Unfortunately, this is a very common result of poorly managed sales teams.

How to lose a customer in 3 minutes

I just got off the phone with a sales rep named Joshua from Auto Glass Shop in Phoenix. It was such a perfect example of bad customer service that I’m compelled to share it. If nothing else, than to highlight a few simple ways the call could have delivered an “A” in customer service, instead of an “F.

The call started off on a great note – they had repaired a windshield on my truck four years ago, and were following up to see if I needed any work done.

Joshua was very pleasant, even when I responded to his request by requesting to be removed from their database, and that it was at least the 3rd time that I’d made the request.

I was very nice about it. I wouldn’t have even said anything about it if their over-eager sales people didn’t call me every other month. After the first three calls, I began to feel stalked and began requesting removal on every single call. Clearly, it was a waste of breath.

The salesman then proceeded to tell me that he was calling from past invoices, which explains why I get continual calls. They don’t cross-check their customers against do-not-call requests. Mistake #1, but not a critical one. He went on to politely ask me if they had done something wrong. Kudos for asking, Joshua!

Since he asked, I started to tell him that while it wasn’t a big deal, they had put the wrong type of glass in my truck. Mid-sentence, I heard a dial tone…

He hung up on me. That kudos suddenly became a huge negative. Why did he bother to ask?  Rapidly closing the call would have done far less damage.

In less than a 3-minute phone call, a customer was permanently lost. Potentially far more than one, given the ease of sharing online.

Perhaps I shouldn’t have been shocked.

After all, this was the same company that put in the wrong windshield  – while insisting it was my error, not theirs. It had the wrong tinting, then it leaked. They came back three times. How was that my fault?

It was also the same company that gained by business by promising a $100 gift card to a local restaurant. That tactic gained them my business but I never received it, despite repeated follow ups and jumping through many hoops.

Not counting the aggravation, the total amount of wasted time FAR exceeded any possible benefit I might have gained by using this company. Obviously, this experience was more likely to cost them a client than gain one.

How to win that same unhappy customer for life

This could have ended very differently, despite the customer problems.

When a customer is unhappy with a product or service, it is a fabulous opportunity to win their loyalty is to make a sincere effort to address the problem. Even if the problem is not resolved, the company gains credibility for making the effort, and can create incredible brand loyalty.

Therefore, it can pay huge dividends to train sales staff to deal with issues, or even who to pass the customer along to the right contact who can address it.

Alternatively, it is very expensive to have sales people who are clearly focused on the sale and not customer service. Not only in lost sales, but lost customers.

Hanging up on me was probably the largest mistake he could have made. Instead of having a mildly irritated customer, it resulted in a permanently lost customer who then proceeded to immediately, vehemently complain online.

As a marketing professional, here are three simple things they could have done to win my loyalty:

1. Let me vent. Sometimes it isn’t about fixing the problem, but simply acknowledging it and apologizing.

2. Address the issue. Tell me I won’t be called again, then ensure it is true by adapting sales processes as necessary. It is bound to impact more than one customer, and needs attention.

3. Go the extra mile – or even a single step. The above two items would have soothed my ire. I may or may not have done business with them again, but I probably wouldn’t have had strong feelings either way. HOWEVER. I could have easily become a customer for life, if someone had simply taken the initiative to deliver the promised gift card. If they really wanted to dazzle me, it could have been delivered to me by a real person, or after I had mentioned the problem once. Taking care of it after the client has jumped through hoops is often too little, too late.

Immediate Customer Feedback

I’m not unlike any other customer. In a time where customers actively post reviews on Google, Facebook, Yelp and a hundred other sites, the penalty for poor customer service is enormous. In seconds, a single instance of customer service can be broadcasted to hundreds or thousands of potential customers. The impact on a brand is stunning.

My suggestion? Don’t just turn your sales people loose to earn commissions by whatever means necessary.

Teach them how to handle clients who complain or have an issue, backed by written processes to follow company-wide.

Teach them how to turn complementary customers into online reviews.

Establish a database that tracks more than just past sales – and teach the sales team to update it, and check it before every call.

Think of it this way. Every call is an opportunity to win loyalty. What is your company doing to ensure that happens? Successful companies don’t leave this to chance.

Yesterday’s post on PR Daily is a perfect example.

It is true that there are newbies, interns and inept PR professionals out there – but this is true for any profession. Why would PR be any different? It just happens to be aimed at an audience more able to broadcast their complaints.

In the interests of using the carrot/stick method, instead of the pinata effect, I thought it would be fun to take yesterday’s article and flip it around.

Wouldn’t it be more valuable to read about how to do our job well, instead of reading about how to NOT do it well? So here it is – 5 simple things we can do to be sure we are doing the best job possible with our media outreach.

Let me know what you think…

HOW TO BE A PR ROCKSTAR

1. Send one individualized email to a reporter every single day. Forget about massive email blasts. Know who is on your media lists and get them what they want, not what you want them to have.

Really want to blast out that press release? Only send a copy of the release to reporters that run automatic news feeds. A one-size-fits-all media list is “old school” PR and doomed to failure.

If you want coverage from a real reporter – meaning one that writes their own material – it’s okay to send them the press release, but preface the email with a carefully crafted, custom story pitch. Offer them an exclusive story that really appeals to the kind of coverage they give their readership. I promise – the time will be well spent. If you pitch one reporter daily using the tailored approach, and you learn about their pub and what they cover beforehand, this will be the most productive 15 minutes of your day.

2. Use Twitter lists to follow media and listen, listen, listen. Same rules apply as above. Twitter is NOT a spam tool and, when used correctly, can be one of your best pitch resources. But only if you treat DMs and @replies like email and keep it personalized. A great rule of thumb when it comes to pitching on Twitter is 90% listening, 10% replying.

I find it helpful to create a list following reporters and listen to what they tweet about, only responding when I have something valuable that specifically delivers what they are asking for. This makes you a great resource, not an annoying mosquito buzzing around their Twitter feed.

If you originate the conversation, instead of responding, make sure your DM or @reply is relevant and offers them something THEY would find valuable, not just something you want them to know. Maybe it is related to an upcoming topic on their editorial calendar, or an angle they haven’t considered on a topic they commonly cover.

3. Digitize your press kits, and spend time making them relevant instead of clever. Instead of mailing a kitschy press kit, call and ask your reporters what would be most valuable to them. Not you, them.

It’s one thing to send a press kit with product samples to a product review editor, or a book to a book review editor – but mass mailings of oh-so-clever press kits to media is a waste of your time and your clients money.

Instead, make it digital and post it on your clients website. Then, consider emailing a link to each reporter to download a custom one-sheeter with a short overview, bio and a handful of relevant story ideas that fit their publication and readership. That one-sheeter can link to the overall media kit.  Invest time and effort to keep each story idea an exclusive, and make a different link/PDF for each reporter. Customize, customize, customize.

3. Follow up with purpose.  Reporters are buried in work. Following up is a good thing, but only if it is mindfully done, and you’ve done your homework first.

There is a huge difference between “I’m just following up on my press release” and “What do you think of the exclusive I sent you yesterday? I don’t know if you had a chance to see it, but I sent you a copy of our latest press release with a few exclusive story ideas that might fit your upcoming issue on…? ”

Ditto on phone messages. Make it worth their time, and try to avoid calling when they are on deadline.

4. Stay in touch following the same respectful opt-in/opt-out terms you offer others. After you have established a relationship, remember to ask the reporter if they would like to be added to your database. Instead of just adding every reporter you come across to your database and distribution lists, take time to reach out to them and see if they want to be added. Give them options on what type of news they would like to receive – just press releases? All emails? Just investor relations news?

5. If you hold a media tour, plan for lots of one-on-one time instead of holding a massive cattle call. Why would 10 reporters want to cover the exact same story? They wouldn’t be doing their job. Plan private time with each reporter to ensure they get the creative spin they need to cover your story.

When it comes to working at PR agencies, the volume of work and sheer lack of time to think can be a huge frustration. In fact, I think lack of time is the underlying reason behind every one of the “11 Things That Annoy Journalists.”

Perhaps the answer is not so much broadcasting what is annoying or what is correct, but how to handle a workload and how many clients are too many…

Here is an eBook that provides an easy tutorial on how to tell – whether you’re an SEO newbie in the C-suite and simply verifying what you paid for, or someone looking to learn more about search engine optimization.

It’s yours by simply liking the RSQ Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/RockTheStatusQuo!

Here’s a quick excerpt.

Google SEO Best Practices

If you want to learn more about SEO and what Google defines as correct practices, check out this fantastic “starter guide” resource directly from the source: Google Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide

TRY THIS: if you are evaluating SEO vendors, compare what they are selling you with what Google recommends. Different? Look at another vendor.

I was at the hospital today (for my dad – vertigo incident, he’s fine), and noticed that St. Joseph’s Hospital now has QR codes on the patient wristbands. It allows the RN’s to use their scanner to instantly pull up a patient’s medical chart and history. They do not work with smart phones – after all, who would want just anyone to have access to private health care information? Kudos to St. Joe’s for a great use of new technology!

QR Code Applications: Where have you seen one today?

• Smartest: on trade show booths for product-specific info and show-only discounts – who wants to lug around a bunch of collateral as you visit booths, if you could grab the same materials via your smart phone and download them later?
• Funniest: in a garden (think of it as a design with plants viewed from above, kind of like a maze). Anyone up for shaving a QR code on your head? Now THAT would be funny!
• Dumbest: on a freeway billboard – who has time to whip out the smart phone, focus and snap the code while whizzing down the freeway?
• Award-winning stupidity: on a website. Why, Einstein, why?

What is the most interesting use of QR codes that YOU’VE seen lately?

Learn more about QR codes with this similar blog post on RSQ -http://rockthestatusquo.info/2011/08/19/how-to-use-qr-codes-does-your-audience-use-them/.

So what is the value of using a wire service like  Business Wire, PR Newswire or Market Wire?

1. it will NOT make reporters or editors reach out to you.
2. it will be picked up by all of the news feeds that automatically pick up all wire releases.
3. it will be picked up by relevant news feeds in your industry, as long as you include the right key words.
4. it will help your SEO efforts if you build in the right keywords
5. it will help build credibility for your company.
6. it will NOT be  useful on a hyper-local level.

Need a little more detail? Let me hit on a few key points related to these bullets.

It WILL NOT make reporters or editors reach out to you. In past years, when PR was limited to agencies or the few “in the know,” using a wire service would get you the attention of reporters because it was the primary method used to identify potential stories. Now reporters are bombarded by emails, tweets, posts and voice mail. Information surrounds them. Plus, as more people tackle PR without experience to back it up and write biased press releases that not newsworthy, the usefulness of press releases have dramatically dropped (from a media perspective).

While you may get one or two reporters reaching out to you (typically trade reporters), and quite a few advertising reps calling, obtaining story placements is no longer where the value of wire service lies. You’ll only get pick-ups of the release – not fresh stories written as a result of a reporter getting your press release and deciding to write about you.

It WILL be picked by all of the news feeds that automatically pick up all wire releases. The value of wire service now lies in SEO. There are thousands of online news feeds, aggregated sites and blogs that automatically run press releases. Most of them accept any press release that contains specific keywords. For example, a press release on weight loss will be automatically picked up by health/wellness sites, obesity sites and weight loss sites that follow those keywords. It is extremely useful to do a Google keyword search, and include major search terms in your press release, but I’ll leave SEO for press releases for another post…

It will also be picked up by an assortment of general news sites, like Yahoo News, Google News, etc. It will also be picked up by Twitter pages set up to feed news based on specific keywords.

There is a caveat to be aware of. A paid wire service will pick these up – free wire services will pick up a few of them, but mostly obscure news feed sites that people rarely read. If your news is important – it is worth paying for wire service. Typically state-wide distribution is sufficient over national (which is triple the cost). Free wire services should only be used if you don’t have budget for paid wire service and you do not have high expectations.

These news sites are very useful for fast ranking of specific keywords, and for enhancing credibility. After all, a business that puts out a steady flow of press is obviously successful, right?

It WILL NOT be  useful on a hyper-local level. Wire service is great for national news, and some local news. It is NOT useful for hyper-local news, such as grand openings and events. You will be better off to email your news to local beat reporters and manually post them on the local event calendars than wasting money on a wire release. Your news will end up on news feeds that are searched/read by a fraction of the audience you are targeting.

Questions? Post a comment and I’ll be glad to jump into conversation with you.

I came across this statement on the 2011 BOLO Conference blog this morning – “change levels the playing field.”

How powerful, and how true, is that! Especially in the marketing industry.

I see it every day, which is exploding with freelancers and consultants doing their best to rise from the ashes of agency/corporate layoffs. The changes in our industry are determining who floats to the top of the field.

So-called professionals abound that don’t know anything about the hottest trends in our industry and if/why they are worth a closer look.

Expectations of Expertise

As a consultant, clients assume they are paying for a higher level of expertise. They are looking for a partner that is staying on top of massive changes and can guide them through the trenches with success. They expect someone who can advise them like the expert they THINK they are hiring.

Sadly, many companies trust too much in their hiring process – they simply don’t know what they don’t know.

Without the experience and skill to ferret out the real level of expertise their potential partner has, they have no clue about what they are missing out on, or the impact of their bad hire.

3 Categories of Players

Like any other industry, marketing and PR freelancers have a vast spectrum of experience within its ranks.

THE PLAYERS: (1) some bust their butt to stay on top of their industry, (2) some claim expertise they don’t have, and (3) some merrily go on their way using outdated skill sets with no claim to continued education.

Regardless of years in the field, and where they are on the learning curve, most fall into one of these three categories. The challenge for a business is being able to identify the difference between these three types of players.

As the marketing and PR field continues to radically change, the playing field will continue to level as the gap grows between players.

3 Tips on How To Hire A Freelancer

If you want to add a consultant to your outsourcing team, here are a few ways to identify the lackluster consultants from the rock stars.

1. EXPECT SOLID EXAMPLES OF THEIR WORK. If they can’t support their claimed areas of expertise, there is a huge problem. It is fair to expect them to demonstrate their results and how it connects to what you are looking for.

No engagement on their own social media presence, or no presence at all? Getting scary here! No before/after samples, just name dropping? Move on.

2. SKILLS SHOULD BE SHOWCASED IN HOW THEY MARKET THEMSELVES. Excuses of being too busy on client work doesn’t fly. What marketing professional (aka – someone who sells creative ideas and execution) can’t market themselves?

Depending on their claim to fame, you want to look for a creative/impressive website, customized Twitter backgrounds and Facebook pages, and/or SEO integrated into their own presence. Even their business card should have some sort of wow-factor, or at least be interesting. Otherwise – look out, iceburg ahead!

3. IDENTIFY WHERE THEY ARE ON THE LEARNING CURVE, AND IF IT FITS YOUR NEEDS. We are all human, and we all tend to linger in our comfort zones and core competencies. Make sure that is what you need.

Also look for enthusiasm. Those who are truly passionate about the business they are in typically demonstrate this by continually educating themselves, and staying abreast of new trends. Why hire someone who isn’t passionate about what they do? That lack will show up in their results.

Lastly, we each have a unique place on the learning curve. Entry level versus veteran, that experience level corresponds with the price tag.  Determine the expertise you really need before you start evaluating consultants, and always remember that their rate should directly reflect on that expertise. There is a vast difference in skill between a $20 per hour skill set, and an $80 per hour skill set. Know which one you need.

Well, that’s my two-cents for a Monday – cheers!

Not the case! I tested out a few free and paid tools recently. Several hundred dollars later…

My favorite for the average business person that only needs a single custom page? Pagemodo. It is not free if you need more than one page, or if you want to have a fan-gate page that is only visible to fans.

My favorite for the beginner-to-advanced programmer? The free Facebook app, Hosted iFrame. I tested one of each tool on my own page. It is free to anyone with less than 5,000 fans on their page.

A Review of Pagemodo

It doesn’t get much simpler than this tool. They have templates to choose from, or you can start with a blank template and plug in your own graphic – which is exactly what I did.

I created a graphic in Photoshop, sized it 485×500 pixels, and uploaded a JPG of it to Pagemodo once I signed up. I believe you can size the image as large as 520 pixels, but I wanted a little space around my image.

Once I hit “publish,” the page went live. It was as simple as that. While creating the graphic took a few hours, getting the page live on Pagemodo took less than five minutes.

In exchange for using the free tool, Pagemodo brands your page in the header and the footer (see it here).

A Review of Hosted iFrame

This tool is a little more complicated to use, since it has more steps to it – but the benefit outweighs the learning curve. It is free for unlimited use and fairly simple to learn, even if you are not a programmer.

I used the same basic graphic as before, but modified the message to reward fans with a copy of my eBook, The 5-Minute Website Evaluation.”

This application has to be installed in Facebook. Once you are logged in, simply search for “Hosted iFrame” and install the app on your personal page. You’ll get to choose the fan page a little later in the process.

Because this is an app that does not offer hosting capabilities, your fan page graphic must be uploaded somewhere online before you can link to it from Facebook. In the case of my page, I simply uploaded it to the image library on my blog, copied the hyperlink it provided as part of the upload process, then pasted the link into my code. If you do not have the ability to get an image online (some use PhotoBucket or other photo sites), then you might want to go ahead and use the free Pagemodo tool.

When you have an image available online to use, you’ll need to set up the app.

Once the app is installed and you have chosen the page you want it to go on, you’ll have the option to plug your code into several sections – non-fan only content, fan-only content, or main content (visible to everyone). I chose to use the “fan-only” content since I already had a non-fan page live via Pagemodo.

At the top of the page, you can enter a Google Analytics code if you want to monitor traffic. Then, on to design.

For all of you non-programmers, it has a WYSIWYG editor similar to Word. If you prefer, you can also simply paste in this code.

<a href=”http://rockthestatusquo.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/RSQ-The-5-minute-Website-Evaluation.pdf” target=”_blank”>
<img src=”http://rockthestatusquo.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/RSQ-eBook-landing-page-FANS.jpg” style=”border: medium none;” alt=”Click to download your free eBook!” border=”0″ />
</a>

Next, you need to edit code in a red font – there are three pieces.

• The first hyperlink is only used if you want your Facebook page to link somewhere – in my case, I linked the image to a PDF of the free eBook that I give to my fans.
• The second hyperlink tells Facebook where to find your file – simply select the entire link, and replace it with your link.
• The third piece of code is simply the name of your image – replace what I put in with your own text – the name of the file and/or your primary keywords (alt tags). Think of it as the only piece of text a search engine can see, so you want to make it readable AND search friendly.

Hit “save and publish,” then head over to your page to see if you are happy with how it looks.  You will also want to test how it displays for fans and non-fans, to be sure it is working properly.

Good luck and smooth sailing!

No companies, apps or providers mentioned in this blog post are clients or endorsing what I have written. It is strictly my personal opinion.

I had to share it – not too many commercials make me laugh out loud like this one did. Love it – proof positive that humor works. Will I go out and buy a Volkswagen? No. Would I test drive one if I were car shopping and liked the idea of turning on my car remotely? Absolutely.

It reminds me of the time my teenage son, Adam, hid in a closet with a TV remote. He spent a few minutes torturing me by changing the volume and using the mute button when I was watching my favorite show, before I finally caught on to his game. That rascal…

Did I get even? Hell yes!! (evil cackle)

Hopes of Going Viral Should Inspire More Creativity

Moral of this video? Commercials aren’t just for off-line use: post them on YouTube. If it goes viral, you’ll have gotten extra traction that didn’t cost you a dime. It also challenges you (or your agency) to really amp up the creativity. If you go into production of the video totally focused on creating a commercial that delivers maximum sharing on social networks, we promise you’ll end up with MUCH better end results.

When it comes to Facebook pages for business, supporting your brand and messaging with a custom sidebar and landing page is absolutely critical.

So how do you do it? It isn’t hard, even if you have minimal design skills, aren’t very Facebook savvy and clueless about writing code. Part One of this post will be about creating a custom sidebar, and Part Two will be about free and easy tools to create that custom landing page.

How to Create a Custom Facebook Sidebar

Getting a sidebar on your Facebook page is as simple as uploading an image. Using whatever software you have on hand (I use Photoshop), you want to make sure your image is 180 pixels wide, with a maximum height of 540 pixels high (or 2.5 inches wide by 7.5 inches tall). You will need a .jpg or .gif of the final image.

You can include link information in the sidebar, but Facebook does not allow live hyperlinks. They are still useful, simply to drive awareness of where fans can find you online (other than Facebook). They just can’t be clicked.

SMO Tip (for those interested in search optimization for social media) – because it is uploaded as a flat image, which search engines can’t “read,” copy used in your new sidebar does not need to be optimized for search. The biggest SMO opportunity, however, is making sure that when you upload the image, you include a description using your primary key words. You can also tag the image.

Also, don’t forget to include a logo or image in the sidebar to use as your avatar (that tiny thumbnail that appears in a Facebook stream) within the new sidebar image you are creating. Later in the upload process, you’ll be able to create a thumbnail by selecting a cropped piece of the sidebar.

One little caveat – be sure to leave a little space around that image, or it will include whatever is adjacent in your new avatar. The crop tool doesn’t let you adjust the crop, it just lets you move the total sidebar image around to include your avatar in a set space. If you don’t have a little space around it, then you’ll end up including pieces of whatever is close by when you crop.

When creating your sidebar, be sure to consider the following strategy:

• How can I use the space well to support my brand/identity?
• What is the purpose of my sidebar?
• What reaction do I want from viewers that see the sidebar?
• What call to action do I want to include?

Remember, that sidebar image is very important. Ensure it is professional, free of spelling or grammatical errors and, most of all, compelling! It is well worth spending extra time to do it right.

Now, on to getting your sidebar live! Be sure you have it saved as a .jpg, .gif or .pdf.

I finished my sidebar. How do I upload it to my page?

First, be logged on to Facebook as the page you want to work on – not just your individual page. Click “edit page” on the top right. Next, click “profile picture” on the left sidebar. Instead of uploading a small photo that most people use as their profile picture, upload the new JPG you have created. 

Next, just below the uploaded image, click “edit thumbnail.” This is where you select the part of your new image that you would like to use as the avatar.

You’re done! Head over to “view page” and bask in your fabulous new image! 

If you like what you read, please be sure and like my Facebook fan page – either by clicking the link in this sentence or the “like” button in the right middle column.

Starting in just a few days, I’ll be launching my first eBook, “The 5-Minute Website Evaluation” and Facebook fans will always get a sneak peek of new eBooks before they go public, plus the occasional fabulous Facebook-only freebies.

You can also follow me on Twitter (@morgancarrie) for links to new posts, marketing news, and more.

Hope to see you on Facebook!