Tag Archives: Customer Management

January 31, 2014 · 9:44 am

Tapas

Foodie Friday and the subject is tapas.

Español: Tapas en un establecimiento de Barcel...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Most of you are probably familiar with them although you might not know from where the term derives. A “tapa” is a cover, and tapas originated as pieces of bread to cover glasses of sherry in between sips to keep the flies out. At some point the bread began to be topped with other food; bread became plates and what we know as a tapa came to be.

The original tapas were very salty meats and, as with bars that serve salted nuts as free snacks, the salty food encouraged more alcohol sales.  Obviously the Spanish bar owners weren’t the only ones to figure this out.  The Italians have cicchetti, the Brazilians tira-gostos, and other cultures have their own versions as well.  Even if you’re not a bar owner, there are things you can learn from tapas that are applicable to your business.

Free food is customer-friendly, especially if it’s exceptionally good.  Does the fact that the free food is designed to sell more high-margin drinks detract from that customer-centric point of view?  I don’t think so, and even those customer who recognize that fact will probably acknowledge that they are getting quite a bit of value in the exchange.

Tapas are small plates, generally no more than two or three bites of food on each.  They always leave me wanting more but I also appreciate the fact that I haven’t really “committed” to a dish when I’m eating tapas.  I can graze, figure out which dishes I like the most, and have a much broader dining experience than if I simply orders an appetizer and an entrée.  As businesses we need to think that way.  There is a tendency once we have their attention to overwhelm our customers or prospects.  Less really is more.  Let them graze our information and product offerings until they feel as if they’re ready to commit.  That’s the nature of conversational marketing.

Tapas are just one expression of a tasting menu, something most high-end chefs offer.  Small plates have become a dining norm in a number of restaurants as well.  I suspect that while the cost per dish is lower customers order more of them and they lead to bigger profits per meal served.  All that while being incredibly customer friendly.  Isn’t that what business is supposed to be about?

Enhanced by Zemanta

1 Comment

Filed under food

Tagged as , , , , , ,

January 9, 2014 · 11:50 am

Mom and Pops

Before we get too far into the new year I wanted to write about something I saw over the holiday.  We have several very good local news sites here and there was a piece on one of them about local merchants and how they’re having difficulty competing both the online retailers and the national chains.  What was interesting to me was how almost every one of the merchants quoted focused almost entirely on price competition.  Many also mentioned “showrooming” – looking at goods in a store but buying the online where they’re usually less expensive.

The same day I read a report on a paper issued by Silverpop.  As MediaPost wrote:

Apple, Lexus and Amazon.com have transcended prices and features to create compelling and fulfilling customer experiences, says the report. They’ve embraced the customer revolution and are raising customer expectations for every other business.  A recent study reported that 83% of consumers are willing to spend more on a product or service if they feel a personal connection to the company. And one fifth said they would pay 50% more if they felt the company put the customer first, points out the study.

The paper talks a lot about how retailers can integrate data with the in-store experience and how that can then move across from the real world into the digital world.  You can read the specific suggestions in the piece.  For example, I wonder how many of the local guys quoted routinely gather email addresses in store and communicate in a way that helps them understand and reflect the customer’s needs and preferences?  I’ve had retailers ask for my email (and physical) address but inevitably they end up sending me a catalog, not something tailored to my buying interests.

The end of the MediaPost article states it nicely:

In 2014, marketers will have two choices, says the report they can keep running marketing for marketers, delivering generic promotional messages when the company has an offer it wants to push out, and focusing solely on driving customer transactions. Or, they can start running marketing for customers, delivering content uniquely tailored to each individual’s needs and expectations.

That’s how marketing has evolved over the last decade.  The big guys are learning it and the Mom and Pop retailers must if they are to survive.  It must be for customers, not for marketers.  Do you agree?

Enhanced by Zemanta

Leave a comment

Filed under Helpful Hints

Tagged as , , , , ,

July 24, 2013 · 8:45 am

Clients And Clarity

A couple of conversations over the last few days provided today’s inspiration.  The chats were with two folks who are smart, good at what they do, and completely lost when it comes to technology.  That’s really not a big deal for either them given that they’re not tech professionals.

Chat bubbles

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

They do know as much as the typical “civilian” and they spend time on the web and using digital tech in their non-work lives.  In fact, they know quite a bit more than the average person since both have web sites for their respective businesses and were involved in those sites’ creation.  Each is also working on making improvements – new designs, better SEO, a smoother social integration.  That’s where things have gone awry and what provides a good business thought today.

The design and coding firms with which they’re working are typical of a number of folks working in the field.  Their work is fine but their interaction with their clients sucks.  They build up barriers of bullcrap instead of providing clear explanations of not just what they’re doing but why they’re doing it.  They are incapable of translating what can be baffling vernacular into terms that their clients can grasp. This frustrates (and I expect frightens) their clients, who are smart business people used to making informed decisions.

Keeping them in the dark by speaking to them in a language they don’t speak is harmful to everyone involved.  The client can’t be sure they’re making the right choices and, frankly, neither can you since you haven’t provided clarity.  If it’s NOT the right decision, would your expectation be that the client will immediately re-engage you to fix it?  Maybe so, but it won’t be at additional cost to them.  All it does it eat into your margins by your having to perform more work for no more money.

My rule of thumb is this:  I channel my mom.  My mom is TOTALLY technically illiterate (she’d be the first to tell you that) but smart about a lot of other stuff. If I feel as if the explanation I’m giving a client  would be good enough for my mom to explain it back to me after I say it, I’m probably on solid ground.

Like any business, the business I’m in – tech and consulting –  has a lot of moving pieces and tons of jargon, but the concepts aren’t dissimilar to other things.  As professionals, part of  our job to be translators for those folks who touch our business even if they don’t speak its language.  What do you think?

Enhanced by Zemanta

Leave a comment

Filed under Consulting, digital media

Tagged as , , , , ,