A few months ago at the end of last semester, I received a small token of appreciation from a student in my class. He gave me a beautiful, small round box of 2 of the most delicious chocolate cookies I ever tasted. It turns out his family owns a chocolate company.
Fast forward to Valentine's Day & I'm tossing around ideas about what to buy my better half (he really is). I'm on the web searching for items when I look on my desk & see the small round box he gave me. It was too pretty to toss & I now keep paper clips in it on top of my desk. Duh! There's my answer. Because my better half is a chocoholic this was the perfect solution.
Sure, I suppose I could have ordered from a well-known chocolate chain (there are 2 that immediately come to mind) & while theirs are good too, I personally want to do all I can to support small businesses, so, I go to the website but decide to call instead. After I introduced myself to the owner (my former student's mom) she tells me that the gift was his idea & that she had only a short while ago created this small box to use as samples because (as I learned) just one taste & there is absolutely NO way anyone could resist making a pruchase after that.
In fact, her samples recently landed her product on a very famous morning talk show. What could be better than that?
I use sampling & it works well for me too. My Marketing Sessions are discounted time with me on the phone. This small investment gets the prospect the marketing push they need & I make it easy for them in every way: they can pay directly from my site using Pay Pal & if they decide to move forward with more services (which 9 times out of 10 they will) I take the initial investment off of their first invoice. This is almost a no-brainer on everyone's part.
Think of the grocery store setting up samples of new food items in little tasty bites for people to try. It's convenient & it works!
Give some thought to what you can do from a sampling standpoint that is appropriate for your business. Discounted short periods of time for consultants can work well for you as they do for me. Or, what about sending small samples of product to the target audience you'd like to reach? It doesn't have to be food, of course it could be almost anything.
A while back I purchased an item at a well-known women's retail clothing chain. At the checkout counter the cashier put a sample of a laundry detergent/fabric softener combination in the bag. Great idea! Quality clothing should be treated well at home & this new detergent was perfect for that. Great partnership & I'm sure it worked well for all parties involved - including me!
Be creative. Think outside the box & consider how you can give away samples to entice prospects to purchase your product or service. You may be surprised how well it can work for you.
Samples away!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Monday, December 14, 2009
Great Expectations
It occurs to me that the reason companies use advertising to brag about awards, reviews and related accolades is to get prospects to do business with them and that when a prospect takes them up on their offer they ought to do their best to live up to the great expectations they have set up for themselves.
This weekend I was sorely disappointed with the service I received at a local furniture chain store here in CT. I purchased a rug at their Southern Fairfield County store where I happened to be in the area doing other things that day. I should have listened to the red lights going off in my head at the time of purchase when we practically had to beg to get a salesperson to take the rug down. I then brought the rug home to Northern Fairfield County where I live.
Once I got home I saw the size was all wrong and so I immediately called the store to ask if I could return the rug to the store that is located just 5 miles from my home (vs. their 20+ miles). After 2 minutes of insane button pushing & phone system gymnastics, I finally got a live person. He said 'no' I could not return it to the [much] more convenient store because it would mess up their inventory system. 'But you're a chain store' I say. To which the guy on the phone said this is 'their policy'. Hmmm...so the owner of the store who spends several hundred thousand dollars a year on local Cable TV ads bragging about their award winning #1 customer service is what - just kidding?!?!?
So...I haul the rug back 20+ miles the next day in the pouring rain. When I get there I see 5 or 6 salesmen standing in the front of the store. Not ONE of them held the door for us, or offered to help us carry this very heavy, bulky, awkward item into the store. NOT ONE OF THEM!
Finally we drag the rug to the customer service area (located in the BACK of the store, I might add) & was 'greeted' by a 'customer service' rep who proceeded to give us the 3rd degree about why the rug was being returned. 'Wrong size,' I say. This was greeted with a look of disgust by the rep who was annoyed that she had to process a return.
And a process it was. We stood there while what I guess took at least 1000 keystrokes to enter insane amounts of information into their computer system. And then FINALLY she asked for my card to process the credit which then took another 1000 keystrokes. Yikes! Are they kidding? To say she was gnarly is putting it mildly. This entire time all I'm thinking is how much of an inconvenience this all is. And how their service on all fronts is anything but award-winning.
Finally, we were released from the rug binds that tied us to the store. It's now deluging rain & I have to drive another 20+ miles to get home. On the way we stopped to return a movie at a Redbox location when it hits me -- Redbox allows you to rent a movie & return it at ANY of their locations. In other words, a vending machine can figure out the inventory process, but an award-winning chain store can't?!?!?!?
So, bottom line -- don't make promises in public you cannot keep & don't waste consumers' precious time. You never know who may have a blog.
This weekend I was sorely disappointed with the service I received at a local furniture chain store here in CT. I purchased a rug at their Southern Fairfield County store where I happened to be in the area doing other things that day. I should have listened to the red lights going off in my head at the time of purchase when we practically had to beg to get a salesperson to take the rug down. I then brought the rug home to Northern Fairfield County where I live.
Once I got home I saw the size was all wrong and so I immediately called the store to ask if I could return the rug to the store that is located just 5 miles from my home (vs. their 20+ miles). After 2 minutes of insane button pushing & phone system gymnastics, I finally got a live person. He said 'no' I could not return it to the [much] more convenient store because it would mess up their inventory system. 'But you're a chain store' I say. To which the guy on the phone said this is 'their policy'. Hmmm...so the owner of the store who spends several hundred thousand dollars a year on local Cable TV ads bragging about their award winning #1 customer service is what - just kidding?!?!?
So...I haul the rug back 20+ miles the next day in the pouring rain. When I get there I see 5 or 6 salesmen standing in the front of the store. Not ONE of them held the door for us, or offered to help us carry this very heavy, bulky, awkward item into the store. NOT ONE OF THEM!
Finally we drag the rug to the customer service area (located in the BACK of the store, I might add) & was 'greeted' by a 'customer service' rep who proceeded to give us the 3rd degree about why the rug was being returned. 'Wrong size,' I say. This was greeted with a look of disgust by the rep who was annoyed that she had to process a return.
And a process it was. We stood there while what I guess took at least 1000 keystrokes to enter insane amounts of information into their computer system. And then FINALLY she asked for my card to process the credit which then took another 1000 keystrokes. Yikes! Are they kidding? To say she was gnarly is putting it mildly. This entire time all I'm thinking is how much of an inconvenience this all is. And how their service on all fronts is anything but award-winning.
Finally, we were released from the rug binds that tied us to the store. It's now deluging rain & I have to drive another 20+ miles to get home. On the way we stopped to return a movie at a Redbox location when it hits me -- Redbox allows you to rent a movie & return it at ANY of their locations. In other words, a vending machine can figure out the inventory process, but an award-winning chain store can't?!?!?!?
So, bottom line -- don't make promises in public you cannot keep & don't waste consumers' precious time. You never know who may have a blog.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Customer Delight
The other day I happened to be in my old neighborhood. On my way to a meeting, I stopped in at one of those little stores with great service that I miss shopping at. The store sells authentic Asian foodstuffs and for a foodie like me, it is a great place to stock up on those items you can’t get anywhere else.
Once I finished and was juggling all the jars and cans of yummy goodness, I went to the checkout counter and paid. As the owner was handing back my change she then asked me if I would like fresh chili peppers. ‘Sure’ I said & opened my wallet again. Upon seeing me do this she said that no, she was giving them to me because she thought they would go well with the items I purchased and then proceeded to give me a recipe off the top of her head to be sure I used them correctly & would enjoy the meal.
I was suddenly struck by the Customer Delight concept. Something I read about often in my marketing publications and the like – but it was right here, in action, in front of me. How delightful!
And think of how much better small businesses are positioned to overtake the big monolithic, bureaucratic corporations in this very important area. Remember that it can take up to 10x more to acquire a new customer than to keep an existing one. So take care of your customers! They are the source of referrals for you and can keep your pipeline full.
A few months ago I read the now famous “Hug Your Customers” book by Jack Mitchell, CEO of Mitchell's/Richard's clothing stores here in Connecticut that is a very high end store with a legend following from affluent circles. Mr. Mitchell tells a story of Paul Newman’s little girl visiting the store many years ago & riding a bicycle they kept in the ‘children’s area’ of the store to keep the little ones occupied while their parents shopped. He says that Paul Newman told him months later that the money he spent on the suit that happened to be on sale was now full price when he added in the cost of buying his daughter that same bicycle!
Think about how many times you have wished for better service? Better treatment and perhaps even more [some?] respect by retailers or customer service folks on the phone. Imagine the goodwill that is spread by doing so. By giving more than is expected, you are indeed delighting your customers. Treating them well, going above & beyond may not put cash in your pocket today, but it will pay off.
As has happened before, this morning I received a call from someone who was referred to me by a current client. That client is so delighted with my service that she recommended me to my now new client! How delightful is that?
Once I finished and was juggling all the jars and cans of yummy goodness, I went to the checkout counter and paid. As the owner was handing back my change she then asked me if I would like fresh chili peppers. ‘Sure’ I said & opened my wallet again. Upon seeing me do this she said that no, she was giving them to me because she thought they would go well with the items I purchased and then proceeded to give me a recipe off the top of her head to be sure I used them correctly & would enjoy the meal.
I was suddenly struck by the Customer Delight concept. Something I read about often in my marketing publications and the like – but it was right here, in action, in front of me. How delightful!
And think of how much better small businesses are positioned to overtake the big monolithic, bureaucratic corporations in this very important area. Remember that it can take up to 10x more to acquire a new customer than to keep an existing one. So take care of your customers! They are the source of referrals for you and can keep your pipeline full.
A few months ago I read the now famous “Hug Your Customers” book by Jack Mitchell, CEO of Mitchell's/Richard's clothing stores here in Connecticut that is a very high end store with a legend following from affluent circles. Mr. Mitchell tells a story of Paul Newman’s little girl visiting the store many years ago & riding a bicycle they kept in the ‘children’s area’ of the store to keep the little ones occupied while their parents shopped. He says that Paul Newman told him months later that the money he spent on the suit that happened to be on sale was now full price when he added in the cost of buying his daughter that same bicycle!
Think about how many times you have wished for better service? Better treatment and perhaps even more [some?] respect by retailers or customer service folks on the phone. Imagine the goodwill that is spread by doing so. By giving more than is expected, you are indeed delighting your customers. Treating them well, going above & beyond may not put cash in your pocket today, but it will pay off.
As has happened before, this morning I received a call from someone who was referred to me by a current client. That client is so delighted with my service that she recommended me to my now new client! How delightful is that?
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Telephone techniques to enhance your marketing campaigns
Crazy as this may sound, I have witnessed so many instances of businesses shooting themselves in the foot with their own telephone.
I saw an ad (4 color, magazine - VERY expensive!) for something I was interested in. I call their phone number & was greeted (well, barely) with a surly, rather annoyed voice who gave off the impression that she'd rather be anywhere else on earth than there, doing her job.
Not a good start.
I asked some questions to which I received one & two word, clipped responses with a few "I don't knows" sprinkled in.
What the heck happened here?
Well, I can guess one of several things:
1. The business owner did not keep their employees in the loop about this new ad campaign & therefore they were not trained how to answer potential inquiries;
2. The employee was aware & didn't care;
3. The business owner doesn't have thorough hiring practices.
OK, so let's tackle them one by one:
1. If the business owner didn't tell their employees, then this must change. Your front line employees can make or break you - be sure it's the right one. Give your employees the tools they need to do their job on your behalf. Tell them about the ad, give them a copy to keep by the phone, tell them to expect more calls when the ad comes out. Go through mock phone calls to identify potential questions so you can create the responses. Finally, write an inbound phone script for them to keep by the phone. Believe me, it will pay off.
2. If the employee was aware & didn't care, this is an easy problem to solve. A heart to heart may be necessary to get the employee on board. If this doesn't work, show them the door. This is your business! There are many, many thousands of great workers out there who are now unemployed.
3. If this last possibility is the answer here then consult with a human resources professional so that you can put good hiring practices in place that will enhance the image of your business and will support your marketing efforts.
As they say on "Millionaire", the phone is your life line to your prospects and customers. Make sure it doesn't kill your business.
The outcome for me? I will not be giving them my business. Too bad too because the ad was great. Probably even cost them a thousand dollars or so. It's sad to waste an opportunity like this.
Perhaps Affordable Marketing Solutions can help. We offer on-site marketing training for employees and communication scripting to make the most of your telephone opportunities.
Conact us today at http://www.myaffordablemarketing.com to see how.
I saw an ad (4 color, magazine - VERY expensive!) for something I was interested in. I call their phone number & was greeted (well, barely) with a surly, rather annoyed voice who gave off the impression that she'd rather be anywhere else on earth than there, doing her job.
Not a good start.
I asked some questions to which I received one & two word, clipped responses with a few "I don't knows" sprinkled in.
What the heck happened here?
Well, I can guess one of several things:
1. The business owner did not keep their employees in the loop about this new ad campaign & therefore they were not trained how to answer potential inquiries;
2. The employee was aware & didn't care;
3. The business owner doesn't have thorough hiring practices.
OK, so let's tackle them one by one:
1. If the business owner didn't tell their employees, then this must change. Your front line employees can make or break you - be sure it's the right one. Give your employees the tools they need to do their job on your behalf. Tell them about the ad, give them a copy to keep by the phone, tell them to expect more calls when the ad comes out. Go through mock phone calls to identify potential questions so you can create the responses. Finally, write an inbound phone script for them to keep by the phone. Believe me, it will pay off.
2. If the employee was aware & didn't care, this is an easy problem to solve. A heart to heart may be necessary to get the employee on board. If this doesn't work, show them the door. This is your business! There are many, many thousands of great workers out there who are now unemployed.
3. If this last possibility is the answer here then consult with a human resources professional so that you can put good hiring practices in place that will enhance the image of your business and will support your marketing efforts.
As they say on "Millionaire", the phone is your life line to your prospects and customers. Make sure it doesn't kill your business.
The outcome for me? I will not be giving them my business. Too bad too because the ad was great. Probably even cost them a thousand dollars or so. It's sad to waste an opportunity like this.
Perhaps Affordable Marketing Solutions can help. We offer on-site marketing training for employees and communication scripting to make the most of your telephone opportunities.
Conact us today at http://www.myaffordablemarketing.com to see how.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Circulation down? Help me renew!
In an effort to clean up my desk & get things off my plate I tackled my in box very early this morning. One of the items "to do" was to renew a magazine subscription. Simple, right?
The publisher made me an offer for an early renewal - I would get 2 free gift subscriptions & a cookbook. Great, sign me up!
So, I go gather my friends' mailing addresses & fill in the form to send them gift subscriptions. I fill out the rest of the renewal card & then...I can't find the reply envelope.
OK, no big deal right just use my own envelope. So, I grab one & put a stamp on it along with my return address sticker & when I begin to address it, guess what? There's no address ANYWHERE on the renewal card. Front, back - really, nowhere!
Next, I figure I'll wait until 9AM & call. Yikes - no phone number!
As a last resort, I figure well at least I can renew online. Alas, once again, there is no URL anywhere to be found.
Now, I'm annoyed. I just wasted precious time & a stamp! Never mind, I was looking forward to doing something nice for 2 good friends.
This publisher is one of the oldest magazine publishers around - simply put, they ought to know better. They missed 3 tremendous renewal opportunities. Doesn't anyone proofread this stuff on their end?
Lesson? If you want someone's money then make it easy for them to give it to you. This means giving them options. Consumer behavior has evolved to the point where they want to choose how to be in touch.
Smart marketers who understand this will thrive. The rest, well...not so much.
The publisher made me an offer for an early renewal - I would get 2 free gift subscriptions & a cookbook. Great, sign me up!
So, I go gather my friends' mailing addresses & fill in the form to send them gift subscriptions. I fill out the rest of the renewal card & then...I can't find the reply envelope.
OK, no big deal right just use my own envelope. So, I grab one & put a stamp on it along with my return address sticker & when I begin to address it, guess what? There's no address ANYWHERE on the renewal card. Front, back - really, nowhere!
Next, I figure I'll wait until 9AM & call. Yikes - no phone number!
As a last resort, I figure well at least I can renew online. Alas, once again, there is no URL anywhere to be found.
Now, I'm annoyed. I just wasted precious time & a stamp! Never mind, I was looking forward to doing something nice for 2 good friends.
This publisher is one of the oldest magazine publishers around - simply put, they ought to know better. They missed 3 tremendous renewal opportunities. Doesn't anyone proofread this stuff on their end?
Lesson? If you want someone's money then make it easy for them to give it to you. This means giving them options. Consumer behavior has evolved to the point where they want to choose how to be in touch.
Smart marketers who understand this will thrive. The rest, well...not so much.
Monday, July 27, 2009
A lead is a terrible thing to waste
Over the past several weeks I have had the opportunity to speak with several potential clients. One of the standard questions I always ask someone is what they do with their leads. Not surprisingly, I often get one of the following answers:
1. What leads? Anytime someone contacts you but has not yet done business with you their information is a lead. In other words, you have the right (unless they have said otherwise) to contact them & stay in touch until they are ready to buy. Keep these leads in a file of some sort whether it be electronic or on paper in a file drawer somewhere labeled "leads" - just KEEP them somehow.
2. I threw them out. Ouch. Leads (treated well) are your next customers. Never purge your files. If you've been in business for several years, chances are you will have a nice supply of lead contact information. This information can range from simply a phone number, to an email address, or just a mailing address. Keep them & keep in touch with them - somehow!
3. Quickbooks is my database. While not technically a lead, old customer files should ALWAYS be kept. Never purge your Quickbooks files without printing them out & storing them in a file folder somewhere - again marked "leads". Someone that purchased from you once is likely to purchase from you again provided all went well during their first experience with your company.
The overarching lesson here is that leads should become part of your ongoing marketing. On average, it takes 3-5 "touches" for a consumer to make a purhase decision. That number moves to 9 or 10 for a business purchase decision. Taking into account the economy, the number of touches may now be higher. Treating your leads right & staying in touch with them is the key to growing your customer base.
Bottom line: Leads are your next customers!
1. What leads? Anytime someone contacts you but has not yet done business with you their information is a lead. In other words, you have the right (unless they have said otherwise) to contact them & stay in touch until they are ready to buy. Keep these leads in a file of some sort whether it be electronic or on paper in a file drawer somewhere labeled "leads" - just KEEP them somehow.
2. I threw them out. Ouch. Leads (treated well) are your next customers. Never purge your files. If you've been in business for several years, chances are you will have a nice supply of lead contact information. This information can range from simply a phone number, to an email address, or just a mailing address. Keep them & keep in touch with them - somehow!
3. Quickbooks is my database. While not technically a lead, old customer files should ALWAYS be kept. Never purge your Quickbooks files without printing them out & storing them in a file folder somewhere - again marked "leads". Someone that purchased from you once is likely to purchase from you again provided all went well during their first experience with your company.
The overarching lesson here is that leads should become part of your ongoing marketing. On average, it takes 3-5 "touches" for a consumer to make a purhase decision. That number moves to 9 or 10 for a business purchase decision. Taking into account the economy, the number of touches may now be higher. Treating your leads right & staying in touch with them is the key to growing your customer base.
Bottom line: Leads are your next customers!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Vehicular Marketing
A few weeks ago I had an experience on the road that highlights the need for organizations to train their employees & for small business owners to become acutely aware of the practice of humane driving.
In a nutshell, I was on my way to what turned out to be a very painful medical experience. It was early in the morning & it was raining. I was anxious, hungry & frightened. I was in a new neighborhood & so wasn’t familiar with the streets. In addition, long stretches of road were almost forest-like with no addresses visible from the road.
When the address suddenly popped up, it was already too late for me to turn into the driveway, so I drove just past the address & pulled into the parking lot of a very well known company (of which I am a current customer!!) to make a U-turn & drive back a block.
As I did this, one of the company’s trucks was headed into the lot behind me. What happened next blew my mind, irritated the bleep out of me & made my already horrible morning even worse.
Choosing not to give me the three seconds of time I needed to turn around, the driver honked this obnoxious horn causing me to hit my head on the roof of my car of out sheer fright, then yelled an unpublishable obscenity out his open window & then topped it all off by showing me his disdain with a hand gesture out the window – you know which one I mean. This was the worst PR imaginable for this company & completely undermines their TV commercial, great website, etc. So, I figure that hand gesture could cost this company a loss of marketing dollars somewhere in the $100,000 - $200,000 range.
Huh?!?!
OK, so once my heart resuscitated, I blew it off. Clearly this guy was a jerk & it certainly was not personal. But it did tick me off that this very guy could be the next one to come do the service in my home & that he certainly expects ME to be polite to HIM.
Over the following few weeks, I began to notice more & more of this behavior by drivers “on the clock” using a company branded vehicle. Even worse, business owners themselves who drive vans or pickup trucks with their lettering all over it are doing the same thing!
I happen to have several construction clients right now who drive similarly branded vehicles & because I am doing their marketing I know firsthand how tough it is for this & similar industries right now. Why, in any sane world, would you cut people off on the road, drive recklessly or aggressively while you are trying to market your services? Don’t you think that people notice these things? Do you really believe that person to whom you just gave the international high sign is going to call you & invite you into their home & then PAY you to do work for them?
For larger companies with branded fleet vehicles – the same message goes out to you. Except – because there are so many more of your trucks on the road, your marketing liability is much greater. As was the investment made to paint/letter/brand your trucks or vans. Again, why in any sane world would you allow your drivers to act like this on the road?
Do you even know how your drivers behave on the road? If you don’t your business may be suffering & you will NEVER know why. Perhaps you have the best website, polite receptionist, efficient scheduling & pretty good pricing but business is down. Maybe this could be the reason?
Don’t you care that the $5,000+ per truck signage & branding you invested in is EXACTLY the reason for your downfall?
From experience with a home repair service client, I know that there are GPS tracking systems (VERY, VERY expensive) that companies invest in to put into their trucks so they can track drivers on the road to give customers estimated times of arrival (or know how long their drivers took for lunch). But that’s not enough. In fact, that could be the very root of the problem itself. If all you care about is time, then your drivers WILL likely behave badly on the road in an effort to “beat the clock.”
So please, for the safety of all of us & for the best investment you can make in your branded vehicles, train your drivers (or yourself!) to become the person that puts their hand out the window to graciously wave someone in ahead of them during a traffic merge as THIS is the gesture that may make your phone ring with a grateful person at the other end who happened to notice & called to do business with you because of your good neighbor attitude. In fact, they may think to themselves, “Gee this nice person is someone I’d trust to be in my home.”
After all, isn’t that the reason you branded your vehicle in the first place?
Safe driving & happy marketing.
Randye Spina
www.myaffordablemarketing.com
In a nutshell, I was on my way to what turned out to be a very painful medical experience. It was early in the morning & it was raining. I was anxious, hungry & frightened. I was in a new neighborhood & so wasn’t familiar with the streets. In addition, long stretches of road were almost forest-like with no addresses visible from the road.
When the address suddenly popped up, it was already too late for me to turn into the driveway, so I drove just past the address & pulled into the parking lot of a very well known company (of which I am a current customer!!) to make a U-turn & drive back a block.
As I did this, one of the company’s trucks was headed into the lot behind me. What happened next blew my mind, irritated the bleep out of me & made my already horrible morning even worse.
Choosing not to give me the three seconds of time I needed to turn around, the driver honked this obnoxious horn causing me to hit my head on the roof of my car of out sheer fright, then yelled an unpublishable obscenity out his open window & then topped it all off by showing me his disdain with a hand gesture out the window – you know which one I mean. This was the worst PR imaginable for this company & completely undermines their TV commercial, great website, etc. So, I figure that hand gesture could cost this company a loss of marketing dollars somewhere in the $100,000 - $200,000 range.
Huh?!?!
OK, so once my heart resuscitated, I blew it off. Clearly this guy was a jerk & it certainly was not personal. But it did tick me off that this very guy could be the next one to come do the service in my home & that he certainly expects ME to be polite to HIM.
Over the following few weeks, I began to notice more & more of this behavior by drivers “on the clock” using a company branded vehicle. Even worse, business owners themselves who drive vans or pickup trucks with their lettering all over it are doing the same thing!
I happen to have several construction clients right now who drive similarly branded vehicles & because I am doing their marketing I know firsthand how tough it is for this & similar industries right now. Why, in any sane world, would you cut people off on the road, drive recklessly or aggressively while you are trying to market your services? Don’t you think that people notice these things? Do you really believe that person to whom you just gave the international high sign is going to call you & invite you into their home & then PAY you to do work for them?
For larger companies with branded fleet vehicles – the same message goes out to you. Except – because there are so many more of your trucks on the road, your marketing liability is much greater. As was the investment made to paint/letter/brand your trucks or vans. Again, why in any sane world would you allow your drivers to act like this on the road?
Do you even know how your drivers behave on the road? If you don’t your business may be suffering & you will NEVER know why. Perhaps you have the best website, polite receptionist, efficient scheduling & pretty good pricing but business is down. Maybe this could be the reason?
Don’t you care that the $5,000+ per truck signage & branding you invested in is EXACTLY the reason for your downfall?
From experience with a home repair service client, I know that there are GPS tracking systems (VERY, VERY expensive) that companies invest in to put into their trucks so they can track drivers on the road to give customers estimated times of arrival (or know how long their drivers took for lunch). But that’s not enough. In fact, that could be the very root of the problem itself. If all you care about is time, then your drivers WILL likely behave badly on the road in an effort to “beat the clock.”
So please, for the safety of all of us & for the best investment you can make in your branded vehicles, train your drivers (or yourself!) to become the person that puts their hand out the window to graciously wave someone in ahead of them during a traffic merge as THIS is the gesture that may make your phone ring with a grateful person at the other end who happened to notice & called to do business with you because of your good neighbor attitude. In fact, they may think to themselves, “Gee this nice person is someone I’d trust to be in my home.”
After all, isn’t that the reason you branded your vehicle in the first place?
Safe driving & happy marketing.
Randye Spina
www.myaffordablemarketing.com
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