I recently came across this simple guide to marketing that sums things up for me...
You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say, "I'm fantastic in bed". That's Direct Marketing.
You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl. One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you says, "He's fantastic in bed". That's Advertising.
You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and get her telephone number. The next day you call and say, "Hi, I'm fantastic in bed". That's Telemarketing.
You're at a party and see a gorgeous girl. You get up and straighten your tie, you walk up to her and pour her a drink. You open the door for her, pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her a ride, and then say, "By the way, I'm fantastic in bed". That's Public Relations.
You're at a party and see a gorgeous girl. She walks up to you and says, "I hear you're fantastic in bed". That's Brand Recognition.
Monday 27 October 2008
Tuesday 21 October 2008
Complaints Are Good For Business
We may not like handling complaints, particularly if we have a customer screaming at us like a demented banshee. However, there is a certain satisfaction in being able to remain calm and professional and being able to turn around a bad situation.
Successful organisations encourage unhappy customers to complain and make sure that their people are trained to handle complaints well. This is because they know that complaints are good for their business.
There has been a lot of research into this subject and it all points to the fact that most unhappy customers do not bother to complain. This may seem to be a good thing as it leads to a quiet life. However, the problem is that these people simply take their business elsewhere. In fact, as many as 95% of complaining customers take this approach. This means that only about 1 in 20 bother to complain. Can we really afford to lose the other 19?
This would be a pity because most of the problems that make people unhappy can be resolved easily. Yet you are never given the chance to put the situation right. It is also a shame because good complaint handling leads to customer loyalty. Research suggests that most customers whose complaints are dealt with quickly and well become loyal customers returning again and again.
Complaints are also important because they may be the only way you can ever find out that there is a problem with your products and services and the general health of the business. Only by becoming aware of these problems it is then possible to put them right for the future and consequently to improve the business.
This all suggests that rather than discouraging people from complaining we should be publicising our complaints procedures. We also need to have a system for recording all complaints so that we can quickly spot any trends that need attention. It is also vital that we don’t neglect staff training. After all, we do need to make sure that the complaints we receive are handled well. We don’t want to make a bad situation even worse.
This article was written by Karl Halliwell who is one of the course designers for Trainer Bubble training resources. Visit Trainer Bubble today to find out more about our complaint handling course materials.
Successful organisations encourage unhappy customers to complain and make sure that their people are trained to handle complaints well. This is because they know that complaints are good for their business.
There has been a lot of research into this subject and it all points to the fact that most unhappy customers do not bother to complain. This may seem to be a good thing as it leads to a quiet life. However, the problem is that these people simply take their business elsewhere. In fact, as many as 95% of complaining customers take this approach. This means that only about 1 in 20 bother to complain. Can we really afford to lose the other 19?
This would be a pity because most of the problems that make people unhappy can be resolved easily. Yet you are never given the chance to put the situation right. It is also a shame because good complaint handling leads to customer loyalty. Research suggests that most customers whose complaints are dealt with quickly and well become loyal customers returning again and again.
Complaints are also important because they may be the only way you can ever find out that there is a problem with your products and services and the general health of the business. Only by becoming aware of these problems it is then possible to put them right for the future and consequently to improve the business.
This all suggests that rather than discouraging people from complaining we should be publicising our complaints procedures. We also need to have a system for recording all complaints so that we can quickly spot any trends that need attention. It is also vital that we don’t neglect staff training. After all, we do need to make sure that the complaints we receive are handled well. We don’t want to make a bad situation even worse.
This article was written by Karl Halliwell who is one of the course designers for Trainer Bubble training resources. Visit Trainer Bubble today to find out more about our complaint handling course materials.
Wednesday 15 October 2008
Time for Business to SWOT up?
This is a very worrying time for business. The banking crisis and the certainty of recession mean that there are very hard times ahead. Inevitably, some businesses will not survive. Even well run and stable businesses are likely to find it tough and will need to be flexible to thrive.
Business plans that were carefully crafted only a few months ago will need to be re-visited. In a world that is changing so quickly do those plans still hold good? The threats that business faces today are very different from those being faced only a few weeks ago. At the same time there will be new opportunities although they may be a lot harder to spot. The big question is whether your business is well placed to cope with the new threats and take advantage of new opportunities.
One approach that may serve business well is to conduct A SWOT analysis. Whilst this will not in itself provide the answers we need it is an important tool to help take proper stock of the situation. Only by recognising new threats and opportunities and how well placed we are to cope with both can we even begin to plan for the future. It may also help us to spot the actions that need to be taken in the short term.
Strengths
Now is the time to remind yourself of the strengths of your business and to consider which of these strengths will help you now. These will vary from business to business and it is worth considering some of the following areas:
What are the known weaknesses in your businesses? Again it is worth considering all of the points listed under strengths. For example, relying heavily on just a few customers may be a real problem. Do your employees have the knowledge and skills to cope with the changes you may have to make? If not, there may be a training need to be addressed. Of course, now is not the time for expensive training solutions but are there some priority needs that could be addressed with low cost solutions?
Opportunities
In these gloomy times it may be hard to think of too many business opportunities but they do exist if we look hard enough. Let’s take the example of the supermarkets. With money amongst shoppers getting tighter they have recognised that there is more of a market for their own label bargain products and have adapted their businesses accordingly.
It’s also worth remembering that your competitors will be struggling too. Some may go out of business and this presents potential opportunities if you can ride out the storm.
What other potential opportunities can you think of? Don’t just look for the obvious. For example, employees who have been resistant to change in the past may have a different attitude now. With the job market likely to become more challenging the opportunity to acquire new skills associated with change may seem a lot more attractive.
Threats
Of course, there are many threats at the moment. Will the bank manager continue to support the business? Will your competitors try to undercut you in a cut throat battle for your business?
What about your business partners? Will they be struggling too? If, so what might the threat be to your business?
What other potential threats can you think of? Again, it is important to look beyond the obvious threats.
We are not suggesting that a SWOT analysis will solve everything. It is merely a tool to help us to fully understand our situation and is one of many approaches that can be adopted at all levels of an organisation to start planning your way through the next few months. It may also help you identify some quick solutions that might even make a difference straight away.
By Karl Halliwell a Trainer Bubble author.
Business plans that were carefully crafted only a few months ago will need to be re-visited. In a world that is changing so quickly do those plans still hold good? The threats that business faces today are very different from those being faced only a few weeks ago. At the same time there will be new opportunities although they may be a lot harder to spot. The big question is whether your business is well placed to cope with the new threats and take advantage of new opportunities.
One approach that may serve business well is to conduct A SWOT analysis. Whilst this will not in itself provide the answers we need it is an important tool to help take proper stock of the situation. Only by recognising new threats and opportunities and how well placed we are to cope with both can we even begin to plan for the future. It may also help us to spot the actions that need to be taken in the short term.
Strengths
Now is the time to remind yourself of the strengths of your business and to consider which of these strengths will help you now. These will vary from business to business and it is worth considering some of the following areas:
- Skills, knowledge, motivation and loyalty of the workforce.
- Flexibility of the business. How well can it cope with change?
- Financial strength of the business
- The relationship with your business partners
- The reliability of your business partners
- Your spread of customers
- Your spread of products.
- Your control of expenses
- How well managed is the business?
- Your systems and efficiencies
- How good is your risk management and contingency planning?
What are the known weaknesses in your businesses? Again it is worth considering all of the points listed under strengths. For example, relying heavily on just a few customers may be a real problem. Do your employees have the knowledge and skills to cope with the changes you may have to make? If not, there may be a training need to be addressed. Of course, now is not the time for expensive training solutions but are there some priority needs that could be addressed with low cost solutions?
Opportunities
In these gloomy times it may be hard to think of too many business opportunities but they do exist if we look hard enough. Let’s take the example of the supermarkets. With money amongst shoppers getting tighter they have recognised that there is more of a market for their own label bargain products and have adapted their businesses accordingly.
It’s also worth remembering that your competitors will be struggling too. Some may go out of business and this presents potential opportunities if you can ride out the storm.
What other potential opportunities can you think of? Don’t just look for the obvious. For example, employees who have been resistant to change in the past may have a different attitude now. With the job market likely to become more challenging the opportunity to acquire new skills associated with change may seem a lot more attractive.
Threats
Of course, there are many threats at the moment. Will the bank manager continue to support the business? Will your competitors try to undercut you in a cut throat battle for your business?
What about your business partners? Will they be struggling too? If, so what might the threat be to your business?
What other potential threats can you think of? Again, it is important to look beyond the obvious threats.
We are not suggesting that a SWOT analysis will solve everything. It is merely a tool to help us to fully understand our situation and is one of many approaches that can be adopted at all levels of an organisation to start planning your way through the next few months. It may also help you identify some quick solutions that might even make a difference straight away.
By Karl Halliwell a Trainer Bubble author.
Wednesday 8 October 2008
Make the Most of Your Budget During the Credit Crunch
Value for money has never been more important...
You can't turn on the tv, read the paper or view the internet at the moment without being told how difficult times are financially right now. Our experience in dealing with large organisations tells us that even though companies might not be ready to throw in the towel just yet, there has been a noticeable downturn in the outputs of most L&D departments.
Many are doing nothing and learning and development has simply been placed on hold, while others are cutting budgets and streamlining or even cancelling any development plans. What you can be sure of is that development is just as important as ever and standing still is not the best way forward. That's why we believe that our low-cost, yet highly effective training resources have become more valueable than ever.
So, rather than let the wave of fear challenge your learning interventions,take control again by visiting Trainer Bubble.
You can't turn on the tv, read the paper or view the internet at the moment without being told how difficult times are financially right now. Our experience in dealing with large organisations tells us that even though companies might not be ready to throw in the towel just yet, there has been a noticeable downturn in the outputs of most L&D departments.
Many are doing nothing and learning and development has simply been placed on hold, while others are cutting budgets and streamlining or even cancelling any development plans. What you can be sure of is that development is just as important as ever and standing still is not the best way forward. That's why we believe that our low-cost, yet highly effective training resources have become more valueable than ever.
So, rather than let the wave of fear challenge your learning interventions,take control again by visiting Trainer Bubble.
Wednesday 1 October 2008
Structuring a Difficult Message - Communication Skills
When news is communicated, it helps if there is a structure to the various elements of the news. If we structure the communication in a logical manner, we will ensure that people clearly receive the message and that there is less likelihood of misunderstanding or ‘Chinese whispers’. The order of giving the news is:
Context – What you are going to be talking about
The headline - The heading of the subject matter
The detail – The detail
The reason for the news – What’s caused it
The rationale – What led to the reason, the background behind it
The consequences – What this actually means to the individuals, what will happen
Alternative actions – What, if any, other actions can be taken
For example:
Context:
I want to talk to you about the office.
The headline:
The office is closing.
The detail:
The office is closing and merging with the office ten miles away.
The reason for the news:
It will save money by operating out of one office rather than two.
The rationale:
We’ve looked at how the loss of business is affecting us and there are a number of sites around the country where the operation can be combined.
This will save costs by reducing the number of sites we have to maintain.
The consequences:
You will need to consider any additional travelling time and distance. You will need to consider how this will affect your home life. You need to consider whether or not you want to stay with the company.
Alternative actions:
As well as staff being offered the opportunity of moving to the other office, which is being enlarged, there will be options to move to other offices if more convenient. There is also a voluntary redundancy option.
This article was adapted from the training materials for the 'Communicating Difficult Messages' workbook, which forms part of the training materials by Trainer Bubble. Visit our website to view this great resource www.trainerbubble.com
Context – What you are going to be talking about
The headline - The heading of the subject matter
The detail – The detail
The reason for the news – What’s caused it
The rationale – What led to the reason, the background behind it
The consequences – What this actually means to the individuals, what will happen
Alternative actions – What, if any, other actions can be taken
For example:
Context:
I want to talk to you about the office.
The headline:
The office is closing.
The detail:
The office is closing and merging with the office ten miles away.
The reason for the news:
It will save money by operating out of one office rather than two.
The rationale:
We’ve looked at how the loss of business is affecting us and there are a number of sites around the country where the operation can be combined.
This will save costs by reducing the number of sites we have to maintain.
The consequences:
You will need to consider any additional travelling time and distance. You will need to consider how this will affect your home life. You need to consider whether or not you want to stay with the company.
Alternative actions:
As well as staff being offered the opportunity of moving to the other office, which is being enlarged, there will be options to move to other offices if more convenient. There is also a voluntary redundancy option.
This article was adapted from the training materials for the 'Communicating Difficult Messages' workbook, which forms part of the training materials by Trainer Bubble. Visit our website to view this great resource www.trainerbubble.com
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