Category: Enhancing The Customer Experience

Advertisement Ideas: Going The Extra Mile!!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Going The Extra Mile!!!

 Last night (2/23/14) on my way home after Announcing  The Palm Beach Pelicans Basketball Game I had my right rear tire blow out. I didn’t have any numbers for a tow truck service but I quickly Googled local towing services Boca Raton. I called Westway Towing and they were very nice but had no one available to come help put on the spare but suggested I call The State Farm Road Ranger and I did. The Road Ranger came out and put on the spare tire and helped me put everything back into my trunk. I gave him a tip and I went on my way. I made it home safely and today (3/24/14) I went to Gold Coast Tire and Auto Centers in Tamarac, FL.  The staff there were great and they actually came in under their initial quote. As I reflected on the situation I began to think how going the extra mile and being of value and service to everyone who calls or comes into your business is an integral part of the advertising process. Though I no longer have State Farm as my car insurance carrier it was nice to see that they had this Road Ranger Service.  In having this service they created good will and showed that advertising in the proper market place pays off. Think about it I now have a good feeling about State Farm and have a number to call if I experience another blow out.  Westway receives a big JDOGG Shout Out here on this blog and as a result has some positive public relations. Gold Coast Tire and Auto Centers  has now earned my business and will receive good positive recommendations from me as a result. When you are doing business and considering advertising keep in mind the importance of going the extra mile.

 When looking at this sign think about ways you can help your clients/customers and promote that in your advertising. Seek charitable alliances that are synergistic with your business. Show compassion to all that call or come into your place of business or interact with you. If you search for what truly puts you above everyone else and promote it accordingly you will start to see an increase in brand awareness and revenue. People like to do business with those they know, like, and trust. Through an effective advertising program you can show your already existing customers/clients why they should continue to use your products or services while at the same time attracting new customers. Think about what problem you solve and then go the extra mile to solve it. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Going The Extra Mile!!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Customer Service Is The Key!!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Customer Service Is The Key!!!!

 

 As I sit in The Lou Bachrodt Chevrolet dealership in Coconut Creek, FL waiting for the repairs to be completed as a result of receiving recall notices I begin to think about the experience with Lou Bachrodt. When I came in last week I was told they couldn’t get to my car as the repairs required and I would have to come back. Today I arrived at 9:30 AM and waited until nearly 10 AM to be taken in. I told the service person that I only need the recall notices taken care of and his reply okay I guess we are not making any money on you today. If The recall repairs weren’t very necessary I would have left as a result. I am one who believes regardless if you are making money on me or not you should treat me with dignity and respect. This particular service rep is very good at what he does, however he could use some training in dealing with customers. I have always taught smile at the customer, engage the customer, and leave the customer  happy so they will share that good experience with others. As I have stated in the past one oh crap ruins 1000 at a boys. The key is to do as Dale Carnegie says is to win friends and influence people.  The fact that I knew I was going to be at the dealership all day enabled me to plan my work for the day and thus remain productive. I made plans to deliver what I promised and thus began my day at the dealership with an attitude to be of service and value to all those I come in contact with.  As I sit in the waiting area I have seen many of the employees walk by and many seem to be unhappy. This energy does not serve the dealership well an can explain why some of the customers seem unhappy as well.

 One of the employees at the dealership actually made me feel welcome as he interacted me and answered my inquiry about a power source in a very cheerful way. he was someone who gets it. He understood that what he does made a difference. Your employees can be a great form of advertising if they carry a positive attitude and interact positively with your clients.  In advertising your business make it a point to mention your customer satisfaction rate if it is high and how you do your best to make your customers happy.  The key is to deliver outstanding customer service so that when people recognize you brand it creates a buzz where people say I do business with that company and they always deliver. In creating an atmosphere focused on excellent customer service you will begin to create customer loyalty and thus enhance the customer experience. Ask yourself when you awake in the morning how can I be of service and value to those I will come in contact with today. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Customer Service Is The Key!!!!

Festival Of The Arts Not So Festive!!!

Festival Of The Arts Not So Festive!!!!!!

 I have always said that you never know who you may be speaking with so you may want to consider the idea to treat everyone with respect and allow them to shine their light as you never know what pull they may have in the community.  I ventured out to The Coral Springs Festival Of The Arts on March 15, 2014 with the intention of collecting donations for The American Cancer Society Relay For Life and to recruit guest for my TV Show, The Anything Bucket, which airs on www.wrpbitv.com on Tuesday at 6:30 PM EDT. It is always my intention to put people in a positive light by utilizing my many platforms to be of service and value to them. I arrived at The Coral Springs Festival of The Arts and began to ask for donations things were going well many people were very receptive, a former commissioner saw me and asked me what I was doing he said great let me take you to the main stage and you can make an announcement. The entertainment chairman allowed me to make an announcement and then asked for my business card, The mayor saw me and wished me luck, many on the committee saw me and said keep up the great work, one of the vendors a local chiropractor donated $20, then the experience went from festive to  melancholy as The President of The Festival Approached me and said I wasn’t allowed to collect donations as this was  not allowed. I simply said okay and she continued to go on and on. I took a deep breath and said I am leaving but before I go do you want good or bad publicity. This struck a nerve and she asked am I threatening her. I simply said no but you get better results with kindness and I walked away. As I went to my care I realized that in business there will be those who get it and those who don’t.

 In the president of the festival  not having the ability to see the forest beyond the trees she lost out on a golden opportunity to create an advocate and an ally who writes two blogs, has over 2500 Facebook Friends, over 1600 Twitter followers, and over 5000 connections on Linked In, not to mention his own TV Show and Radio Show, plus an excellent media and public relations specialist.  This made me think how many opportunities are you missing in your business by not being open to receive. Everyone that you come in contact has the potential to  help you in some form and until you peel back the onion and open your eyes you never know what they can do for you. Continue reading Festival Of The Arts Not So Festive!!!

Advertisement Ideas: How To Get It Up!!!!!!

Advertisement Ideas: How To Get It Up!!!!

 In business sometimes we need help to get it up. I hope this blog entry will be like Viagra and help you to stiffen your business and beat your competition by giving you solid advertising ideas. The key to getting it up with advertising is to have something that stimulates and excites the consumers. It begins with the right advertising choices. With the right choices used to create brand awareness coupled with a strong call to action you will get it up and see an increase in your revenue. In stimulating the consumers desire to buy your product and services you will begin to create a buzz and have people talking about your business. In giving great customer service you create customer loyalty and thus create ways to get it up in your advertising plans and thus have a strong return on your investment.  Every business person I have spoken with has the same concern how will people find me and do business with me? My answer is like with Viagra you will need to promote the benefits of your product and have great testimonials to use that explain how you enhance the customer experience. So think of ways you can get it up and give your business a dose of Viagra to increase your awareness and your revenue.

Just as The Time encourages people to Get It Up, it is important for you to find ways to get it up in your business. By coming up with creative and proactive ways to get it up you will find that your business recognitions and your sales increase. One way to get it up is to use Internet TV as a platform as there are many shows that are seeking to interview you. I host a show at www.wrpbitv.com. The Anything Bucket, which airs at 6:30 PM EST on Tuesday. I have had many guests come on and do the interview and purchase their clip as they saw that the one way to get it up in business was to promote across all social media platforms, on their website, and though promotional emails. As a result those who bought the clip and used it properly have seen an increase in their business. In knowing who your target audience is, using the proper platforms to reach the audience, showing leadership in your business, and having great manners you will begin to get it up in your business. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: How To Get It Up!!!!!!

Advertisement Ideas: How To Overcome Negative Press!!!

Advertisement Ideas: How to Overcome Negative Press!!!

 It is time to face the facts that if you have a business you will experience some type of bad press while running your business. You will encounter people for whatever who will bad mouth you and your business. If you are doing the right thing you will experience bad press either through posts on social media sites, letters to the editor,  media sources whose agenda is to  spread negativity, or  competitors looking to tear you down as opposed to build themselves up. The question is what do you do?

 One of the key components is in overcoming negative press is to be armed with the facts that build your credibility. When the press brings up something negative combat it with all that you are doing that is positive in your business. There is an old saying it doesn’t matter if it is good press nor bad press just spell my name right. If it is good press you can build on it, if it is bad press you can combat it with your side of the story.  In your PR Campaign it is important to make everything reflect positively on who you are and what you do so that you strengthen your brand. The key is to make sure when people see your brand it gives them positive vibes. When you receive negative press it is important  to be  proactive and combat the press so that you regain a positive stronghold in  the marketplace. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: How To Overcome Negative Press!!!

Advertisement Ideas: How to Build Your Customer/Client Base!!!!!

Advertisement Ideas: How To Build Your Customer/Client Base!!!!

It doesn’t matter if you have a brick and mortar business, and internet based business, or  work from your home in each case there is a common thread needed to insure for your success. That common thread is customers/clients. When I worked for Forum Publishing Company as an Advertising Consultant I was always conscious of the # of clients I had because the more clients I had the more money I made based on the fact that the position was a commission only position. I always made every effort to have  a few smaller accounts, a few medium-sized accounts, and a few big accounts. I treated each account as an important part of my business. In selling of the advertising I became someone who would give my clients ideas because in many cases having someone like myself on the outside looking in can be a major asset as I am not so married to the business. Those that chose to listen and implement the ideas did well while those who were set in their ways seemed to struggle week in and week out. In the 2 1/2 years that I worked at Forum Publishing Group I learned a lot about the business people in my territory, which was Margate and Coconut Creek, Florida. In my initial consultation with a potential advertiser I would always ask how are you building your client/customer base? I usually knew where they were already advertising but I would ask anyway. One thing I learned was to never put down the other publications but to build up the reason they should be in my publications. In building a solid customer/client base you have to be aware of what the potential client wants.

 By finding out what your potential clients/customers want you will be able to effectively do a needs analysis and deliver what they are seeking.  I was in a recent meeting of commercial property owners and I asked them what is it they think is keeping their properties from being fully occupied. I heard answers like price, location, the economy, the banks, lack of interest. I asked when was the last time they did an interest intake evaluation? They all looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. I explained that they all needed to ask their current tenants why they chose to rent or buy property from them, then asked what characteristics they look for when seeking office, warehouse, or retail space? I then used a case study from Jacky Smith’s Book Relevant Selling where she found out that it wasn’t price at all that led to the decision of where to lease or buy property but rather it was security as people wanted to feel they were safe when coming to the location. One landlord implemented a daily security concerns hotline where security issues were addressed as they came up.  As a result of meeting the desires of current and future tenants this developer now has 95% of all his properties full with a renewal rate of 89%. The lesson here is to find out what your target audience wants and then give it to them. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: How to Build Your Customer/Client Base!!!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Barilla, Chick-Fil-a, Hobby Lobby Oh My!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Barilla, Chick Fila, Hobby Lobby Oh My!

These 3 companies made news recently for all the wrong reasons. They all had employees or CEO’s that made missteps when speaking to the media. They each have apologized for their statements however nothing changes the facts that disparaging remarks were made.  I used to think it doesn’t matter if you get good publicity or bad as long as your name is being spelled right, however I as a public relations specialist I have learned that it is imperative that a company or individual is seen in a positive light at all times. As a publicist it is your job to make sure your company representatives from The CEO to The Janitor understand that they represent the company and what they say has a direct effect on the business.

 To address the comments of Barilla competitor Ronzoni issued this statement in a twitter campaign. BY being proactive and capitalizing on the idea of a boycott of Barilla Ronzoni saw a spike in sales and thus increased their market share.  In many cases controversy will create cash, however one has to be very careful about their initial remarks. As a publicist it is important to brief your client on the right things to say. Often it is coaching your client to put their political views away and when something a bit touchy or uncomfortable comes up they can defuse the situation by saying we are in the business of—– and we strive to be of service to everyone that use our products or services. By utilizing this statement it protects the representatives of the company from making a statement that they have to apologize for making. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Barilla, Chick-Fil-a, Hobby Lobby Oh My!!!