Marketing Genius!

I'm always interested in seeing small businesses promote their services. I find it incredible how some are so creative in their methods.

Check out this short video of what a local small business owner did to promote his services.

What small businesses do you know of that have some creative marketing presence and how are they promoting it?

[Note: You can contact Frank to get your land survey - here. You can hire Jeff Vickery by finding him here.]


"Your Success Is My Business."™

pondering - "to think about : reflect on"

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I Can See! (Vision - Part II)

I've been pondering a lot recently about vision. In fact, I just wrote another blog about it so it's really been on my mind a lot lately.

For business, I can't fathom a reason why there wouldn't be a clearly defined vision, mission and culture statement that every employee knows by heart. When I talk with great business leaders, they tell me they literally cringe when their teams can't immediately recite all of these to someone. For everyone in your business to understand the purpose of the business, how you're going to get there and how you're going to work in accomplishing this is so vitally important to any company's long-term success, how do businesses operate without them?

I was recently listening to Bill Hybels share some keys in creating a organizations vision and wanted to share some of them with you:

• Vision creates the picture of the perfect future.
• The most incredible vision is worthless if no one owns it.
• The first step in creating your vision is to use the team approach in drafting it. "People don't have to have their way, they just have to have their way considered."
• The vision must be refined before delivered in it's final version.
• Declare the vision to your company - this is a team activity.
• Vision leaks. Use all tactics available to keep people's vision buckets full.

And the last point of creating a successful vision: The single most determining factor to whether your followers will own the vision is by how deeply they believe that you own it.

My question: What is your company's vision?


[Note: photo from http://intimacywithgod.files.wordpress.com/]

“Your Success Is My Business.”™

pondering - "to think about : reflect on"

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Don't Go with iGo

Man am I ever disappointed!

I recently had some very positive customer service experiences that I shared here. I was thinking when I wrote that blog that when someone WOW's me, I need to share that with others. But now, the exact opposite has happened and I wanted to share that as well - hopefully with the thought I might save you from the same fate.

Our personal laptop went south on us, transformer/charger the best I could tell since the light no longer came on and the computer wouldn't charge. So, while in a mall with a Radio Shack I thought why not stop in and purchase a new one.

The district manager happened to be in the store that day, and was the person who provided the help. I described the problem, and he quickly pointed me to the solution: an iGo charger unit. Of course the model he points me too is a rather expensive unit (from my perspective, but there was an even more expensive unit next to it) but I listened to all the advantages the model had so I purchased it. Prior to payment, I again mentioned my laptop make/model to confirm this was in fact the proper model (I had even brought the bad charger with me so I would have all the proper numbers).

So - back at home, install everything and...it's back to business!

But two weeks later, problems again. And, almost exact same problem.

This time, I load everything up and take it to my local computer guy, Tom Reeves of UpTime Computer Services, who quickly discovered the problem: "Power charger not outputting the proper voltage". The unit was rated properly, but it was not putting that amount out. Tom suggested I get it replaced since it was new and still under 30 day warranty.

Our communications with Radio Shack produced no resolve ("Contact the manufacturer" was there advice). Once they found out we hadn't saved the box...TWO WEEKS LATER (and who does that??)...they didn't want to provide us any help, or any suggestions. Unbelievable!!! So, first lesson for me: Never shop at Radio Shack again.

Then, we started contacting iGo. This was an even worse experience!

iGo offers a "contact us for repair" page, which includes in-warranty repair and out-of-warranty repair options. To make a very long story short; after multiple attempts (almost daily in fact) request at these links (yes, I even tried the "out-of-warranty" link) as well as links to them on other pages, the company never once contacted me to resolve the problem. NOT ONCE!

I would provide prior e-mail message notes and dates and to what e-mail address I'd used, as well as asking if I'm contacting the incorrect department to at the least point me in the right direction. Even with all this, I never received any communications from them.

So, a month-and-a-half later, I give up. I'm stuck with a defective laptop charger from a company that provides NO CUSTOMER SERVICE and then had to purchase another charger on top of all this (Tom did find me a great deal on one. Second lesson: I should have gone to him to start with versus trying all this on my own.). But, the laptop is up and running fine since returning from Tom's shop. Final lesson: I'll never shop with or recommend iGo to anyone, ever.

I'm pondering on how these two seemingly huge companies can completely ignore a customer and provide absolutely no customer service. And on top of all that, how they think in today's economy and with even a small voice like mine that can share with an audience (regardless of size), that the Voice of the Customer (VoC) isn't important.

I've very disappointed.

My question: What company have you elected to not do business with anymore because of a customer experience you had?


[Note: photo from http://blogs.microsoft.co.il/]

“Your Success Is My Business.”™

pondering - "to think about : reflect on"

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Who likes you this much?

I like ol' Skeet Reese. I like to watch him fish, and I really like his truck! He is one of the top Bass anglers in the world today. I like to hear him teach about fishing techniques and I love his passion for what he does.

Others must like him as well.

He's very popular in the Bass Masters tour and has a social media site that has a lot of connected fans. But, more importantly for Skeet, he has a lot of companies that like him too. So much so that they sponsor him in his endeavors (i.e., PAY HIM!).

So on the last show I was watching with Skeet, I noticed his shirt (see photo above) and this made me think about drag racing and the cool shirts they wear there too. This thought lead me to think about my favorite competition shooter, Todd Jarrett, and his shirt + sponsors.

I'm looking at all the names on all these shirts of my favorite athletes and pondered how cool it would be if we could do this in our "business world"!

But this leads to my question: If you were to wear one of these shirts, who would be sponsoring you? How many sponsors would you have? What and how have you created your "personal brand" that would cause people/business to want to be part of what you're about?

I'd like to hear your thoughts about creating your personal and/or business brand. Please leave them in the comments section (below). THANKS!


[Note: photo from http://www.geminisportmarketing.com/]

“Your Success Is My Business.”™

Don't Say It!!!

"Business as usual." I know you've heard it. You may have even said it. But is "business as usual" really the kind of business you want?

I really dislike hearing a business, or more especially a business owner, proclaim it's "business as usual". To me, it means that they're happy with the current status quo they've set for products, services and customer experience. But how can that be?

With new products constantly being developed, services always in need in review and update, and with the customer experience a never ending changing landscape, "business as usual" should never be spoken within a company by anyone!

The only "business as usual" they should have is constantly transforming the business into the absolute best it can be.

How about you - what do you think about the term "business as usual"?

[Note: photo from http://randwickelection.com/]

“Your Success Is My Business.”™

Taking the Risk

The Entrepreneur...I really have to believe that all of us have something burning deep down inside us that creates an "entrepreneurial" mindset within us.

Haven't you ever seen something on TV, on a store shelf, in a friend's or family member's home and you thought, "Hey, I had that idea! I can't believe someone did that!?!?!"

I really enjoy talking with business owners, regardless of the size of their business, to find out what it was that drove them to start the business and what experiences they had along the way.

The information entrepreneur's have, especially the failures they've experienced along the way, are such great lessons for all of us.

But, isn't it the RISK that holds us back. The thought that we'll fail, that no one will believe in us, that someone will think we're crazy for going after our passion?

If you've got an idea, a passion, and you want to pursue it then begin "feeding" yourself positive, motivating thoughts. Let your creative mind go!! Sites like Smartbrief for Entrepreneurs provide a daily newsletter about some of the greatest minds out there who are doing incredible things --- JUST LIKE YOU COULD BE DOING!

Whether you want to start a traditional brick & motar store or an on-line business, don't let the nay-sayers hold you back; because one day while you're at your friends house and he tells you about how they just purchased the greatest product ever...and its something you once dreamed about doing, you're really gonna (mentally) kick yourself.

What are you dreaming about?

Thanks and remember: “Your Success Is My Business.”™

[Note: photo from http://www.501cweb.wordpress.com/]

The Greatest of the "New Hire"

The "new hire". Don't you love them? The brand new team member (employee) at your business --- all happy, excited, energetic, optimistic and enthusiastic. They come in like a sponge looking for every drop of information they can get. Their minds are fresh & full of creative thoughts - even if some of them won't fly, they voice ideas about ways they believe will grow and prosper the organization.

Everyone they meet or are introduced too around the office they're smiling and shaking hands with, all seemingly amped up on caffeine or some magic "new hire" drug. They get home and tell their friends & family about how they've just landed the best job every. They share all the incredible opportunities ahead of them and what a super company it is they're associated with.

But somewhere along the line, something happens to these new hires. Haven't you seen this happen? Did it even happen to you?

What is it?

Somewhere along the path they stop smiling at everyone, they stop shaking hands, end all their enthusiasm and energy, quite coming up with creative ideas...and have none of the excitement or motivation like they used too. Now, the career that they once thought was a blessing has suddenly caused them to curse it.

As the leader or business owner, you have the more difficult task in all this: Keeping everyone motivated and acting like "new hires" each and every day!

As a leader, here is a list for you to review:

• Are you, the leader, constantly sharing the vision?
• Are you constantly talking about the culture?
• Are you removing roadblocks that create frustration?
• Are you the great communicator within your company?
• Do you immediately resolve internal conflicts?
• Do you constantly carry the rallying cry of the purpose of your company?
• Do you provide constant, regularly scheduled employee evaluations so that people know exactly where they stand?
• Do you eliminate incompetence?
• And finally, do you make work fun?

As the leader, it's up to you to continue to fuel your team and to help them maintain that "new hire" mentality regardless of how long they've worked with you. Do so and watch your business grow!

Until next time, remember “Your Success Is My Business.” ™

[Note: photo from http://www.shanesart.com/]

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False Peace

I just read a statement that said, "There are times in our lives when our peace is based simply on our ignorance." Now that really makes you stop & ponder on what it is that we currently have peace with simply because of our ignorance of it.

Let's not look at this from a personal point-of-view (though I encourage you to take some time to ponder it that way) but rather let's look at this from a business stand-point.

Since the down-turn of the economy, the majority of businesses have great clarity now on items that before I don't think were very obvious to them. To me a great business has focus on being cost effective in all they do, are efficient at all the processes and deliver world-class service to all their customers regardless of current ecomonic conditions. Were they ignorant to all these when we were living in the "good times" (stock market growing) so they were at peace with all the issues they've given priority focus on in the past few years? What if they'd implemented all their recent changes back in 2000 before the down-turn in the economy? What if...

What issue(s) do you see businesses over-looking and living "at peace" with that they should have focus on?

Until next time, remember “Your Success Is My Business.” ™

[Note: photo from http://www.stephenblack.org/]

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The "Squeaky Wheel" Philosophy

What if your customers never had to say "I won't stop because I'm the squeaky wheel" because you're delivering such legendary service they're always WOW'd? How is your customer service department stacking up?

Customer service is harder to deliver now more than any time in history. With the advent of the internet, social media, and the new "4-second rule" (hey, it was only recently that it was the 8-second rule) we've self-created a hyper-drive customer service society.

Regardless of the size of your company, customers expect a LEGENDARY CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE (including service) regardless of how THEY elect to connect with you. Whether they communicate with you via face-to-face 'walk in' business, via the phone, via e-message, via website self-service, via social media, via whatever method THEY elect, they are expecting your immediate attention to their requests. And when you don't deliver to their expectations, this is when they become "the squeaky wheel".

The days of your business electing to provide one or two customer interaction paths are a thing of the past. Customers will seek out the businesses that provide them the method in which they want to do business. Are you providing all the paths your customers want?

I'd like to hear any success stories you've had with implementing new customer service options for your customers.

THANKS! And until next time, remember “Your Success Is My Business.” ™

[Note: photo from http://www.businessalone.com/]

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Nobody Can See The Wizard...?

The Wizard of Oz...a great, classic movie. One of my favorites! In fact, I have a special collectors edition laser disc of the movie (yes, I said laser disc---UGH!).

To me, one of the memorable lines of the movie is when the door man to Emerald City says, "Nobody gets in to see the Wizard! Not no way, not no how!" Of course in the end we understand why.

But, my fondness of the movie is besides the point of my message here: I know of a business, which I frequently go to and do business with, and in this business there are some "classic movie" posters around the place---one of them being the "Wizard of Oz". Since my wife and I enjoy watching classic movies, I've found this an interesting and pleasing side-note to the business. And the business has nothing to do with the entertainment industry, movies or anything with electronics or technology.

But here's the thing that most stands out to me about this business---over the door that leads to where the owner is, there is a sign with the above mentioned quote from the Wizard of Oz movie, "...Nobody gets to see the Wizard...". I think that in some way, the sign is a joke and relates to their Wizard of Oz poster, but then again it maybe is the way the owner thinks.

In all the times I've been in the business the owner has never once, no not once, ever greeted me, spoken to me or even thanked me for doing business there. I've never seen him come out to offer any of this to anyone else either. Hard to believe isn't it?

How do you have a business and not have some conversation or interaction...of any form...with the people who give you their money?!?

Today, I ask you to re-evaluate your business. Is it customer friendly? Does someone either in a leadership position or even the owner meet, greet, interact, talk with the customers that come to your store? Does your store have posted signs that discourage interaction?

If you have any similar situations where you've seen this happen to you, or if you know of a business that for whatever reason isn't customer friendly, I'd love to hear your comments (see link below).

Until next time, remember “Your Success Is My Business."™


http://joeypeacock.com/

Raving Fans...

I've just completed the Satmetrix Net Promoter® Conference and Certification this past week. It was an incredible conference with many great speakers including Charles Schwab President & CEO Walt Bettinger, Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh and Intuit President & CEO Brad Smith to name a few. Blogger and author Joseph Jaffe also entertained us as well and caused us to reconsider how businesses market to their intended audiences.

After the conference, the certification part of Net Promoter® begin...three days of intensive training, case studies and lessons.

All this because my best friend asked me "Does your company use NPS?"

How does a simple question like that turn my career into an incredible new journey?

I've always been passionate for the customer and have always known that the experience the customer has with your business and what they tell their friend & colleagues will often make or break you company. I believe the success I had years ago in my short-term financial services business as well as my decade plus electronics business was mainly due to the service---and customer experience---that I provided my clients. I also believe that the success I've personally had in FairPoint Communications has been because we had (for the teams I've lead) a true focus on delivering world-class service in every customer interaction.

Have all those interactions been world-class? No. Unfortunately that's not possible. But when you focus everything you do around that philosophy, then you're bound to have a lot more success than failure.

In the Net Promoter® Score (NPS) program, customers who are most happy with you and refer your business to their friends & colleagues are called "Promoters". At FairPoint Communicatios, we've always referred to them as "Raving Fans!" (from the Ken Blanchard book).

It seems like every business would understand that happy (loyal) customers are the foundation for a successful long-term and profitable company...but for some reason all businesses don't make that their ultimate focus.

Until next time, remember “Your Success Is My Business."™

http://joeypeacock.com/

The Lessons I Learned While At A Funeral

My Uncle passed away over the Christmas holidays; he was my dad’s oldest sister’s husband and a favorite of mine. He was 78 years old and had been married to my aunt for 59 years and 11 months. He loved to fish and loved to eat mullet (me too!). He was a great guy. I don’t know of anyone who ever heard him say a cuss word. My uncle never had wealth, never traveled the world, never had a big house or fancy cars. But he was loved by all that knew him.

He was a handyman by trade and there’s no appliance he couldn’t fix. People called him all the time, even after years of retirement, to come repair something that was broken. No matter where he went people knew him and talked with him. They always referred others to him if they knew someone with an appliance problem---regardless of business or personal.

I thought about the lessons of life while I was at the funeral and, with your permission, wanted to share my thoughts with you here. Though the list isn’t that long, I think each is extremely powerful and, if each are focused on as becoming a main part of our life, the three are more than enough to keep a person occupied:

• How People Perceive You
  Do I have a high likeability factor? When people see me, do they dread a conversation with me or am I inviting & pleasant? Do all my stories revolve around me or them? All these factors are important if you’re a salesperson (and everyone is a salesperson!) as well. Are you pleasant in appearance and attitude when you’re with your customers? Are they glad to see you because you bring them value?
• Serving Others Is The Most Important Thing
  When my uncle passed away, he didn’t take anything with him----no money, no grand exit, nothing. So if we come into this world with nothing, and we take nothing with us…then what’s my purpose? Spend your time serving others…either by your hands or your gifts (charity). And however it is that I serve others? I need to do it to the absolute best (world-class) that I can. In business, you need to have this same philosophy: provide your customers with world-class service & solutions and they’ll tell everyone they know about you. Or, as I like to say, “…give them face and serve them to death”.
• What Will Your Legacy Be?
  Though as much as we try to avoid the subject, it happens to all of us eventually. We’re promised no duration of time. So what will my legacy be when I leave? Haven’t you ever been to a store you enjoy doing business with and find that your favorite salesperson has left (retired, moved, etc.), but now you have a great new person supporting you who you hit it off with? Build your business around the legacy of world-class service provided by building long-term relationships.

For all my personal e-mails that I share with family, friends, etc., I always end it with a quote that I wanted to share with you today that I thought related to this message:

"It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference."
~Tom Brokaw

Until next time, remember “Your Success Is My Business."™

http://www.joeypeacock.com/

The Lessons I Learned While...

The Lessons I Learned While Hunting

Can you believe that while only 3% of the U.S. population hunts, the sport is a multi-billion dollar business? WOW! That’s truly incredible! And I’m one of those “3%” folks that enjoy being in the outdoors hunting.

Not long ago, I was talking with a good friend of mine, Paul Smith, and as we often talk about leadership & life, we talked about the fact that there is a lesson in everything we do…regardless of what that is. So during my recent vacation, in which I spent a good deal of time sitting in a tree stand, I thought about all the lessons I learned from something I really enjoy doing---hunting:

• Preparation
  When you hunt, the majority of your success is going to be based around the pre-season preparation. This includes scouting your hunting areas, creating your food plots, setting up your stands and game cameras, practicing target shooting and many other things needed for success. Your business is no different as you need to scout out your territory that you plan to sell in, putting out your marketing items, attending networking meetings including Chamber of Commerce and other such events, understanding and being knowledgeable about your products/solutions, etc. Part of your overall success is going to be directly related to how prepared you are. So just like you have to do your homework for a successful hunt, do your homework for a successful career.
  
• Patience
  Hunting, like sales and many other business aspects, requires a great deal of patience. Nothing great comes easily or quickly. It may take multiple trips to the woods before you bag that trophy; and it will most likely take multiple meetings with your customer/prospect before you have the contract signed on the dotted line.
  
• The Right Tools
  One key to success in hunting is having the right tool for the hunt. You wouldn’t take a bow and go Duck hunting, and you wouldn’t take a .22 rifle and go Elk hunting. You wouldn’t sit in a tree stand to take squirrel (though you could) and you wouldn’t sit in a double bull blind to take quail. And the same holds true for your business. Having the right tools, the right solutions at the right price delivered through world-class service is the key to success.
  
• Practice
  Long before archery season begins, you should be consistently out target shooting. Before Whitetail season begins, you should be out sighting in your rifle scope. The more practice you get the more experience and confidence you acquire which will help in your success. In your business, having hands-on experience with the product(s) you offer is key to your ability to successfully provide them to your customers. Working in the test labs with the Technicians prior to installation, being on hand during installation, attending training sessions are all part of the practice required to gain the knowledge & skills you’ll need to succeed.
  
• Focus
  When you’re hunting, you must have great focus. Spotting a Whitetail easing through the woods is often difficult. I’ve even seen times when a deer walked right behind someone and they never even knew it. And not only must you have focus, but sometimes you need aids (like binoculars) in order to see further than you normally can. Business too needs great focus. You need to have the ability to clearly see what’s around you, but also what’s “down the road” as well. All the while making the necessary adjustments in order to achieve success.
  
• Listening
  Sometimes you spot the big trophy not because you saw it first, but because you were intensely listening and you heard it coming. When you’re hunting, you spend the large majority of your time listening. To be successful in your business or career, you must also spend a great deal of time listening. Listening to what your customer is telling you in order to provide them the exact solution they’re seeking to solve their problem. Hear what your customer is telling you and provide them with the answers they need only after you fully understand.
  
• Mental Toughness
  When you’re hunting, you may find yourself sitting in a tree stand high above the ground for hours on end (and then days on end), and never even see any game. The mental toughness it takes to hang in there when your back, your bottom, your legs are aching and screaming for relief is rough. The wind might be blowing, it might even be raining…but you hang in there. It might be brutally cold, but you tough it out regardless because you know that trophy might be only moments away from showing up. Business is the same way---you’ll experience employee problems, legal issues, billing delays, returns, vendor related problems, lack of teamwork, etc., etc. Being mentally tough through these times, yet still providing world-class service to your customers through all of it will make you smarter, tougher and better suited for success in the long run.
  
• Storms
  Of course we will all have storms in our lives. How many rain-storms have I sat through while hunting looking for that trophy? Business is no different. We must prepare for the roller coaster ride that is life and business. And old Arab proverb states that “all sunshine makes a desert”. Often, if we reflect, we’ll find that we learned the most, grew the most, and eventually prospered the most by going through these storms.

Until next time, remember “Your Success Is My Business."™

http://www.joeypeacock.com/