Great Marketing Begins at Yes

On her blog, Creating Passionate Users, Kathy Sierra brilliantly compares full color company brochures with boring, black & white user manuals to illustrate the need for placing greater marketing focus on the existing customer. For whatever reason acquisition seems to trump retention. Quantity trumps quality. Immediate return trumps long term growth. Perhaps this is because it is just easier to measure. New customers are easy to track, much more so than the ripple effect of word of mouth. However, this thinking is problematic. It puts the focus on attaining that which we do not yet have, instead of paying attention to cultivating and appreciating the resources already at our disposal. It is wasteful, lazy, and shortsighted. By truly energizing and engaging existing customers- focusing on blowing them away with a remarkable experience, a virtuous cycle of organic growth develops. Word of mouth is powerful, and existing customers are the source of that power. As professionals, loyal customers deserve to be the absolute center the universe. Of course you need new customers to grow. Sure the sexy brochure is important. It is part of the courtship of the customer and appearances do matter. But once you have that relationship, those appearances don’t stop mattering. In fact, they matter more. Other people are watching. Other people are listening. Let your customers know they matter and more customers will come. That is what GREAT marketing is all about. The relationship should begin and grow at “yes” - not wither and die.

Creating Passionate Users: Why marketing should make the user manuals!

One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Treasure… Freecycle.org

Remember that line from the Beatles song “If you want it, here it is, come and get it.”  Well that pretty much sums up a wonderful website I recently discovered called Freecycle.org.  I heard about the site last Friday while listening to All Things Considered on WYSO.  Freecycle allows you to give unwanted items to anyone who might want to take them away.  It also allows you to get the things you need from other people who no longer want them.  The primary rule, Everything is free.  Pianos, computer equipment, furniture, clothes and more are listed on the site.  Want one?  Sure, no charge!  Zero, Zip, Nada.  There are hundreds of thousands of members all across the country, broken down by locality and region.  This is a great way to keep things out of landfills and in the hands of grateful users.  It is also proof that there are worthwhile things happening on the Internet.  Save yourself some cash by checking this out for yourself.

The Freecycle Network(tm) - Changing the world, one gift at a time.

How Great Service Leads to Sales: Tire Discounters

Yesterday my wife’s car surprisingly got a flat tire. It had been parked in the garage for a few days, seemingly fine, but must have been slowly leaking.  She called me after she discovered it yesterday afternoon, so I came home from work a little early to get it repaired. I jacked up the car, took off the old tire, bolted on the doughnut and headed out - prepared to drop a few hundred bucks for yet another unexpected, but necessary, expense. Because it was close, I chose to go to Tire Discounters. I went inside the store and explained my situation to Michael Golembiewski, the General Manager. Having bought tires from other tire vendors before, I assumed that I would be pummeled with the standard barrage of how I must replace all 4 tires, and only the most expensive tires would truly ensure the safety of my wife and children. However, something else happened - something nice. Michael said “Have a seat, give me 5 minutes to take a look, and I’ll let you know what you need.” So I planted myself in a lobby chair, opened my book, and waited. About 5 minutes later I heard Michael’s voice, as he returned to the lobby. I thought, “Okay, here comes the pain,” and I prepared to scratch out a check for some new Michelans. “Mr Bowman,” Micheal said, “you’re all set.” “What?” I replied - thoroughly confused by what I was hearing. Micheal went on to tell me that they were able to patch the old tire, and there was no charge for the service. His one request was that the next time I needed tires, I need to give him a call. “Are you serious?” I said. “Absolutely” he responded. Thrilled, I thanked him profusely, and headed for home. What Michael did not know, or perhaps on some level did know, was that I have another vehicle that is in need of 4 new tires. Until yesterday, I had not even given thought as to where I would buy them. Today, I need not give it any thought either, because now I know for certain where they will be purchased. So by patching my tire for free, instead of selling me two tires I did not need, Tire Discounters will now get my business for the 4 tires on the other vehicle and any other tires I need in the future. Michael could have easily sold me those 2 tires yesterday. I was powerless. He could a have chosen not to bother patching my old tire, told me it was beyond repair, and charged me for the replacements. He could have, but he did not. He chose to bypass the immediate return of the one time sale in exchange for my trust. It was an investment decision on his part. It was a good one. Had I bought the 2 tires, I would have gotten what I expected. My experience would not have been remarkable, and I would have no compelling reason to return to his store. I certainly would have no reason to tell anyone else about what happened. Because of Micheal’s choice to help me when I needed it, I will now choose to help him grow his business, which is what he needs. So, if you are in need of tires, and happen to live South of Dayton, check out Tire Discounters on West Central Avenue. They replaced my tire, earned my trust, and made my day. Thank You Tire Discounters.

Map of 740 W Central Ave Springboro, OH by MapQuest

Invisible KOOL-AID Clearly Fantastic

Sometimes the way to make a product better is not to add more to it, but to take something away. That is just what Kraft foods has brilliantly done with KOOL-AID Invisible. Growing up, the only objection I remember adults consistently having to drinking KOOL-AID had nothing to do with my consumption of it, but rather the potential disaster that could come if I spilled it on the new carpet, new drapes, new furniture, or in the family room that no one went into. KOOL-AID on a nice shirt meant that it was no longer a nice shirt. Thus KOOL-AID was to be consumed with caution - in the right place at the right time. With KOOL-AID clear, the primary objection by parents, (this stuff permanently stains everything) is eliminated. Still thinking that all the good ideas are taken? It is amazing to me that so many people used this product, experienced this problem, and it took until now for someone to say “Hey, what if we took the dye out!” Surprisingly, I have not seen one commercial for this product, and most people I ask about it respond with a dumbfounded “Huh?” I bought this product by accident a few weeks ago, and must say that it has had rave reviews in the Bowman household. With the risk of spill eliminated, it is now a staple in our pantry. I recommend it highly. The only drawback - no KOOL-AID mustache.

Kool-Aid Invisiville

Sure the Ketchup is Fancy, But Check Out the Label!

Want to learn about the future of product marketing? Check out www.MyHeinz.com. Heinz is offering personalized labels for their ketchup bottles. While the price is a little steep, (6 bucks a bottle) it is a brilliant idea.  Why would someone want this? Why not? As someone who has worked in a restaurant, I can tell you they are always looking for interesting things to put on the table. How about marketing messages about the restaurant on every ketchup bottle? Trust me, they don’t use Heinz to refill those bottles at most restaurants, so the 6 dollar bottle would get more mileage than you would think. This might also bring some fun into your next cookout, party, or dinner. Nothing says party like “Fancy Ketchup!” except of course Natural Light - the beer with the taste for food. If you have ever read Free Prize Inside, this is the classic example of a free prize. Although they did not make the ketchup taste any different, they might convince you to pay more for it with creative & effective marketing. So make sure to look at the label the next time you are preparing to devour that pile of french fries. There may be a little something extra there for you.

Heinz Talking Labels

Zen Like - What does that even mean?

About a month ago I drove past this sign. It was in the front yard of a home that was for sale (It may still be, I don’t know). The home sits at a very busy intersection - the crossroads of two state routes adjacent to the interstate and across from a shopping center. A high traffic location to be sure. What caught my attention was not the house, but rather the comment on the sign in the front yard. “Zen Like” I thought to myself, could there be any house that is Less Zen Like? It is probably a lovely home. I wish the sellers luck in finding a buyer, but “Zen Like.” What? Then as I thought more, I realized I don’t even know what the heck that phrase means. If you know, please tell me. Is the idea less is more? Seems like a funny way to sell a home. I will give this realtor credit for grabbing my attention, and not resorting to “Price Reduced” like my former realtor did only two weeks after we listed our house. The problem is the sign confused the heck out of me instead of making me interested in buying the house. Maybe this works, maybe it doesn’t. I don’t know. I do know that for 6 or 7% I would expect more…or maybe I should say less. Maybe this free post will help the sellers find an interested buyer - another “zen like” concept. By the way, is there a difference between Zen and Zen Like?

Change Your Mind

Looking for inspiration?  Seeking new ideas?  Hate to spend money?  Check out ChangeThis.com  Once a month ChangeThis publishes a handful of insightful “manifestos” which can be downloaded as PDF files for free.   Some manifestos are written by well established authors while others are penned by aspiring newcomers.  For example this month’s issue features a Manifesto by Seth Godin containing excerpts from his upcoming book Small is the New Big, and a manifesto by Cincinnati resident and Blogosopher graduate Charles Halton on creating transformational experiences.  Want to start a blog for your business? You can read A Beginer’s Guide to Business Blogging or by Debbie Weil.  Want advie on your career?  Try reading The ABC’s of A Kaleidoscope Career by Sherry E. Sullivan.  Wonder what the hell people are talking about when they say Web 2.0?  Read Troy Troy Angrignon’s piece Web 2.0: Strategies and Lessons for Business Leaders.  There are so many great articles to read- ALL FOR FREE.  ChangeThis will even notify you be email or RSS feed every month when the newest issue is released.  Change Your Mind - Check out ChangeThis.com

ChangeThis :: ChangeThis

Not that I would use something like this…

Now I am sure that everyone reading this post would never have a problem with a web page they want to view at work being blocked.  I realize that you are all probably far too busy filling out reports, maximizing revenue, and creating value for the shareholders, but on the off chance that you have a cousin or friend that may encounter such a problem, check out workFRIENDLY.   I found this site through a tip from the unbelievable site Lifehacker.   Workfriendly is a proxy server that will not only by pass the man’s filtering software, but will also display web pages in an interface that makes them look like MS Word Docs.  They even have  a “Boss Button” that will pull up a page about Time Management if you click it.  Like I said earlier, I will be far too busy to every need such an application, but I thought I might pass along the tip just in case you feel the need to stick it to the man.  As a legitimate use of this tool, it also renders printer friendly versions of web pages.  Great for note taking, which is how I will use it
workFRIENDLY - BETA

6 Reasons to Try Writely

Writely is awesome. There are so many great things that are built right into it that can save you time, reduce your headaches, and increase your productivity. Here are 6 things that immediately caught my attention.

1. Hello GDdrive:
A few weeks ago I wrote about the potential release of Gdrive, an online storage service that Google is rumored to be rolling out soon. Writely, in conjuntion with Google Spreadsheets and Gmail, basically makes this a reality. Here is why. You can upload your word processing documents into Writely and edit or save them online. You can download them back from Writely to any desktop computer. That means that you can use Google as a back-up for your existing docs, and use it to create and store your future work. GMail provides an additional repositiory for your documents and files as attachments to your emails. You can use the Firefox extension Gspace to make this process seamless. Hello GDrive! Now, I know when the “official” Gdrive rolls out there will provbably be much more to it, as it will likely offer a centralized repository for everything. Still, this is a huge step in toward making GDrive a reality.

2. Collaborate:
Writely allows you to work collaboratively on documents. You simply invite your collaborators to edit the document, and they can then access the file via the web. Writley will keep track of changes and versions, reducing many of the hassles of group work. I am looking forward to trying this feature out on my next group project for school. These projects are always cumbersome, with people editing edits, versions getitng confused, and work being duplicated.

3. Built In RSS:
Writely offer the ability to attach an RSS feed to a document so that as changes are made, you and other group members, will be notified automatically. This is brilliant, and will eliminate the unwanted surprises that can come with group editing.

4. Publish to the Web:
This post was written in Writely and then published directly to Voice. A great tool for bloggers.

5. Multiple file formats:
Writely offers the ability to save your documents in a variety of file formats. You can choose from HTML, PDF, RTF, Word Document, or Open Office Document, and then choose to save it online or to your desktop. This is a great feature, in that you can move documents from one format to another, and one place to another with ease.

6. Tagging:
Like Gmail, Writely offers the ability to “tag” documents. This makes it easy to organize documents by category, by topic, by importance, or by context. It is labeling. You can also use stars to indicate that a document is of special importance. A great feature that results in better organization and easy retrieval of stored files.

* Bonus Reason:
It is Free!

Get Access to Writely

Check out this site for your invitation to join Writely, Google’s free, web based word processing tool. Writely appears to have all the basic functionality of Word, and also allows you to upload documents to the web, share them with others, and post them on the net - either privately or publically. I can’t wait to check this out more thoroughly. Thanks to Lifehacker for the tip on this one. More to come soon… Anyway, check out the link below to get your invite.

Writely

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