?
4. How would my potential customer feel if I explained my sales method to them? Would my existing customer feel any differently?
5. Do I spend time evaluating other sales methods? Why, why not?
6. How has my method changed in the last year? In the last three years? In the last ten years?
7. What can I do to close the sale for more money using my existing business? And for more profits instead of revenue alone?
8. What one product or service could I add to my existing business and close the sale for a higher price? How would my answer change if I considered a totally new customer base I don’t call on today?
9. If I do nothing at all to modify the way I sell today, will it allow me to differentiate myself from my competition a year from now? Three years from now?
10. If my competition took the time to answer these same questions could they win more business? Why, why not?

I know your busy doing something. But you did take the time to read this article and that already sets you apart from everyone who didn’t. You’re willing to see another way of doing things. If you took a little more time and answered the questions above you could have a more profitable future. I know it’s one I’m interested in and I bet your customers are interested in one too. Help them see it as part of your approach to them.

If you’d like to share your answers to the questions so I can learn more and share more with you and others, please send them to my e-mail. Thanks for helping me improve my approach. I hope my ideas helped you improve yours too!

Keep the learning going, pass it on! ~Peter

What Method Do You Lead With?

Have you ever read a sales book? How many have you read? I've read my share, well over 50, and I enjoy hearing how different people approach the opportunity before them and make the move to closing business or moving on to the next one.

Over the last few months I've been asked to speak more and more about the best sales methods. (Funny, when economies slow down people start looking at what's not working--they should be doing that when it's working too!) My short answer is that there is no "best" method. The one that works for you may not work for someone else. The one that works for your competition may not work for you. And so on.

In my analysis of different selling methods I have identified three drastically different approaches that can develop a different customer relationship and return based on not only the general efforts made, but also the specific activities you choose to do (or don't do as you'll see).
The three approaches or methods one could lead with are as follows:

1. Wait: If you use the wait approach to new business...and existing business too, you literally are waiting for business to show up. You may spend your time preparing for the work you will get or maybe you are busy working on work you already have. There's not much effort in this method...but there is often time hoping for more work, praying for more work, or spending time complaining that no work is coming in. Last time I checked there are very few investments where some amount of up front work, effort, or capital is required before you can enjoy any return at all.
2. Look: I believe this method is not only the most popular, but it has also worked for many up to this point. You know your core product or service you offer and you spend time going out and looking for companies who need what you have. This approach often leads to asking the question, "Do you want to buy what I'm selling." Some people are incredible at this method. The number of calls they make in a day, people they see, e-mails they send are all part of their ROI factor of "looking." People who use this method would try to find people who need what is being sold. And when people are buying this is a great method. Not so good when people aren't buying.
3. Create: This is often the least used method to lead with. But as of late, the few who do use it, are enjoying deeper and more valuable relationships with particular customers. This method can deepen an already existing relationship or it can help you get the attention of someone you've never done business with. In this method you spend time thinking creatively about ways to help their business. Perhaps it's helping them make money, save money, save time or look good to a new type of customer. The difference is that you're not saying, "do you want to buy what I'm selling," you're leading with a thought out set of ideas you created to help that customer's business. It may take more time to understand the customer's business or their relationships with their customers but it's an easy way for me to differentiate myself by putting your business in the middle and me showing you how to grow and go further enabled by my ideas. It sets me apart from my competition AND the potential to have a long-term relationship is not based on price, quality or turn around time only. Individuals who lead with this method may not win all the business and it may take more time, but the practice in developing the ideas and selling them to others makes for a more knowledgeable and creative salesperson. I consider this a business development mindset.

What method do you lead with? What do you think of the three I listed here? Drop me a line and let me know?

Keep the learning going, pass it on! ~Peter

FSC Certification Made Easy? It Could be Worth the Trip

Recently we facilitated a marketing workshop and the question came up, "What is FSC Certification?" Below you'll find the basics and links to some good additional resources.

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is the international body responsible for standardizing practices to maintain and ensure responsible forestry. Being FSC certified means a business or organization adheres to the practices and principles put forth by the council. There are three forms of certification two of which are related directly to forestation; planting, growing, harvesting and selling and one for companies and organizations involved in using or selling paper products but do not grow or harvest trees. This last certification, the Chain-of-Custody (CoC) certification, is the one most relevant to the print industry and focus of this article.

What: A standards and management program for companies and organizations that purchase and sell forest products to track that the materials handled are from responsible sources. Once certification is attained it lasts for five years and allows the company to promote their goods as FSC certified.

Who: CoC is intended for companies and groups involved on the forest products supply chain. Examples: Sawmills, secondary manufacturers, brokers/distributors, wholesalers, retailers, printers, paper distributors, etc.

Where: The FSC itself does not distribute the certificates. Instead they have authorized third party organizations to manage the assessments and enforcement of the CoC certificates. Organizations with offices in the US currently are:

• Bureau Veritas Certification
• QMI-SAI Global
• SGS Systems & Services Certification USA
• Rainforest Alliance/Smartwood Program
• Scientific Certification System

How: To attain CoC certification there is a 10 step "assessment" process:

1. Fill out the application
2. Distributing Organization determines budget
3. Determine which certificate and scope are appropriate
4. Sign service agreement with distributing organization
5. Time is given to to modify systems and operations to meet FSC Standards for CoC certification
6. Operations are examined by a program auditor to ensure they comply with FSC requirements
7. Summary of the audit is provided to the company/organization for review and approval
8. Distributing organization determines if certification is to be granted
9. A certification agreement is signed and all ancillary codes and paperwork are provided
10. Distributing organization will conduct annual audits to assure operation within FSC standards and principles

An excellent 2 part article by Gail Nickel-Kailing going into how to become certified and the process details and costs can be found in the WhatTheyThink.com archives:

• Part 1
• Part 2

Additional Resources include:

• www.fsc.org
• www.fscus.org

Keep the learning going...pass it on!

~Peter and Emma

Marketings Many Meanings: Be Aware of Why, But Help With the How

How do you define marketing? Go ahead, think about it? What is marketing and what does it mean to you? What does it mean to your customer and even more importantly…their customer?

Marketing has many definitions it all depends on who you ask. I found two I want to share with you. This one is from Diego Rodriguez is short, to the point, and gets the basics out there: “Identifying desirable experiences, then delivering them.” But this one from Harvard Business School’s Marketing Unit really made me think: “Marketers concern themselves with acquiring and retaining customers, who are the lifeblood of an organization. They attract customers by learning about potential needs, helping to develop products that customers want, creating awareness, and communicating benefits; they retain them by ensuring that they get good value, appropriate service, and a stream of future products. The marketing function not only communicates to the customer, but also communicates the needs of the customer to the company. In addition, it arranges and monitors the distribution of products and/or services from company to customer.” There’s a lot in this definition. How much of it do you do now for you business? Are you aware of how your customers are doing this for their business? Can you help your customers get new customers or keep the ones they have? How unique is your help?

Marketing isn’t like it used to be. In the old days money, at times BIG money, was spent to buy TV ads, radio ads and lots of print in magazines, bill boards, letters, flyers and so much more. Rarely did it get measured for effectiveness but that’s just how it was done.

Today the BIG money isn’t being spent like it used to be and marketing isn’t being done the way it used to be. Today the critical dollars that do get spent on marketing need more than an average to measure the investment. Real time information that proves the time and money spent was worth the effort is where success is being defined. It’s possible to do it with today’s technologies (direct marketing, variable information, PURLs and more), but it’s hard to get people to try it because it means they have to change. Change’s big roadblock is rarely not knowing “how”…it’s the fear to try something that’s unknown.

The usual marketing methods are still in play: Advertising, Direct Marketing, Guerilla Marketing, Positioning, Public Relations, Relationship Marketing and even Viral Marketing are still going on. But there are new ways to get the job done. It’s worth the investigation into seeing how your customer currently markets to their customers and see if you can’t research ways they could do it differently while enabled by the products and services you represent. You will surely set yourself apart from most of your competition that still believes as long as it’s faster, cheaper and quality capable then they should get the business.

Understand the different “whys” your customer may want to change then show them “how” to get it done. Products and services are tactical ways to get something done…but understanding the strategy of where someone is and where they want to go can bring you to a whole new level of a relationship with your customers and potential customers and get them to see the value in a relationship with you and your company. In and of it self, that is a different way to market you and your services. Take some time to answer the questions here and share them with your customers. The experiences in answering the questions is oftentimes more valuable than the answers.

Keep the learning going...pass it on!

~Peter

My Thrivers Guide to Trade Shows

It’s Monday evening and I’m thinking about what I’ve learned so far at Graph Expo, the largest US graphic communication trade show held each year in Chicago, Illinois. Let me share a few not-so-common thoughts on how I planned to thrive at this year’s show.

In case you don’t know me, I’m not your usual show goer…

I will admit some of the tips in my Thrivers Guide may be too late for you to consider but not to worry, next year is a “Print” year. Held every 4 years, it will be the largest graphic commutation trade show held in the world in 2009. You can use these tips for next year—or any year for that matter.

Muir’s Thrivers Guide to Trade Shows

1. Get a hotel close to the show. I’ve done my years up in town and I enjoy heading up town to see a show or have dinner, even stroll the park, but when it comes to travel to and from the Chicago Convention center…nothing beats the Hyatt. Three words: No Cab Necessary.
2. Bring a pair of comfortable shoes. I’ve done some years with a few trade show vendors “working a booth.” Whether you’re standing there or you’re cruising the floor you gotta have comfy shoes. I’m a Clark’s man. How about you?
3. Schedule appointments in 30-45 minute blocks. No one hour meetings. Let them know what you want to get out of the meeting, have them do the same and get it done. You need time to decompress from what you saw, heard or shared as well as time to get to your next appointment. You’ll be thankful you have that 15 minute window. Some people go to Graph Expo to see technology while others go to see people. Some do both. I go for the people, the technology…and the city!
4. A tip taken from Frank Romano, master trade show thriver, has served me well over the years. Take the first day to walk the entire floor. While on your walk about keep a show guide or notebook handy to jot down what or who you want to see in more detail. I’ve taken to using my little digital camera to snap photos of what I want to see later, study your notes and pictures that night and make a detailed game plan for the subsequent days.
5. The following day hit your targeted stops. For me I usually have three groupings: people I want to see, technology I want to see and seminars I want to attend. Take a few notes about each interaction. What did I want to learn? Did I learn it? Why or why not? Was there anything new I learned? How will I apply it? What do I do next to capitalize on what I learned?
6. Each night send a follow up note for each business card you collected (or gave out) that day saying thanks restating what you talked about or what you saw and what actionable items are you looking for from them and what actionable items will you do as a result of your meeting. Doing it each night helps you remember what you learned sooner and keeps the amount of work to a minimum. You won’t do it if the pile is an inch thick or more.
7. I gather what I learn into three categories, yours could be different, but having some way to aggregate the information can help you take it in and apply it. I group things into how will it help me strategize for my future? How will it help me develop existing/new products or services? How will it help me sell? How will it help me produce what I do? How much can I save? How much will I make? How much will I lose if I don’t do anything about it? The last question acts as a motivator too. These are my questions I ask myself to organize what I’m learning, what are yours?
8. Get out and unplug. You’re in Chicago. Walk in Grant Park. Have a great dinner. Take in a show. Take at least one night and do something totally “non-industry” related. You need that as part of a reward for coming and doing the work to make your work beneficial. Do this more than once if possible. Do it once each day. But don’t do it so much you forget why you took the time to come and learn and share.
9. Share what you learned. When you get back have a meeting with your team. Have a meeting with your customers. Do it immediately. Share with them the top 10 things you heard, you saw, you did while at the show to help facilitate sharing and learning in your organization and with customers. It’s even better when two or more people go to the show and talk about what they saw. Two people see the same thing differently. Appreciate the diversity and open your mind to learning from others. If you think your way is the only way, you’re lost already.
10. Plan for next year. Grab your notebook and jot down what you want to do more of or less of next year. How will you do it differently? How will you enjoy it more? How will you make more from your time and effort? You get the idea.

Do these and you’ll thrive at any trade show. Even better, why not share a list like this with your customers and let them take it to their customers and help everyone get more from their trade shows? Hmmm.

Tune in tomorrow I’ll share specifics on what I saw and heard. But for today, plan to thrive all you can…it beats surviving any day.

Keep the learning going...pass it on!

~Peter

What Would Your Last Lecture Be?

In May I was given The Last Lecture, a book by Randy Pausch with Jeff Zaslow, and it provided me with my latest dose of reality.

On July 25th Randy Pausch died. A professor at Carnegie Mellon he took an opportunity to give a "Last Lecture" usually given by a retiring professor. Randy's lecture wasn't about being diagnosed with terminal cancer or what to do with a life with an expiration date. His lecture was all about achieving your dreams and the great realities we make as a result. Not only did he achieve almost all of his dreams...but he has inspired millions. One of those millions was me.

The book is the background history, thoughts and feelings that went into the content he chose to share in his 116 min last lecture  you can watch "Really Acheiving Your Childhood Dreams" on YouTube. I'd also suggest checking out The Last Lecture website too to find out more about Randy and his dreams.

This posting isn't about Randy's lecture. It's about yours. What will you leave behind? What legacy will you leave for others to ponder? What will you be remembered for? What are you doing right now that you'd be proud to leave for others? Will you leave anything?

Surely we don't have to do anything. Death and taxes I believe are the only two certain things, so said Ben Franklin. They're the only two things you have to do...and some people even try to cheat both of them.

I could stop here and just leave the rhetorical question hanging out there and leave you to figure it out for yourself. We both know no one can answer the question except you.

I've thought about what my last lecture would be but like many other things in my life...I'm not done yet. The power of education, the experience of seeing beyond common borders and the impact others bring in life are three things that I have used to help me make my trip thus far both enjoyable and rewarding. But there's much more to it. For now I'm going to remind myself that the ride won't last forever and I'll keep on being the student of life I am and share it with everyone I meet as well, especially those closest to me.

Take a few minutes and watch Randy's video and see the passion, curiosity, love and reward Randy had for life. Think about what your last lecture might be...and if you don't like the title or the outline...you can change it. You just have to make a choice to do so.

Keep the learning going...pass it on!

~Peter

It's all in the process...well, most of the time

(I knew that would grab your attention. No need for a double take, that's Steve Martin. I found this photo in the New York Times book review section. The photo credit goes to Sandee O.)

What does it mean to be a Renaissance Man?

After some intense thought and brief research, I found that a Renaissance Man is thought to be a man or a woman of many accomplishents.  The success of these accomplishments is in part due to the Renaissance Man's proficient knowledge in a wide range of fields.

Where am I going with this?

I came across Steve Martins' Born Standing Up earlier this year and it really got me thinking about processes. This book is an autobiography, but reads like a biography because it's a
step-by-step take, by Steve Martin, on how he accomplished his success.

In business terms, Born Standing Up is about the process. It's healthy to ID what customers need and then give it to them, but having a process in place on how to accomplish giving the customer what they need is stellar. Do you know your process?

Beth Schneider over at Process Prodigy has nailed the topic and has created a business based on processes. It is my understanding that in order to be successful in your deliverables for the customer, you have to have a process (system) in place to be sure it happens the way it's supposed to happen, every time.

What's your process for keeping your customers?

Send me a comment, I'd like to know. And if you've read the book, what are your thoughts about it?

Keep the learning going...pass it on!

~Peter

Stay in touch this summer

The hot summer months are officially upon us and despite the fact that there are less hours worked and more time outdoors, make it a point to keep the networking going. The summer offers endless possiblities of squeezing some "getting to know you" moments in. For instance, weddings, picnics, conferences, camping trips, get togethers, vacations, family reunions...you get my point.

I read an article by Buzzy Gordon over at About.com about the power of meeting new people, finding out what makes them tick, things they need help with, and making an offer to stay in touch. Creating a system on how to follow-up, well, that's another post, but check out the article here.

Let me know your networking plans during these hot summer months. I know I'll be out and about making new friends and exchanging contact info. 

Keep the learning going...pass it on!

~Peter

Embrace technology, cut down on drive time

At the risk of being redundant with recent reports, gas prices are on the rise.

What does that mean for your customer service? I've been reading where some small businesses, primarily delivery services, have started doing one of two things: including a gas charge in their fees, or simply not servicing areas that are more than 30 miles away.

I just mentioned in last week's post about not cutting your prices, and I'm here to tell you that charging a gas fee isn't the route to take, either. Customer service is the key to ALL business success. If you keep the customers happy, they'll keep coming back for more. Remember this was discussed here. If for a moment you can look past the increased costs of doing business and envision ways to keep up with the demands of the customer and help stabalize cost, embracing technology is the way-to-go.

Maybe now is a good time to evaluate the customers that you serve. This isn't a one size, fits all approach. The project manager at XYZ Accounting may not mind conducting project meetings via video teleconferencing (VTC), whereas the sales manager at XYZ Foods breaks down at the thought of having to appear on camera...

The first step is to realize what technology options such as gotomeeting and web video conferencing are available to you and which would be a good fit for you and that particular customer. Once you understand this, have a conversation with the customer about how much you value their business and how important it is to you to keep costs down and being able to keep the processes moving, then introduce your new meeting and follow-up options.

I know that I may  be making this sound more dramatic than it is, but my motive is to get you to think of what's possible outside of raising your fees or charging extra fees to visit the customer. I'm BIG on customer service and I don't think that the customer should have to pay to receive this feature. Get creative and keep the lines of communication open.  You'll be glad you did.

Keep the learning going...pass it on!

~Peter

Going for the discount during a recession

Are you a bit confronted or tempted to cut your prices during this economic downturn?

If so, you are not alone. Professional services companies are faced with this reality, too. Today, I'm here to spare you the anxiety of possibly cutting prices. Freddy Nager over at
Atomic Tango, a creative strategy agency, gave these reasons why cutting your prices could do more harm than good:

1. It sends the message that you've been ripping your customers off all this time.
2. It means you'll have difficulty increasing your prices to "normal levels" when the economy starts jamming again.
3. It kills your profit margins, so you won't have the cash to do what might really make a difference to do during a recession: better marketing.

Freddy's blog also shares the importance of marketing the value of your services. Which leads me to my next point...

Yes, times are tough in this country, but don't lose sight. Remember who you are, what your product or service brings to the market, and how it's making a difference in the businesses of your current customers. It's time to visit Sales 101. Don't let a prospect pigeonhole you into lowering your prices, instead gently remind them of the customers your product or service has already helped (name-drop) and stick to your story.

Keep the learning going...pass it on!

~Peter