The trends that should be reshaping your marketing efforts:

1. Melding of social media and business

While it’s true customers haven’t yet come around to the idea of being marketed to in the traditional sense on social media, they have grown an affinity for going to companies’ social pages to:

• find solutions to their problems
• pose questions, and
• provide feedback.

The more responsive your company is to these interactions, the more loyalty it’ll gain — and the more your fans will be worth in the long run.

A recent study from social intelligence company Syncapse found that Facebook fans are worth $174.17 over their lifetime on average — if you’re giving them a reason to return to your page.

A good first step is to ensure someone’s monitoring your social pages and responding to queries on a daily basis. Once you’ve got that down, then it’s time to start trying to engage fans with original content.

One thing to always keep in mind: Abide by the 80/20 rule — 80% of your content should be educational or informative in some way, and no more than 20% of it should be promotional.

2. Emergence of mobile technology

There’s no shortage of research out there showing that more email is read on mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, etc.) today than on personal computers.

And within the next two years, tablets are expected to begin outselling personal computers.

That means your marketing materials — website, email, white papers, digital brochures, etc. — need to be optimized for viewing on a mobile device.

Some revealing stats from a recent Google study:

• 64% of mobile users said when they visit a mobile-friendly site, they’re more likely to buy a product or service
• 61% said if they can’t find what they want right away on a site they’ve accessed with a mobile device, they’ll quickly move on to another site, and
• 50% said even if they like a business, they’ll use it less often if its website isn’t mobile friendly.

3. Rise of big data

More and more companies are keeping track of what their customers are doing, what they’re buying, which company web pages they’re visiting, how much time they’re spending on company sites and which links they’re clicking on in company email.

The reason is because more data leads to a higher level of personalization for marketing communications.

Companies are storing customer interaction data in CRM systems and using it to send personalized messages to customers, which — in turn — is increasing sales.

By looking at sales data and surveying more than 1,100 adults, the e-tailing group, an e-commerce consulting company, and MyBuys, a marketing firm, found:

• 40% of customers said they buy more from retailers that send them personalized messages
• 39% said they buy more often when given personalized web recommendations
• personalization increases online sales by 25%, and
• personalization generates a 300% improvement in customer lifetime value.

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Many managers make subtle mistakes that mess with employees’ abilities to do a great job, as well as customers’ experiences with the company. Could you be making them, too?

What goes on behind the scenes has a huge impact on what kinds of experiences customers have with any organization. When things run smoothly, customers will have good experiences. When employees — those who deal with customers directly and those who don’t — aren’t happy, they’re not likely to consistently deliver what customers want.

Customers feel it, too

The roots of the problems often lie in subtle mistakes sales, customer service and marketing leaders make when dealing with their employees, says Christine Comaford, author of Smart Tribes: How Teams Become Brilliant Together.

Those little issues eat at morale and productivity to the point where:

• customers begin to notice they can’t get answers when they want them
• frustrated customer-facing employees become upset and rude
• productivity stalls and customers wait for products and services, and
• poor communication interferes with accurate and fast resolutions.

Of course, most managers don’t want to hold their employees back from doing a great job and creating an incredible customer experience, but mistakes can creep in that cause it to happen.

Here are five of the worst — and how some seasoned sales, customer service and marketing managers overcame them to lead their teams to success.

1. Giving solutions

On the surface, it seems like managers should be solution makers. They’re often in charge because they were leaders who helped customers, colleagues and the company solve problems in the past.

But when leaders consistently help out employees by giving them solutions, they don’t do anyone any favors. Managers who tell their people what to do instead of encouraging them to figure things out on their own are developing order-takers instead of innovators.

Employees will lose their creativity and self-reliance if they know the boss will tell them what to do when faced with a new problem, challenging issue or unfamiliar professional territory.

The better approach is to engage employees in problem solving, says Comaford. Asking more questions than providing answers helps employees develop a sense of ownership for all that they do — a key to helping customers when they come to you with a problem.

When employees bring issues up, the best approach for managers is to try asking about three to five questions before even thinking about offering solutions. This forces employees to think through situations before asking for help. Try questions such as:

• “How would you handle this if I weren’t here?”
• “What do you think is the most practical approach in this situation?”
• “Think about the impact this might have on the customer and our company, and then tell me what you think is the best way to approach this.”

2. Holding ineffective meetings

Inefficient meetings are a drain on just about everything in a business. They steal employees’ valuable time that could be better spent helping customers. They drain energy and morale from people who realize their time is being wasted. And they hurt the bottom line because productivity was lost on the time spent in the meeting.

The good news: There are ways to run meetings that keep employees focused and — down the line — customers happy. Leaders need to do all they can to avoid rambling in meetings and stay focused. Plan short, high-energy meetings with a clear agenda that includes less idea-sharing and more assignments of action.

Idea-sharing should happen before meetings begin, Comaford says. Then meeting time can be spent covering what will be done and who’ll do it.

Dave Ross, General Manager at Safelite AutoGlass in Boise, ID, wanted to use meeting time to look at customer feedback and make changes based on customers changing needs. So he shared the feedback ahead of the meeting and asked for employees to review it and think of what should be done in response to the feedback. Then at employee meetings, he shared their ideas and requested changes be made.

To increase employees’ buy-in, he slowly removed himself from the meetings, asking them to pinpoint customer issues based on feedback and come up with ideas to respond to those issues. Employees eventually took over the meetings.

3. Failing to establish rapport

When sales, customer service and marketing leaders hire employees, they’re already have the hierarchical advantage. While they are the boss who must maintain control over a group and its performance, but they also need to establish rapport.

The problem: Employees will likely operate out of fear of their boss if no rapport is ever established between them. And if they work under the auspices of fear, they will worry that everything they do for customers will be scrutinized and possibly punished. So they’ll stick to scripts, fall back on policy and never bend in the best interest of customers.

That’s why leaders want to build rapport early in relationships with employees. Then they need to maintain it over time so employees can take constructive feedback and use it to improve, and provide better customer experiences.

Here are three ways to build significant rapport when working with employees and giving them feedback:

• Pose hypotheticals. This approach forces employees to uncover new possibilities and solutions without being told what to do. It opens up brainstorming possibilities. Instead of saying, “You should do … ” or “Why don’t you … ?,” leaders can ask, “What if … ?”
• Ask for help. It’s every manager’s right to demand that front-line employee do something. But it’s not in the manager’s best interest. When leaders ask for help (instead of demanding it), they encourage employees to rise up, take on more responsibility, do more for customers and the good of the company, or change a behavior. So ask, “Can I have your help?”
• Suggest. Employees get stuck in ruts. They might even need to be told what to do but still don’t want to be stifled by what seems like a demand. So a manager wants to take a more subtle approach to help them find a solution or move forward. For example, try asking, “Would it be helpful if you … ?”

4. Focusing on the process, not the outcome

Some managers may not want clones of themselves, but they sure do like the way they do things. So when they hand out assignments, leave employees in charge or start a new project with front-line staff, they have expectations of how it’ll be done. And they can’t break that thought.

Truth is, employees often have better ideas on what will make customers happy, improve operations or have the most profound impact on the working environment. And they have their own ways of getting it done.

While leaders can’t give employees free rein of the company and their jobs, they do want to give employees more freedom to get the job done as they see fit. Whether you call it empowerment or flexibility, they key is to provide the training that allows employees to handle the goals and objectives given to them. Then they can figure out the way that works best for them to accomplish the goal in the time that’s given.

For instance, Heather Wells, customer service manager at T&L Distributing in Houston, bolstered regular training sessions with lunchtime meetings. Once she covered a topic in a regular session, she pulled more information from publications and in-house experts to present during lunch breaks.

5. Framing change the wrong way

Change is constant when you deal with customers. Their needs change and how you respond to them must evolve quickly — whether it requires a shift in operations, communication or response. But knowing that rarely makes anyone feel better about change. Employees often greet it with resistance because managers present it the wrong way, says Comaford.

The ideal: Present change as merely an improvement on what is already being done. The things that aren’t working so well are being replaced with stuff that will surely work better. Try to avoid using the word “change” when you’re talking about it. Talk about “growth,” “improvement” or “advancement.”

Justin Robbins, manger of training and guest experience for Hershey Entertainment and Resorts in Hershey, PA, wanted to make many changes within his group. So he couched them as “improvements.” More importantly, he asked for regular feedback from his front-line employees, asking them for suggestions on the “improvements” that they were making.

Robbins used a lot of that feedback to tweak the adjustments before they were fully implemented so employees understood and stayed committed to the changes that would improve their operations and the customer experience.

A recent survey asked 50 telephone gatekeepers how they determined who gets through to a decisions-maker. The top answer was “People I like.” So treating whoever answers the phone with respect is in the salesperson’s best interest. This person is very close to the decision-maker and has a lot of valuable information. So work with him or her to establish a friendly rapport.

Four tactics to pass along to your sales reps:

1. Use a conversational, yet confident tone of voice

If you were standing in the lobby of their office, the gatekeeper would first size you up based on your appearance. They do the same with the way you sound on the phone, so don’t sound sloppy or unimportant.

Try to avoid weak words and phrases, such as:

• Is Ms. Smith available or is she busy?
• Can Mr. Stevens talk or is he in a meeting?

2. Get — and use — the gatekeeper’s name

Early in the conversation, ask for the screener’s name. Use it on the call, put it in your notes and greet the screener by name on the next call. You will seem much less of a stranger on subsequent calls.

3. Treat the gatekeeper like a buyer

If the screener asks what the call is about and needs a strong reason to put you through, be ready. You should be able to answer the screener’s probing questions and not make him or her feel as though they’re shadowboxing with you. They need to be satisfied that you have something of value for the boss.

Be ready for the No. 1 question most gatekeepers ask: “Is this a sales call?” Don’t dodge the question. Answer like, “I don’t know yet. If there’s a fit for what we have, it might be. Otherwise it’s not. I’d like to ask Ms. Smith if we have the basis for further conversations.” This is the type of answer that may get you to the next step.

4. Listen for the names of others

Any time the screener mentions the name of someone else in their organization, jot it down. Then ask the screener what that person does. Ask about their title and function. They may be a key player in the sales process. Find out for sure.

Here are 10 prospecting techniques that will bring you a steady stream of qualified potential customers:

1. Make a commitment to be a prospect-driven salesperson. With too many salespeople, prospecting is taken seriously only during those periods when sales are down. They continue to be interested in the results of prospecting but neglect the process of obtaining prospects. The goal is to be known as a “prospect-driven” salesperson, one that focuses total attention and resources on uncovering prospective customers.
2. Focus on finding the right prospects. Prospects must come before prospecting. Some salespeople spend a lot of time chasing would-be prospects who have no interest in what they’re selling. The key is spending time determining exactly who fits the profile of what you want to sell and then building a prospect profile. Analyze your top customers, develop appropriate profiles and search for prospects that fit those profiles. The profiles will help you focus your prospecting activities on profitable, potential customers.
3. Cultivate continuously. A major weakness is making prospecting an event, rather than a process. Prospecting is not an impulsive quick fix. It involves more than making a call and, if there’s a negative response, crossing the name off the list. The purpose of continuous cultivation is to build a relationship with a prospect, something some salespeople find difficult when the initial contact is negative.
4. Look at former customers. Many former customers may be ready to buy again or try a new product or service. Try to mix in former customers when you’re planning your prospecting calls. Former customer may also be an invaluable source of leads.
5. Expect attrition. Businesses move, close or are acquired, and through no fault of their own, salespeople lose those accounts. The best way to replace them is to strive to have a pipeline of prospects who can be looked upon as customers in the making.
6. Recognize resistance to change. Some prospects have a natural resistance to change. They follow the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it philosophy,” which makes it difficult to open new accounts. When prospects raise objections, listen carefully and ask for clarification. By asking the prospect to go into more detail about the objection, you’ll be in a better position to overcome it.
7. Own your territory. Salespeople who don’t call on qualified prospects in their territories are leaving the door open for competitors to do so. Once competitors get an opening with prospects in your territory, they may start converting your long-term customers in that territory as well.
8. Take a close look at the competition. Are your competitors failing in areas that may be your strengths? Have there been any changes in your competitors’ staff or product line that may give you an opportunity? Companies in transition provide a great opportunity for salespeople who act quickly and creatively.
9. Resist hitting a comfort level. Some salespeople become content with their lifestyle. They hit their own glass ceiling, by only calling on favorite customers, looking for just an acceptable amount of new business and not really pushing themselves. The entrepreneurial salesperson is never satisfied, always thinking and trying to grow, and improve the business.
10. Try to learn what the prospect does and his or her objectives. Who are the customers and competitors? Get information with web searches, annual reports, people who work at the prospect’s company and press releases.

Criticism can hurt morale — and you certainly don’t want anyone with low morale helping customers day-in and day-out.

So giving negative feedback about performance is tricky business when dealing with your front-line customer service professionals.

Better ways to dish it

Here are four ideas on how to do it without killing morale:

1. Do it on an ongoing basis. It sounds cruel at first — telling you to constantly give customer service personnel negative feedback. But here’s the idea behind it: If you wait until annual reviews to bring up an issue, employees will barely hear what you’re saying. They’re thinking about salary. However, feedback isn’t just about pay. It’s about learning and growing professionally. And those are things that need to happen throughout the year.
2. Ask questions. When you do provide continual feedback, ask service pros what they think they could do better and what challenges they face. It’s always easier to open the conversation by allowing them to identify areas for growth. In many instances, they may identify the issues you’ve noticed — and you can start off on the same page.
3. Address the behavior, not the person. Avoid generalizations such as, “You’re so lazy with this paperwork.” Instead, focus on facts such as, “I see you missed critical information on these follow-up reports several times this week.”
4. Dole it out in small pieces. Rolling criticism for a bunch of things into one session is dangerous management. For one, reps won’t be able to concentrate on improving any one area. For another, too much criticism will beat down morale. Try to focus on one issue at a time. If it requires weekly meetings, so be it.

Once a sale is complete and customers begin to use a product or service, they’re going to be anxious to see positive results. They may also have challenges and problems, and nowhere to get the answers, because the salesperson has become scarce and inattentive.

If they do hear from the salesperson, it’s usually a casual, “Hey, how’s it going?” Then the customer, not wanting to cause a conflict may say, “Pretty good.” But inside he or she may be steaming.

There are usually four reasons why salespeople don’t focus on the after-sale process.

1. They’re focused on getting the next sale. Once they’ve made the sale, they’re on to the next one with no time to turn around and make sure the customer is getting the most for his or her money.
2. They’re afraid to hear the results. What if they do a follow-up meeting and the customer is upset because it’s not working? It’s easier to just keep quiet and hope for the best.
3. They’re not sure how to help the customer maximize the purchase. They know a lot about the features and benefits of a product or service, but very little on the various ways this product should be used to solve problems for customers.
4. They forget that no product or service is excellent in and of itself. It’s excellent only if it fulfills a customer’s need. Needs change and that’s why an effective after-sale process is essential.

A recent study by the social intelligence company Syncapse found that Facebook fans are worth $174.17 over their lifetime on average — a 28% increase since 2010. Some fans could be worth more (BMW fans are worth $1,613) and some could be worth less ($70.16 at Coca-Cola).

They key to hitting the meaty part of the curve: nurturing customer relationships on the social site — and not simply trying to sell them a product.

Syncapse says there are three reasons Facebook fans carry a lot of weight:

• 20% of a company’s customers represent 80% of its revenue — and a large chunk of that 20% segment is found in a company’s Facebook fan population
• 75% of a company’s Facebook fans are more likely to share good brand experiences, promotions and discounts with friends than average social media users, and
• Facebook fans are more likely to share a bad brand experience, as well.

Bottom line: Efforts to keep Facebook fans happy can be worth more than those to keep average buyers happy.

Looking for engagement, not sales

Thankfully, it appears companies are coming around to the realization that they need to focus on improving the social experience — and not just attempt to sell, sell, sell.

A new study of 500 small businesses and their social media habits by Staples found that more business owners (50%) invest time and money on social media to engage customers rather than to sell to them (48%) — a big change from what the same survey found just a year ago.

How to improve engagement

In its study, Syncapse offered this advice on how companies should tailor their Facebook marketing efforts to pump up fans’ lifetime value:

• Attempt to understand what Facebook fans are passionate about
• Solicit their input
• Enable a feeling of ownership
• Make sure they feel appreciated and nurtured, and
• Find ways to share their opinions.

The Syncapse study interviewed over 2,000 Facebook users who have “Liked” a company on the social network. Then it used multiple factors to determine the average worth of a fan, such as product spending, loyalty, propensity to recommend, media value (how many fans a company can reach via Facebook), acquisition cost (how well existing fans drive new fan acquisition) and brand affinity (the emotional bond fans have with a brand).

Fans wanted more than Super Bowl ad

Given the value Facebook fans carry (assuming a company provides a strong social experience), companies involved in the Staples study said they preferred — almost two-to-one — to acquire two million more fans on the social site than receive a celebrity endorsement or Super Bowl ad.

In addition, three times as many companies said they’d prefer to acquire two million Facebook fans than two million Twitter followers.