Business-Building Thoughts And Musings From Terry Brock

Yesterday I was presenting to a group in Memphis, Tennessee.  I love that city with its Southern charm and all the benefits it offers. The best part of Memphis is the wonderful people who always impress me as genuine and down-to-earth.

As I was getting ready to present, I spoke to a Vice President of Customer Relationships at a local bank.  I asked her how her bank was doing in the midst of the economy.  Like many small banks, hers was doing well although they are feeling the challenges of the economy today.

What caught my attention more than anything was her comment about how she, working with customers with bank loans, reacted to those who were behind in their payments.  She indicated that many of her bank customers would stay in touch with her and explain their situation even when times were tough.  She told me that when a bank customer calls and explains what is happening and how they are working to make the payments and keep their commitments to the bank (that’s what a loan is all about — commitment), she wanted to help them.

She told me she also had a few customers who were behind in their payments who were trying to hide from her.  She would make repeated calls and they would never return her calls.  Imagine that!  People trying to avoid a collections call!

It was interesting to hear her say — and I saw the fire in her eyes on this one — “… I don’t care if we have to foreclose on their property.  If they won’t even return a call and talk to me, I don’t have any reason to help them.”

WOW!

Relationship Marketing is about a lot more than just reaching and helping customers.  It relates to your entire supply team (as Steve Epner would say).  It is imperative to maintain good relationships not only with customers but also with suppliers, partners and other stakeholders in your business.  This is particularly true in tough economic times.

Relationship Marketing is not just a “smile and a shoeshine” (to borrow from Willie Loman in The Death of a Salesman).  Relationship Marketing is about finding the needs of others and listening to them.  Yes, it is also about returning calls and being decent.  You’ve got to think of the other person and where he or she is coming from.

This banker I spoke with demonstrated that she cared for her customers.  She wanted to help them and she does.  However, when someone refuses to exhibit even the basics of human decency — i.e. returning a phone call — it is only human to feel slighted and approach them at a different level.

Maintaining relationships during difficult times is most important.  Hey, it’s most important all the time and during difficult times it makes the difference between keeping your house and moving to the curb!

Relationship Marketing requires drawing closer to all those in our supply team and finding their areas of need.  By helping them succeed we amazingly help ourselves to get ahead.  Find creative, interesting ways to stay in touch with important people in your supply team.  Yes, stay in touch with customers but also stay close to others who can make or break your business.

During tough times, make it a point to listen to others.  Hear what they have to say and how they feel. This can pay off in any economy.

Today, having the right attitude and care for all in your supply team can even help you keep you house!

Copyright © 2009, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc.  Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results.  He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.  Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: TerryBrock.

Business-Building Thoughts From Terry L. Brock

Recently I had a talk with a wonderful lady who has been a successful marketer for many years.  She was lamenting all the commotion with Twitter, Facebook, Email, LinkedIn and social networking today.  She commented that she likes to connect by talking with people on the phone — “real communication” is what she called it.

I understand where she’s coming from and have to agree — partly.  Technology can never take the place of true human-to-human communication.  I love sitting with friends over a meal, over drinks and sharing about life, business, fun, ideas, concepts and more.  “Visiting” is what it is called in the South.  “Hanging with your buds” is another way to refer to it.

Relationship Marketing (I like to capitalize those important words!) is the most important activity we can do in business.  Connecting with other people is vital.  One way to do it is with live, face-to-face meetings.  That was the primary way people connected centuries ago.  Somewhere around the end of the 1800’s they came up with a new-fangled communication tool called the telephone.  I’m sure there were people who said, “Well, if I want to talk with someone I’ll walk or take my horse over to see them.  I want a real connection.”  They didn’t trust the new-to-them technology of a telephone.

I saw the same thing with email as it emerged a few years ago.  Today we have so much of it that we crave short messages.  I somehow think Twitter’s 140-character limit is an answer to that.

So, when we see Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social networking services emerge, does it mean the demise of real human connections?

Not on your life!

Relationship Marketing is about being close to prospects, customers and important stakeholders in business.  It is about providing value to the other person.   If your Twitter message is nothing more than “I’m getting groceries now,” — shame be upon you!  You deserve to be ignored.  Instead, pass along information that can be helpful to at least some of your followers.  That’s where Twitter really shines.

All of these social networking services are about connecting with people.  My friend who lamented these services and wanted to only connect through telephone is limiting the amount of contact, and hence the amount of business she can generate.  I view communication as a wide range of options.  A quick YouTube video which your perspective clients view connects at a basic level.  A one-to-one luncheon with someone is a much deeper level of connection.  However, you can’t have a 3-hour lunch with everyone, everyday otherwise you’d never get any work done!

And you can’t Tweet all day (that’s the term for those who send messages on Twitter) and expect to get work done.  Yes, you can generate business but even self-appointed Twitter gurus I’ve heard speak have to stop sending their Tweets to speak about it!

By the way, I recently discovered a new tool called TweetCall (www.TweetCall.com) that allows you to leave a Tweet via your phone.  Once you’ve registered (for free) you dial a toll-free number and leave a message up to 140 character (about 20 words).  This can be great to leave quick messages even faster.  I’ve used it for about a week and have been very impressed.  Try it!  To see a video of this check out the video below:

So, what’s the key for a dedicated, serious-minded Relationship Marketer to do?  Well, I am not a “Twitter guru” (I’ll leave that ominous title to others) but I do know a thing or two about Relationship Marketing.  Use these tools in moderation to help others.  Don’t just toot your own horn but find ways to provide value for them.

Examples would be a quick message with a link to a great video that is of interest to your recipients.  Send out a notice with a helpful idea.  Then be sure to “Re-Tweet” a message to others. This is the Twitter way of forwarding a message to others and patting someone on the back (digitally, of course!).

It always goes back to helping others and caring for them in a genuine way.  I was just on the phone with a long-time friend and trusted colleague who told me  about a particular person. She told me how this person simply tried to sell her his services and didn’t really care about helping her.  I found similar reactions as this same guy tried to sell me his stuff.  I don’t care if he is on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or comes over and knocks on my door — my opinion of him is diminished because of his actions towards me and my friend.

Bottom line?  Commit to being a Relationship Marketer with genuine care to solve the other person’s problems.  Next, learn the nuts, bolts and wiggle pins of new technologies that make sense for you.  Don’t get frazzled.  No, these Social Media tools are not the demise of real human connections.

Used properly, they can help us strengthen and grow genuine, real relationships for profit and mutual benefit in business.

Copyright © 2009, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc.  Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results.  He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.  Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: TerryBrock.

Business-Building Thoughts From Terry L. Brock

[Note: Here's the article I just wrote for my papers around the country. It is for the serious business person who wants to know why they would use Twitter for business.  If you're just getting into Twitter --- or wondering about its applications in business --- this is for you!  Enjoy!]

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you have heard about Twitter.  It is huge.  It is not a fad.  It is here to stay and will be a big part of business.  It already is and is growing more.

In my speeches I give and the coaching I do I find two types of reactions to Twitter.  One group embraces it and is growing their network and their business.  Another has a standard, pat answer they give for why they don’t use it.  If you’re in the later category — get with the program!  The same types of arguments were used a decade ago when people told me why they were not on the Internet.

If you’re not on Twitter, get there.  This is for you bottom-line-oriented, business-focused readers.  This is not something you want to miss.  Dispense with your standard pat answers about why you aren’t there.  Instead, wade into it with a focus on how to generate results.

Here are just a few of the ways serious business-minded people are using Twitter now:
•    Linking with prospects
•    Linking with existing customers
•    Finding resources
•    Finding the right subcontractors for a specific job
•    Getting information on suppliers and their reputation with your trusted peers
•    Announcing upcoming events
•    Finding out about upcoming events
•    Staying current with trends
•    Linking to great websites for information
•    And thousands more uses!

Recently I was meeting with a friend and colleague who is not on Twitter (yet). She is already very successful in her business as an image consultant.  She told me she’s not on Twitter because, “No one cares that I’m at Starbucks right now with Terry Brock.”  Well, I had to agree with her but told her that someone might be interested in a great image consultant to help for an upcoming job interview tomorrow.  If her profile contained valuable information about that, she could get business.

Yes, there are a lot of people using Twitter for non-business purposes and that’s fine.  There are a lot of Blogs, Podcasts, Websites, Videos, Audios and more that aren’t relevant to you.  However, that doesn’t mean all of them are irrelevant.  Your job is to find the relevant, profit-producing sources for you and your business and embrace those.  Don’t worry about those that aren’t helpful to you.

I also told my friend that she might have need of a good business resource.  This can be a quick, “Hey, does anyone know about a good plumber who can.….” This could be just what you need in a bind!   Your network can help you.  And this is the flip side of networking.  As you want people to hire you, when you have a need and contact a range of trusted people, you can find the resources you need quickly.

As you enter Twitter, don’t go in blabbering about your business and trying to sell your stuff. Think of Twitter as a social networking party — which is what it is online.  You wouldn’t think highly of a person you meet at a social networking cocktail party who only wanted to sell you his stuff, hand you his card and blabbered on and on about his ideas.  Instead, think of how you can appeal to the other person and find out what is important to him or her.  Get to know them.  Build a business relationship.  This is where Twitter sparkles!

You build relationships on Twitter much like you do in the offline world.  Be pleasant.  Focus on helping others and have a quality introduction to help people know what you do in business and what you offer.

Start with a strong profile that concisely states how people benefit from working with you.  Don’t tell me you’re an accountant who has been in business for 25 years and you have 15 partners, etc. etc.  I don’t care.  However, tell me how you can help me eliminate the hassle of tax filing so I can do it on time, in full compliance and with minimal aggravation.  Oh, and then, mention how you have your accounting degree and have the credentials to back it up. Then show me your website link for more information.

In addition to that, offer “tweets” —- that’s Twitter speak for the short 140 character max messages you send — which provide value.  One of the best strategies is to offer a terse benefit statement followed by a link to a website.  Use a tool like Tiny URL (www.tinyurl.com) or Snip (www.snipurl.com) to shorten a long URL to something more manageable or descriptive.

Bounce over to www.Twitter.com/TerryBrock and see what I’m doing.  I would love to have you follow me.  I follow a lot of people now and the list is growing.  We create a better network and support system by helping each other.

In the age of digital marketing, important trends come fast.  Those who embrace those trends and think of how to use them in business do well.  Let me know how Twitter is helping you in business.  I look forward to sharing your experiences with other serious, business professionals.

Copyright © 2009, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc.  Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results.  He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.  Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: TerryBrock.

Business-Building Ideas From Terry L. Brock

Relationship Marketing is much like keeping a water bucket filled.  The bucket has holes in it and it is your job to keep the water at the “full” mark. That requires three kinds of activities: 1) Putting water in the bucket. 2) Keeping the holes patched, and 3) Preventing new holes from appearing.  As a Relationship Farmer, it is your job to tend to these never-ending tasks.

You want to keep your business relationships fresh and current.  Stay in touch with important people.  This also means that you have to prioritize among those who are important and others who deter you from your goals.  Those who are a drain on your time, money and effort (TME) should be avoided.  Those who don’t embrace a value-for-value interchange should be avoided.   Spend your TME on establishing, building and maintaining profitable, mutually beneficial relationships.

One way you can do this is with the right tools around you.  One I recently tested is the new Fujitsu S1500 scanner.  WOW!  Installation was fast.  At my office, we installed it on two older Windows machines and it works very well.  Total time for installation was just a few minutes and the scanner was chomping away at massive amounts of paper in a few minutes.

In one test we ran, I grabbed an older copy of the Harvard Business Review which had 106 pages in that issue.  I had my assistant, Natalya, cut out the pages with an exacto knife so that each page was separate.  Then she took the pages about 50 at a time and in 60 seconds (yes, we timed it) the first 50 were scanned — both sides and in color.  The second batch (we did the remaining pages, even though the Fujitsu manual says it only allows 50 each time) and it worked fairly well. We had a little jam on the second batch only because we didn’t put the pages in just right.  However, once it was corrected, everything went well.  Further tests showed that once we lined up the pages evenly the scans were rapid and accurate.

This is a “WOW!” customer experience.  When you find a product that helps you accomplish critical tasks quickly, easily and at low cost, it is a winner.  The Fujitsu S1500 scanner is such a winner.

Now don’t tell the people at Fujitsu I said this, but their new scanner really isn’t a scanner.  Oh yes, it processes paper of all kinds from business cards to hand-written notes to magazine articles with aplomb.  But it really isn’t a scanner.  It is a Relationship Marketing builder.  You can use this tool when you read a great article, see a picture or some other item that can help one of your clients or important contacts.  You can quickly scan it and then attach it as a PDF to an email for someone else.

Also, you can use this to scan copies of hand-written notes taken during important telephone conversations.  That way you can quickly see a collection of all past conversations with important people on important topics. Just keep those PDF documents related to, say, client Jane Jones, in one folder.  Review that folder’s documents quickly before a call or meeting with Jane Jones and you’ll be far ahead of the competition.

This is another way to keep your relationship “bucket” filled.  You’re plugging holes and you’re adding more “water” to the “bucket.”  Think of the water as the feelings and disposition prospects and clients have towards you.  Think of the bucket as the overall relationship you have with them.  You facilitate Relationship Marketing by leveraging technology.  Stay “front of mind” with that important client or prospect in a favorable way and you have a much better chance to do more and better business.

Here’s another suggestion which can help you keep your Relationship Marketing bucket filled.  Plan to send about 5 post card messages a day to important contacts.  I have some postcards that I had printed with my picture and a brief mention of what I do as a professional speaker and marketing coach.  Usually the cards have messages just saying hello and meant to stay in touch with important people in my life.  No, this doesn’t make the sale come through.  However, it keeps the relationship active in the mind of the client or prospect.  It helps to patch holes and fill the Relationship Marketing bucket with the life-giving water of business growth. Since few people do it today, it helps me stand out in a favorable way. See more examples of Relationship Marketing in video and audio, on my blog at www.TerryBrock.com.  You’ll find a lot of information that can help you and your people to build solid, profitable business relationships

By the way, in an era of way too much email, Twitter messages, Facebook postings, LinkedIn and other digital messages, a nice, analog, hand-written note on a letter or postcard can stand out in a very favorable way.  A personal phone call or better yet, personal visit packs a powerful punch to enhance relationships.

Keep your Relationship Marketing bucket filled.  Use key principles and practical technologies to favorably impress important people.  This will not only keep the “water” in your business but it will taste very sweet on a hot day when you’re thirsty.

(Fujitsu S1500 Scanner, US$495.00, http://tinyurl.com/chpgr9
for Windows and Mac)

Copyright © 2009, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc.  Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results.  He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.  Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: TerryBrock.

 

 Relationship Marketing is like a Water Bucket [10:48m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (200)

Business-Building Thoughts From Terry L. Brock

Here’s a marketing idea that can help you.  Presenting in public is often discussed as an excellent way to market your services.  If you have a professional service, you can leverage the power of speaking a lot.  I know how this can be done as I’ve been a professional speaker since 1983.

The sweetest sound in the English language is the sound of one’s own name.  This truism has been known since the days of Shakespeare.  When you can focus on another person you get their attention like nothing else.  This is a core foundational principle of Relationship Marketing.

When you are speaking to a group, the more customized you can make your message to them, the better you’ll connect and the more successful you will be.  Great speakers throughout history have known the importance of focusing on the needs of the audience.  Today you have a tool available that can electrify your presentation and bring it to life for any audience.

I’m talking about the power of video.  You know the power of television over newspapers.  You know the power of YouTube and how it has transformed the way we use the Internet.  Now you can use video in your presentations to do more with your message. You can show a (short, please) clip that illustrates a principle.  It can demonstrate what your firm can do.  You can use testimonials of satisfied clients who have already worked with you.

Video will not replace you as a speaker. Think of it like the seasoning of a meal.  It adds to the message.  But that seasoning can bring you raving response from your audience —- just what you want as a speaker and a marketer.

Here’s what I often do in my programs where I speak to business leaders around the world.  I talk with key members of the audience before my program.  I interview them on pertinent topics that will be relevant to the audience during my talk.  I record portions of this interview and select a few key sound bytes which can inspire and educate the audience during my presentation.

It is one thing for me to say something from the platform.  But when the audience watches a video of one of their own respected and trusted members say something, it is far more impressive.  I make heroes of the people I interview and the audience benefits from it.  When they hear the company’s top sales performer describe what she did to achieve a goal, it means a lot more than me blathering on about some plattitude.

Don’t get me wrong.  I still talk about the principles that work and how using what I call “R-Commerce — Relationship Commerce” beats out any E-Commerce (the Electronics).  By adding the video of participants and people the audience knows and trusts, it raises the power of the presentation to a new level.

You will have an unfair advantage over other speakers at an event when you are the one that brings in key points backed up by real-world examples they can relate to on the spot.

Plus with video shot hours before your speak, your message has a sense of urgency and “CNN-timing” that shows relevancy.  You bring the power of information to a relevant, “right-now,” real-world purpose for that audience, that day.

To do this is easier today than ever before.  I use a small camcorder and an attached microphone (very important) for clear, professional sound and image. Then I do some edits in my hotel room to make it look professional.  There are a number of good video editing programs which are easy to use and inexpensive.  Windows Movie Maker comes with Windows machines and iMovie comes with Mac computers.  Other programs are available which also do a very good job in editing.  Many of these are easy to learn and use.  You can then make a movie that is attached to your PowerPoint or Keynote presentation.

When you are delivering your speech, you can say something highly relevant to the audience like, “You know, here in the widget industry at ABC Company, we know the importance of connecting with the customer.  As a matter of fact, I spoke last night with Mary Smith, who we know is the top sales producer.  Would you like to know how she does it?  Well, listen to what she told me when she revealed the secret she uses to be #1 salesperson in the company….”  Then you, as the presenter, press one button and up comes the video of Mary the audience how she did it.

Mary is the star and you look fabulous as you bring real-world, usable ideas to your audience.  This is a practical example of Relationship Marketing leveraged by technology.

Successful speaking is all about connecting with other people. Just like marketing connects people, you are connecting people in your audience with ideas they can use which will make their lives and businesses better.  Video is a great tool to use which gives you a competitive advantage.  For more information on how video and other tools can help you, drop me an email at Terry@TerryBrock.com and I’ll send a free special report on using video and other technologies to get raving reviews from your audience.

Copyright © 2009, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc.  Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results.  He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.  Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: TerryBrock.

 

 Using Video For Presentation [7:14m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (138)

Business-Building Thoughts From Terry L. Brock

Relationship Marketing is a time-honored way to build your business.  When people feel they know you, they like you and they can trust you, they are more likely to want to do business with you.

Recently I was talking to a President of a professional organization and he was confidentially sharing with me how he had trouble getting people involved in the organization.  When times were good and business was roaring, his members said they couldn’t get involved because they were too busy taking care of business.  Now, with the slow-down, these same members are lamenting that they don’t have time because they are scrambling for business.

You and I face the same time-crisis. I’ve been to 100 gazillion (seems like that many) “networking” functions iin the US and other countries.  Many have been very good.  But I find the 80/20 rule applies.  In fact, I find my experience has been more 90/10 or 95/5 rule.  95% of the business comes from 5% of the contacts.  The other 95% of the contacts generate, maybe, 5% — if the wind is blowing right!

You have limited time as well as money today so you have to focus on those activities and people which are going to yield the harvest you need as a Relationship Farmer.  A farmer can’t take care of every individual corn stalk on a 1,000-acre farm.  The successful farmer focuses time, money and effort (TME) where it yields the best results.  This is what you and I have to do.

This means we have to say no — sometimes.  You can’t go to every networking event.  If you’ve been to a particular venue and people who will probably never recommend you and never buy from you are about 95% of those attending — well, exercise your “No!” muscle a little more.

Careful!  You don’t want to say “No!” to someone who could possibly recommend you to a paying customer later.  And just because someone can’t say yes today doesn’t mean they won’t be able to tomorrow.

So, how do you separate the “tire kickers” from those who either will or seriously could buy in the future?  How can you, as a successful Relationship Farmer focus your TME on those areas which will be most beneficial?

Test early and often.  Find out how serious someone is about doing business with you.  As an example, I recently met a person at a networking meeting.  After the perfunctory exchange of cards and the “What do you do?” initial question he proceeded to tell me about his work as a life insurance salesman.

I politely told him I’m not in the market for life insurance but would like to find out more about him.  Instead of taking the cue that I’m not a candidate he proceeded to go on and on about the new offerings his company had, how they can provide coverage, etc. etc.  What a waste of time being there with him!

I learned some good lessons.  Stay away from those who feel they can persuade you to buy from them if they, 1) increase the volume (he did), and 2) cite more of the features of his product with which he was enamored (and I was not).  A polite, diplomatic, “Oh, let me check out those cookies at the refreshment stand” might have been better on my part.

Care for people – always be polite.  However, you can’t care deeply and form what I call a “Level 6 of 7” bond of friendship with someone who doesn’t have your values and just wants you for their own purposes.  You can’t be best buddies with everyone.  Instead, spend your time finding those who will profit from your services.

Online this means you focus your TME on those areas which will yield the maximum benefit for you.  Shun those email chats, the Twitter chats, the Facebook exchanges which take you away from your business goals.

Times are serious now as never before.  For today’s entrepreneurs (aren’t we all today?) you have to focus your precious TME on those areas which will yield the biggest benefit.

Another approach for testing is to have a free report where people can learn more about you.  Direct them to your website and ask for a sign-up to your free newsletter or special report.  If they are not interested in something of value from you that is free, they are probably not a highly likely candidate for now.  Be polite and focus on buyers who can use your services now.

The insurance agent I mentioned before would have been better off to politely take my business card, think of what I do and keep me in mind for those who might need my services.  I would be happy to keep him in mind for others who really need insurance.  The interchange would have been much shorter, much more pleasant and have better long-term potential.

Learning to say no — politely and rapidly — can help you find those areas which generate a lot more benefits.

Sometimes you’ll say, “Not yet.”  They won’t be able to buy now but you want to stay in touch, keep them in your “C” list (those not doing business now but who might or could recommend you).  You can do this with value to them by offering a free newsletter that targets specific needs they have.  Always give value to them.  Do it at low cost to you by offering value through a newsletter with audio and video.

Learning to say No to some is the best way to say Yes to the right people — right for you and for them.

Copyright © 2009, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc.  Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results.  He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.  Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: TerryBrock.

 

 Say No For Better Marketing [10:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (214)

Skype continues to provide a wealth of tools for the serious businessperson who wants to build relationships.  The company just released an application (app) for the Apple iPhone which runs Skype.  Now, you can use your iPhone to connect with others around the world and talk for free using Skype to Skype.

Today, I had an interview with Kurt Thywissen who is the Chief Engineer and Chief Architect for Skype’s iPhone application development.  In this interview (18:32 total time) he tells me how it can be used in business, some of the challenges they had and how they overcame them and what we can expect in the future.

If you use Skype and/or you use an iPhone this is one you want to hear.  Download to listen on your portalbe MP3 player or listen here — or listen on iTunes.  Whatever method is your preference, you are in for a treat.

And here’s an extra bonus.  Check out this video that Skype released describing the new app:

http://newsinfusion.com/video_details.php?videoId=285

Let me know what you think.  I look forward to your comments.  Just drop in your opinion below so I’ll see it and people around the world will know what you think of this.

Thanx!

Terry
www.TerryBrock.com

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Here’s the article that I wrote for my newspapers and magazines.  You get it first here!

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Making Customer Connections:
More Important Now Than Ever

By Terry L. Brock

We’re in the midst of some challenging times for business.  We see it everyday in the news.  Yet, in the midst of all that news, we know it is more vital than ever to make positive connections with customers to solve their problems and their pain.

Technology can help us leverage that in a achieve the goals of connecting with customers.  This is Relationship Marketing at its best.  Find out the needs of customers, stay connected to them and meet their needs. That is the way we get ahead in life and in business.

One technology that has emerged as a great way to connect with customers is Skype.  This service has over 400 million (not a misprint) customers worldwide.  Think about the potential there.

Recently Skype made a major announcement about their new application (app) for the iPhone and iPod touch.  This service enables you to make Skype to Skype calls around the world from your iPhone for free.  You can also call numbers in 36 countries at greatly reduced rates (depending on the country).  With this app running you could make unlimited calls to numbers in the the US and Canada for $2.95 each month. For $9.95 you can make unlimited calls to landline numbers in these 36 countries.  This app works on both the iPhone and the iPod touch.  That way you can receive calls on the iPod touch without incurring monthly cell phone charges.

At first brush, this sounds like a great way to save money.  It is.  However, the savvy entrepreneurs and salespeople (aren’t we all today?) see it for something even greater.

Yes, it is nice to save money on phone calls.  Saving money is very important for all of us today.  However, the even greater opportunity is to invest in relationships with clients and prospects around the world at lower costs.  If it costs you less to make contact, you’ll probably will make contact more often.

If you have clients in, say, the UK, and know that for $9.95 a month you can call them an unlimited number of times on their landline, you will probably make more calls and have better customer connections.  This strengthens your Relationship Marketing.

You need to use a Wi-Fi connection to get the speed necessary. However, this means you can carry your iPhone to a coffee café, a nearby hotel or other location where you get Wi-Fi access and talk to clients for free or really cheap around the world.  This opens lots of doors for the creative salesperson.

I tried Skype’s new app for my iPhone and it was a good start.  The quality of the call was not as good as when I’m using my computer with a much better microphone.  But then, for any connection the overall quality of sound will only be as good as the lowest technology component.  The earbuds I had were fair, but not great.  However, the mobility and ease of use for me was outstanding.  It would be more comparable to cell phone quality than a crystal-clear normal Skype connection.

I also noticed more dropped calls on the iPhone.  I was talking with a client and we lost connection three times over the course of a 1.5 hour call.  I spoke with this same client using the same connection on my end and her end a couple of days before with no call interruptions.  The only difference was that I was using my iPhone with the Skype app.

Based on that experience, some might quickly say, “See, that just means you can’t use Skype for business.”  Well, I just hope that those who say that are my competitors!

Have you ever used a cell phone and the call was dropped?  Of course.  We all have had that experience.  Does that mean you don’t use a cell phone anymore?  Come on!  Deal with it.  The key is that you are connecting.  Yes, you want the connection to be as good as possible.  However, if you can increase the quality of your contacts, your Relationship Marketing, you will have a better chance of connecting that someone who avoids it.

See, that is the principle.  Relationship Marketing is not always easy.  It requires persistence and “hanging in there” over a prolonged period of time.  You have to be willing to endure the inevitable setbacks (like dropped calls) to establish, build and maintain those connections.

By the way, I just had an interview with Kurt Thywissen who is the Chief Architect and Chief Engineer on Skype’s iPhone project.  You can listen to this interview (you’ll love it!) at http://tinyurl.com/d2egd7. Check that out.

Relationship Marketing or what I call “R-Commerce” is about connecting with customers using technology, personal means, and lots of ways to meet their needs.  It won’t always be easy.  It won’t always be neat and tidy.  However, those who persist and “keep on keeping on” will be able to establish profitable, mutually-beneficial relationships.  This is the way it has always been and always will be.

Copyright © 2009, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc.  Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results.  He can be reached at 407-363-0505, by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.  Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: TerryBrock.

 

 iPhone app for Skype [18:32m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (157)

This week I have a word of caution — and a big dose of optimism — but you’ve got to keep reading for the full-powered benefit.

Just because you had a particular experience doesn’t mean that everyone is going to have the same experience.  This is very important to remember anytime, but particularly in more challenging economic times.  Be very careful when someone stands up and claims they deployed a certain marketing technique and it succeeded (or failed) for them.  That is interesting.  However, the scientific approach is to be disciplined and examine a wider range of results.  Real discipline requires seeing a bigger picture.  Be leery of the 1 person who is either overly optimistic or overly pessimistic because of his or her own personal experience.

For instance, some have claimed voraciously that raising prices will sell more.  They look to Mercedes and have said in the past that raising prices always generates more sales.  Sometimes that does work as consumers have a greater perceived value from higher-priced items.  However, today, things have changed.  Even luxury goods have seen a decline in purchases.  Wal-Mart makes more money than Neiman-Marcus.

The key is in knowing your market.  You can’t say that lowering prices will always result in more profit (not just sales).   Today, most people are more price-conscious.  You have to find a price point that satisfies your costs (at least your marginal costs) and provides serious value for the consumer to remain profitable in the long-term.

Often add-on packaging and pricing — according to the value perceived by buyers — results in more sales.  If someone sees a combination of air, lodging and rental car all together as a “package deal” then it becomes more compelling than breaking the components into individual pieces.

Dangers of inductive thinking mean that you see one or two examples of something and determine (often erroneously) that it will apply to everything.  I had a friend recently tell me that she felt nothing made in China was good.  Her reason?  She and her husband had two nails that broke when they were doing some repair at home. Her husband checked the box and found they were made in China.  Their conclusion? All products made in China are poor quality.

When I submitted that Lenovo, Chinese cars and other products are good quality, she balked.  When I cited many of the high-quality, breakthrough technologies I’ve personally seen from Chinese manufacturers at the Consumer Electronics Show she dismissed it out of hand.  She “knew” that Chinese products were inferior because she and her husband had experienced two nails that broke and were made in China.

Be Careful.

You can run into problems in business when you embrace inductive thinking.  You see one or two examples and then project that onto all.  A better way of thinking is deductive.  Study the group and then decide from there how individuals will act.  However, even that can be wrong.  Most Americans speak English.  To conclude that all Americans speak English would be wrong.  There are some who do not.

This is important for our thinking when we hear bad news.  I was listening to National Public Radio the other day and they gave a vivid example of ill-founded inductive thinking.  You must know that I enjoy listening to many of the programs on NPR.  All Things Considered, Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me, and Morning Edition remain some of my favorites.  However, when All Things Considered focused on two people who had lost their jobs and followed them around citing how bad things were, they were guilty of inductive thinking.  Not only would our philosophy and logic professors but also psychologists would rail at my dearly-loved NPR for citing only negative cases.  Now, perhaps NPR has offered stories about people who are doing very well (there are many even in today’s marketplace).  I haven’t heard those stories in my personal experience.  But NPR erred on that judgment to talk only about the negative and not give the full picture.

Good marketers today shield their mind by learning about inductive and deductive thinking.  When we see flawed logic, we realize that we have to be cautious before accepting everything at face value.

Yes, close to 10% of the workforce is out of work.  Well, I grabbed a calculator the other day.  If 10% are out of work that would mean that 90% ARE employed!  Yes, times are tough.  But we are not ready to throw in the towel.

And that’s the whole point for you and me.  Succeeding today means that you embrace deductive thinking to be disciplined and see the full picture.  You focus on more than your own personal experience.  Put on an extra layer of “Be Careful” when someone only talks about their own experience.  If you hear the words, “I,” “Me,” or “My” more than is healthy coming from their mouths, let a warning light go off inside your head.

I think we have to be “realistically optimistic.”  We see what is happening.  Yes, we recognize the two people who are out of work cited by my dearly-loved friends at NPR.  However, we also need to recognize others who are doing well.  A doggedly-determined optimist is hard to beat.  This approach works psychologically.  It works in business Most importantly, it works in life.

For you and me, it not only works, but is essential for success in today’s economy.

Copyright © 2009, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc.  Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results.  He can be reached at 407-363-0505, by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.  Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: TerryBrock.

We can learn a lot from studying those who have successfully achieved greatness. One of the best is from the Founding Fathers of the United States. They were in a period of inflation, dire economic times, turmoil in the streets and a general fear of what is going to happen. Sound familiar?

Dr. Rebecca Staton-Reinstein has written a book where she, as a lover of history and devoted student of the American Revolutionary period, draws lessons for today’s leaders. Not only does she teach us some valuable lessons, that I haven’t heard cited by other authors previously, but she interviewed several current CEOs and leaders to find out what they are doing right.

I read her book and it was a real inspiration to me. I interviewed her (see video below) via Skype video and she had some powerfully educational lessons for us. Invest about 10 minutes of your time and learn some powerful lessons that are both motivational and educational. Not only that, Rebecca, is a fun person who delivers her content with wit and wisdom for an entertaining presentation.

This is one you’re going to love and want to watch a few times. In fact, share it with your staff so they can benefit from it as well.

Terry
www.TerryBrock.com
Terry@TerryBrock.com

To Reach Dr. Staton-Reinstein — www.ConventionalWisdomCenter.com, www.AdvantageLeadership.com

Exercise of your physical body is paramount for success. As you condition your body, your mind and spirit become ready and able to handle the other demands for achievement.

One of my heroes and coaches is Matt Furey. Matt is a person who excels in martial arts, body building (without weights!) and discipline. Matt and I also have a lot in common. He and I both have good haircuts (just watch the video). We’re both from the Midwest (he’s from a small town in Iowa, I’m from a small town in Michigan). We both enjoyed wrestling in high school. We both believe in exercise today. And we both believe strongly in freedom and liberty.

Matt also tells us a lot about the mental conditioning needed for success. Watch this powerful video (below) and discover how you can transform your life using the right exercises in the right way. This is a treat you owe yourself.