“Marketing is not the art of finding clever ways to dispose of what you make. It is the art of creating genuine customer value.”
Philip Kotler
Here is the audio version of this post, background snoring compliments of Zen Louis Kovner, my perfect pug. The Customer Is Always Wrong
I have a very kinda dislike/dislike relationship with daily deal platforms such as Groupon, Living Social, etc. Trusting my gut has always served me well and my gut has always told me most of these platforms care about one thing and it’s not small business.
It’s so easy for many small businesses to get lured into quick revenue and promises of 1000’s of new clients running in the door. And these platforms have gotten so good at presenting all their “facts” that claim their “deals” are game changers.
If you have experienced one of these deals, you may have had one of these outcomes or a mix of the three:
1. Awesome sales, unhappy team members and no return customers.
2. Not so awesome sales, unhappy team members and some return customers.
3. Good sales, happy team members, some return customers.
To me, these platforms are commodity builders, not brand builders. Brands are built through value and meaning, commodities are endless amounts of the same stuff for the lowest price.
So what does this have to do with customers? Well, one of my clients has actually been successful with these types of deal platforms, to my dismay I might add. But then again, they do so many things right. They do not excessively discount, they provide an exceptional experience, they get buy in from their team and they have a program to retain the clients they get via these deals.
Last week, I had a jaw dropping interaction with a deal site that inspired this post. They claimed that the last promotion run with my client was “unsuccessful” and gave me all the reasons why. What floored me is that they never once asked how the promotion did for my client. Had they asked, they would have known my client was very happy, had retained a high percentage of the clients and was ready to sign on for another promotion.
Here is a portion of the email interaction with this sales person:
Sales Person
“It looks like the performance has greatly been hindered because we haven’t added enough value (I’m basing this on historical data from our market and what has been shown to work well) for the consumer. Since this is an impulse buy we need to make sure the customer sees an amazing value right off the bat. This helps in purchases.”
Me
“My client has been very happy with the performance of the previous promotions. They are not looking for a high volume of deal chasers, but for potential long term clients. They have been very successful with retaining the clients that discovered them via these promotions. I would expect success be defined by how the business did with the promotion, not the other way around, or at least seeing both sides before determining if something was successful. If you suggest a higher discount for more volume, we will respectfully pass.”
What is wrong with this picture? A million things…
1. I would think success would be defined by the customer, not the other way around.
2. By value they mean lowest price, which is absolutely sad and disturbing on many levels.
3. They fail to define “work well”, yet I know all it really means is it worked well for them, not my client.
4. Since when is the customer always wrong?
Whether you believe the customer is always right, wrong or a mix of the two, what never changes is that we must define value in the customers eyes and find out what’s important to them, because at the end of the day, if the customer sees value, they buy stuff. And value does not always mean lowest price.
I always knew this was how these deal platforms really felt, but I had never seen it in writing until last week. In the end, the deal platform lost a customer because apparently, the customer is always wrong.
The world has changed. And change can sometimes mess people up. As an artist of business, with a huge passion for engaging, I created a manifesto of sorts for those seeking some guidance on how to be socially awesome on social platforms. I like many am not one for rules, but I dig manifesto’s, so I made one.
One thing I really think we need to understand is this is real life. The new real world. The same “rules” apply online as they do offline. So when in doubt, just remember this is about people. And I know you know to engage with people. It’s what you do every day.
A Squared
Be awesome. Be authentic. I am smart, at least that is what my mama told me. I can see right through you. Do you. Keep it real. And I promise to do the same.
Caring Matters
If you cannot or do not care to listen, engage, respond and reply, you are not ready to engage in the social space. If I ask you a question, I will be waiting for an answer. If I give you a shout out, a simple thank you goes a long way.
Chill On The CAPS LOCK
You really think I want to engage when I am being yelled at? Does anyone want to listen when being yelled at? No. Be cool, chill on the caps lock.
Nobody Likes A Litterbug
Spamming my wall with your product, event or political agenda only makes me want to hide you, delete you or block you. And I love you, so please be mindful of littering on my wall. If you ask nicely, and are offering something I believe in or see value in, then trust, I will share it, buy it, or like it.
Don’t Bleed The Feed Whether its Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, be mindful that when you post 17 pics of your dog, baby, Starbucks, etc. in a row I may get hostile and stop following you or hide you. Same goes for hitting the share button. Post. Then chill. Share. Then chill. Inspired by the awesome Instagram i love you vid by Casey Neistat.
Link Love
If you are trying to lead me somewhere, like your website, event, your salon, or a blog post, please include the URL, phone number, email, Morse code, whatever in your post. It’s super helpful if you actually want me to do something.
Check One Check Two
And while we are on the topic of links, check your links on your social pages. If you are a business, and you want me to check you out, working links (on Facebook,Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, YELP, etc.) will get me to you much faster. In fact, if your link does not work, you may have lost me, forever.
Hide And Seek Is Fun But…
If you are a human, please share that with me in your About section on your social + digital pages, profiles, etc. The Internet may seem like a super secret shield, but if you are hiding from me I will be scared and hide from you too. Marketing is about stories. Tell me one.
Sharing Is Caring
But taking credit for someone else’s stuff is lame. If you see something that inspires you, and you know the source, like someone else’s page, just hit the share button (or repin, or #repost #regram) and credit the source. It’s good karma. And the right thing to do.
Quote This
If a quote came from you, awesome and congrats. If it came from someone else, like Thomas Edison or someone cool like that then give them credit. If you don’t know, Google it. If anyone reading this knows who created the unicorn quote, please share, I have Googled for days, but no luck so far.
To be continued…
Have something awesome to add? Know someone who is socially awesome? Please share in the comments below or with me, I’m listening and I care.
There are so many opportunities today for people and businesses to market themselves and their services. With the social web, anyone can put up a fancy website and all of a sudden become the authority on any topic. And while this is awesome in so many ways, it’s also a bit scary when it comes to knowing who to believe and making decisions on where to invest your time and money.
I have been noticing more and more companies trying to market to salons and beauty companies, with a whole lot of swagger and very little substance. Then I came across Seth’s Blog the other day, here is what he said.
“One way that marketers (of any stripe) make an impact is by displaying confidence. Consumers figure that if a marketer is confident in their offering, they ought to be confident in the marketer as return. We often assume that confidence means that something big is on offer.
The problem with swagger is that if you’re the swaggering marketer, you might run into a competitor with even more swagger than you. When that happens, it’s time to show your cards, the justification for your confidence. And if you don’t deliver, you’ve done nothing but disappoint the person who believed in you.
Substance without swagger slows you down. But swagger without substance can be fatal. Right now, we’re seeing more swagger than ever—but it’s rarely accompanied by an increase in substance…
The rule is simple: it’s essential to act the part. And it’s even more important for it to be real.”
Do You Want What They Have?
When we are looking for a mentor, coach or company to help us with our business, it is, as it always has been, buyer beware. But now, with the rise of the social + digital web, it is easier than ever to see if the company that is claiming to be all-knowing is actually doing the very thing they say they can help us with. Are they all swagger and no substance, or are they really walking their talk?
Here are a few things to consider when looking for someone to help you with your business: 1. Do they really understand the salon/pro beauty business or are they just trying to “get rich quick” off the backs of unknowing salon pros? (this sadly is happening now more than ever and it makes my heart and stomach hurt)
2. If they are a marketing company, do you like how they market their own business?
3. If they are a website building company, do you like their website?
4. If they are marketing social + digital services, are their own social + digital pages engaging?
5. Does the company have testimonials from people they have worked with and will they share them with you?
It’s easier than ever to do your homework on companies and people who claim to be all-knowing. Many can have swagger, but it’s the substance in the end that matters most. This also speaks to how you are marketing your salon.
And remember what Seth Godin shared…The rule is simple: it’s essential to act the part. And it’s even more important for it to be real. Do your homework.
As always, I welcome your comments and thoughts on this post. Or you can share them with me, I’m listening.
(n) man·i·fes·to
A written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer.
Nearly all of us have seen this image floating around our social pages. But what many of you may not know is the story behind the Holstee Manifesto, which has been shared over 500,000 times and viewed 60 million times online. It started as an idea for a different kind of clothing company, in the height of the recession in May 2009. The rest, as they say, is history.
A manifesto is a story. A statement of values and beliefs. And as we have talked about several times in our blog, webinars and workshops, people buy stories, not things. Will your story go viral and ignite 500,000 shares and an online business? Who knows. Is it worth taking some time to create yours? Absolutely.
So you may be thinking, isn’t this the same thing as a mission statement? No. Let’s be honest, most mission statements are lame, stale, passionless and old school. Manifestos are the new mission statement. They are real, authentic, emotional, relevant, public and immersed in passion. They are stories. Not just words typed on a piece of paper and filed away.
What is your manifesto? Are your team and clients aware of it? Do you share it on your website, social pages, in your salon or business, your communications and materials?
If you are looking for guidance and inspiration to create your story, we offer one-on-one mentoring to help you craft the ultimate manifesto. Click here to inquire about our programs. We are super excited to be part of your growth and success.
(shared with LOVE from your passionistas Nina + Gordon)
(image discovered on Starbucks Loves Pinterest board)
Simple is smart. Yet many times we feel the need to complicate things, thinking more words, more bells and more whistles somehow create more value.
Our hero marketer Seth Godin breaks it down on his blog today. Simple. To the point. Awesome.
Free coffee, next exit
That’s the most effective billboard one can imagine, particularly if it’s typeset properly and if the coffee is good.
Most billboards aren’t nearly as useful, because the wrong service is promoted, or, more likely, because someone saw all that space and worked hard to fill it up.
The same thing is true of most websites. You know so well the why’s and how’s of what you built and how terrific it is, and the thought of using just a few words when a bunch will do is frightening indeed.
No, your solution doesn’t have to be simple or obvious. But the story about what it accomplishes does.
The goal of a marketing interaction isn’t to close the sale, any more than the goal of a first date is to get married. No, the opportunity is to move forward, to earn attention and trust and curiosity and conversation.
Simple, clear and actionable.”
Seth Godin
Which areas of your marketing can you simplify? Your story, website, promotions, service menu?
So go grab your cup of creative fuel and take a fresh look at your stuff. Easy? No. Worth it? Yes.
(shared with LOVE from your passionistas Nina + Gordon)
(image discovered on Holstee website)
