Never Lose Touch with Your Market – the Human Touch

Tags

advertising, Business, Digital Marketing, Face-to-Face, JC Penney, Listen to your market, Marketing, Personal Service, social-media, Stu Schlackman, trade shows, Transgility, US Leadership Inc.

Do you remember this 1989 commercial from United Airlines? The quality of this copy is not very good, but take 30 seconds to listen to this video before reading this blog.

How does this video make you FEEL? Can you relate? I love how the actor refers to his customers as “Friends” and explains the reason they lost this account was because their customers “just didn’t know us anymore.” He laments on how business had been reduced to a phone call or fax, followed by another fax. Sound familiar? Except now we would say we sent an email, followed by a text, then a comment on LinkedIn. The times have changed but the problem has not; business relationships still need the human touch.

Throughout my career, I got clients (and kept them) based on the relationship and trust we established through times of talking, planning, and being with them when they needed me. Yet, over time, and as our businesses get larger, it is a tendency to rely on things other than human interaction to cover the minimum required touch points that make us feel like we’re doing the right things.

We see examples of companies that seem to have lost touch with the pulse of their market. This week Nintendo was chastised as being “Tone Deaf” and we saw what happened as JC Penney took a path that their customers did not want to to follow. We know where that got them.

So how do you keep connected to your valued customers in this digital age?

Go Where Your Customers Are

I’m not saying that we abandon the use of digital marketing, but I am saying that we need to know our customers we’ll enough to connect to them where they want to be connected, and with a message they will receive. If you’re on using Social Media like Facebook or LinkedIn, don’t constantly push your message or products. Engage your market by offering information they are interested in and invite them to get involved in the conversation. Find things THEY care about and become a help to them. Step into their world and they will be more likely to step into yours.

Listen to the Market

Social Media is a great way to learn about your market, but far too many companies use this as a place to do all the talking, and they forget the real value is in listening. You can get great insights into customer sentiment, trends, competition, and creative new ways to connect with prospects. Use search tools like Transgility Review Engine Service or even a simple cruise through Twitter feeds to see whats going on. This will help you keep up with the needs of the market and be ready to offer what they will want.

Don’t forget about Face-to-Face

Find creative ways to get in front of your customers. Exhibit at Trade Shows and conferences for your industry. Set up events of your own and invite your customers and prospects to come learn about something THEY would find valuable (don’t make it a sneaky sales pitch, offer real value). At US Leadership, we had quarterly breakfast events that highlighted a dynamic guest speaker. This would bring our customers together to keep them engaged, and we would invite prospects to come see how things can be once they join the program. Stu Schlackman, The Sales Synthesizer, once came and taught our attendees how to better understand the customer in order to sell more. Everyone thought it was a great event and we got to spend quality time with our loyal customers, and even some prospects. It was a low-cost, simple time of meeting together but it had great results.

The Analog Version of Social Media is Best

I am obviously a big fan of Digital Communications, but at the core of every really great business, there is the need for Human Connection. (Read this blog on the Real Value of Networking.) We often remember the people in the process more that the stuff. That’s why having a team of people who believe in your vision and culture, and are the “face” of the company, is so important to your success. Train your team to live out the level of care and excellence that is your vision, and empower them to do what it takes to deliver on the promises of your company. Then every truck driver, customer service agent, account receivable clerk, and sales person, can be the Human touch to your market that builds the loyal customers and brand advocates that you always wanted.

To steal a line from this great United Airlines commercial, if you’re the kind of company that believes “Personal Service” deserves more that “Lip Service”, take steps today to evaluate how you are doing in this area so you never lose the Human Touch in your business efforts. If you want an objective opinion, call me and I’ll come visit you to give you help.

by Robert Hunt of Hunt Consulting DFW

MORE IMPORTNAT LINKS

The Proper Use of Social Media

The Real Value of Networking

Critical Thinking – Apparently It’s NOT for Everyone

Someone is Saying Something Bad About You

DFW Marketing Professionals Unite!

Tags

Agency Entourage, Alcatel-Lucent, Allison Cerra, American Marketing Association, Andrea Lamarsaude, Ashley Claborn, Blanks Printing, CMO Panel Event, Dallas/Fort Worth American Marketing Association, DFW AMA, Dr Pepper Snapple, Marketer of the Year, Marketing, Raising Cane's, Tom Dennis

I would assume by now that everyone reading this blog knows that I volunteer with the DFW American Marketing Association. I have been the EVP of Membership for the last two years and it has been a lot of fun to serve the local Marketing Community of Dallas and Fort Worth. I wrote a blog about the value of being a part of the DFW AMA and you can read about it at http://wp.me/p2ugKa-6i.

We recently held our Marketer of the Year Awards Gala at the Westin Galleria in Dallas. The night was magic with stars of the DFW Marketing Community out in style to accept awards for their successful marketing programs in 2012. It was a great event and would not have been possible without the tireless work of Ashley Claborn, EVP of Special Events, and her amazing team.

Tom Dennis, Director of Marketing at Blanks, was the emcee again and did a marvelous job. Blanks was nominated for Marketer of the Year in the Brand Category and was in good company with winners like Alcatel-Lucent, Raising Cane’s, Agency Entourage, Dr Pepper Snapple, and many others (click here for the full list of winners).

Allison Cerra, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Alcatel-Lucent Global Sales and Marketing, was our Keynote speaker and really challenged the marketing professionals of DFW to make things happen in 2013. Tom Dennis reminded us that Forbes even named 2013 as the Year of the Marketer and I was proud to be a part of this great organization. (I was also proud to have powered the Margarita Bike earlier that night. See photo above.)

Join US!

Now is the time to become involved in the DFW American Marketing Association.  If you are a member, make plans to attend events and get more involved.

Our next big event is our annual CMO Panel Event. This is a Members-only event and will be held on May 9th at the Fossil Headquarters in Richardson, TX. If you are a member, you can sign up to attend this event and meet the marketing leaders of Fossil, La Quinta Inns, Freeman, and Texas Instruments. If you are not a member, now is a great time to join us.

Lastly, our Spring Membership Campaign is in progress until June 9, and if you have ever wanted to be a part of the DFW AMA, now is a great time to join. Click the photo or go to www.JointheAMA.com, and use the promo code SPRING30 to save the $30 sign up fee.

If you want to learn more about the DFW AMA, come join me next week at our monthly Meet & Greet. Our next event is being held at Mi Piaci in Dallas on May 2 and you can sign up to attend from the DFW AMA website at www.DFWAMA.com

If you are a Marketing professional in the DFW area, come join us, get connected, and stay involved.

by Robert Hunt of Hunt Consulting DFW

See more photos from the Marketer of the Year Awards Gala

The Real Value of Networking

Tags

#Meet&Greet @REFDallas, @DFWAMA, Networking

Reblogged from Hunt Consulting DFW:

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I actually DON'T like Networking events, but I am a good networker because I've been paid to do it for the last 25 years of my life. However, I'd much rather sit at an event with someone and just listen to them. I am a firm believer in regularly using the "Analog Version of Social Media" - a face-to-face meeting. I like to see the face of the person who is sharing something in order to know if there is more to the story than what they are telling me.  

Read more… 884 more words

The DFW AMA Meet & Greet is tomorrow so I'll post this as a reminder about the value of networking BEFORE you need it. @DFWAMA, #networking, #Meet&Greet @REFDallas,

DFW American Marketing Association - your source for everything marketing in the Metroplex.

Reblogged from Hunt Consulting DFW:

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The Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter of the American Marketing Association (@DFWAMA) has been around since 1956, and yet I'm amazed at how many people have never heard of this great organization.  Must be poor marketing on our part. :)

I volunteer as the Executive VP of Membership and I have benefited greatly from my involvement in the chapter. I think the DFW AMA is a great resource for Small Business and Marketing people in any role, so let me share some facts about our chapter that you may not be aware of.

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Next week we are having a Chapter Orientation and Meet & Greet at White Space in Dallas. The IABC of Dallas will be joining us for this epic event and I expect near 150 people to attend. Sign up today at www.DFWAMA.com and join us on April 4th at 5 PM. Here is a blog I wrote about the DFW AMA that will give you more information about this great professional organization. @DFWAMA #Marketing @IABCDallas

What is Your Definition of Success

Tags

Excellence, integrity, REF Dallas, Renaissance Executive Forums Dallas, Success

Reblogged from Renaissance Executive Forums Dallas:

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How do you define SUCCESS?

Would those around you say you are successful?

We often compare ourselves to others, and to a standard the world defines as success - but is that how YOU really see success?

Zig Ziglar said you need to know where you are, to know what you should do next. Most people don't take the time to evaluate where they are, but they keep pushing forward with all they have without really knowing where they are going.

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I really liked this weeks blog from Renaissance Executive Forums Dallas (I should, I wrote it). We often look at the "things" people do for a living, or the stuff they have, as the measurement of success. And yet, the people I truly respect the most and want to be like, do not have lofty titles or large mansions. They are men and women of character, who consistently (although not perfectly) model excellence and integrity in their professional and personal lives. No one EVER laid on their death-bed and said, “I wish I worked more hours” or “I wish my company was bigger.” However, I know of many people who died with regrets on how they lived their lives, and the things they passed over to get “success.” So what is YOUR definition of success? In my case, I have chosen to focus my career in developing peer groups for top executives here in the DFW area, because it is my passion to pour into the lives of others and see them achieve true success. I will be successful if I stay true to who GOD has made me, and return "10 Fold" on whatever He allows me to be responsible for; my family, my career, my friendships, my opportunities. Read this blog today and please let me know what you think. If you are here in the DFW area, join me next week at our Open Meetings to learn all about REF Dallas. Robert Hunt

Critical Thinking - it's not for everyone - apparently

Reblogged from Hunt Consulting DFW:

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Mark Smith leads an organization here in the Dallas area called Action Management. Today he posted an article entitled "Critical Thinking Training Opposed"

The article tells how the Republican Party of Texas recently stated that they oppose teaching of Critical Thinking skills to students. You should read the article but here is a part I want to highlight:

"The challenge we all have with thinking critically is that our preconceived ideas (biases) about a topic become embedded in our thinking and we are rarely consciously aware of our own flawed reasoning...

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Ron Johnson, CEO of JC Penny, has been in the news a lot lately, as rumors of his resignation circulate over JCP having the worst quarter since 1987. Their stock is the lowest it's been in years and even Martha Stewart clothing can't figure out what to do here. (Read More about Ron Johnson as a CEO) What went wrong? If you read this article from the Dallas Business Journal of September 2012, Ron spoke of "Transforming" the company image from being the Old Lady Store, to being more like an "Art Project." However, what they did was to alienate the remaining loyal customers they had, and just confuse the market with their offering. CEO's, Owners, Presidents, and their Marketing Teams need to listen to their market, and not try to TELL the market what to think. Read more in this blog about the use of Critical Thinking in the process of making decisions. It's not enough to go with your gut or even your years of experience. Your team needs to spend more time listening to your customers, and not delude yourself into following plans YOU like.

Great Marketing Starts with YOU

Tags

@DFWAMA, Ben Smithee, Blogs, Business, CEO, Dallas, DFW, facebook, Hunt Consulting DFW, Innovative, Leaders, Marketing, Networking, Online, Personal Brand, Research, Robert Hunt, Sequester, Spych Marketing Analytics

Ben Smithee of Spych Marketing Analytics

(Today’s Guest Blogger is Ben Smithee of Spych Market Analytics in Dallas.)

“How can others trust you to market them, if you can’t even market yourself?”

I often get requests from others to help them find new clients or a new job, and one of the first things I do is go see how they are presenting THEMSELVES in the market – what is their Personal Brand.

I believe the way you present yourself, reflects how you will present a company or brand. This affects my thoughts about hiring, or even referring you to someone who may hire you. Before you represent a brand, a company, or even me, you need to show me you can do a great job of representing yourself.

Are you effectively marketing your personal brand the way you want to be perceived? If you won’t give your best effort to market yourself, how much passion and excellence will you give others?

As Marketing Leaders, our skills should not be restricted to the strategic war room. We need to be using them each day by the way we dress, the way we speak to strangers, and yes, even the way we post online. Does YOUR personal brand attract the kinds of people and companies you want to connect to, or work with? When others meet you, what is their perception of you? Can they envision you working for their company, or partnering with you on a project? Are you someone other leaders want to be around in close quarters with each day during a six-month project? What about each day for the rest of their career?

Live it out Loud

At SPYCH, our team works hard to build a culture of continuity; where our people and our work continually reflect the SPYCH Brand. This brand provides the vision for our people to follow, and our people live out the dream and motivations that were the impetus for the creation of SPYCH. See where this is going? As much as we often try to separate ourselves from our work and in an effort to establish the elusive work/life balance, this is really impossible. Who you are in person and online, is who you are at work. All of us like to work with people we enjoy being around, and your personal brand should present a vision of what it would be like to share life around you – both on and offline.

I strongly encourage companies to keep this in mind when they hire or partner with other people. Ask yourself if this person or company will represent the image you want to portray? Do they “get it” when it comes to their own work and their own brand? If not, do you really think they can “fake it” good enough when they work for you?

I think Robert Hunt of Hunt Consulting DFW has done a great job of consistently presenting his personal brand to the DFW business community. What you see, is what you get, and Robert is the “real deal.” I have spent the last three years working, volunteering (@DFWAMA), and playing along side Robert, and I can attest that he IS the kind of marketing professional I would want to work with and trust for my marketing program. He has defined his brand and lives it out every time I see him in person and online.

Get outside of yourself

If you want to create innovative work and have an innovative lifestyle, get out and see what the other side of life is doing. I learn so much from observing actual behaviors, similar to how we conduct “Ethnographies” as part of the research we do at Spych. If you want to reach the younger markets and understand them better, stop complaining about their infatuations with technology and sit down and play a video game with them. Ask them to show you how they engage with their friends online and download the latest apps and games. Open your mind to what others are doing and see how that can affect the way you live and represent yourself.

Be Positive – Stop Whining

I acknowledge that the economy is not the best, and now that the “scary” Sequester kicked in over the weekend, things are not going to improve any quicker. I also know that life is what you make of it, and I’m sure that somewhere down the line someone has been dealt a worse hand than you have, so don’t lock up in fear, get out and do something about it.

Stop whining – both in person and online! It’s not the image you need to portray. How would you feel if a company’s marketing strategy was to go on Facebook and complain about how bad the economy is, and that nobody is buying their products? You would tell them to grow up, put on their big boy pants, and create a better product, give better service and care about their customers. Am I right?

As marketers, when times are tough, we need to put on our big boy pants, make OURSELVES a better product that is attractive to clients, be nicer to the ones we have, provide better service than we already do, and share the positive side of life. I’m not telling you to fake it or phone it in. I am just saying that sometimes life needs a bit of “marketing,” so BE the person we turn to for a brighter side, not the person we contemplate un-subscribing from.

Take a cue from Hunt Consulting DFW and my team at Spych, and make sure you start your marketing efforts with YOU. Read more examples of this on our websites, blogs and other social media pages listed below. Join Robert and I, and let’s make sure we are putting our best foot forward, every step of the journey.

By Ben Smithee, CEO of Spych Market Analytics

 

MORE INFORMATION

The Real Value of Networking

You ARE a Great Leader

More information on the Sequester

About the Author:

Ben Smithee is the CEO of SPYCH. His strong passion for innovation and creativity, and awareness of the evolving world of marketing research and communications, led to his vision for the foundation of SPYCH. Upon co-founding SPYCH in 2009, Ben has led the SPYCH team in consulting the upper echelon of brands in preparing for “Future-Market Readiness” by understanding the future consumers (Gen Y/Millennials), the future of tech., and the future consumer environments on and off line.

Contact Ben Smithee and Spych Market Analytics at

ben@spychresearch.com or (214) 501-2341

Website: http://www.spychresearch.com

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/spych-market-analytics

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/spych

Blog: http://spych.wordpress.com

Great Leaders are a bit "Crazy"

Tags

@REFDALLAS, Dallas, Dreams, Forum, Leaders, Peer Group

Reblogged from Renaissance Executive Forums Dallas:

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I recently watched a video of a surfer who took on a 100 foot wave - on purpose! Here is what the guy who pulled the surfer out to ride the wave, had to say about this crazy event that he watched from the safety of his jet ski:

"Everything was perfect, the weather, the waves. Cotty and I surfed two big waves of about 60ft and then, when Garrett was ready, came a canyon wave of over 90ft.

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In November of 2012, I decided to become a Forum Leader with Renaissance Executive Forums Dallas, as a logical extension of Hunt Consulting DFW. REF Dallas is a very exciting new part of my business plan and lets me use the skills and passions I've developed during my career. This blog today gives great insights into the types of leaders I am looking to serve her in Dallas. Please go read it and let me know what you think about this addition to the Hunt Consulting DFW offering.

Social Media vs. SEO (with some PPC for good measure)

Tags

Hubspot, Pay Per Click, PPC

Reblogged from Hunt Consulting DFW:

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There a lot of ways to market your company but when it comes to using the internet, people often chose between these three main methods:

Social Media Marketing

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Pay-Per-Click (PPC)

I believe that you need to use all three at the same time to give your small business the 1,2,3 punch of a great inbound marketing campaign.

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Hubspot wrote a great article about the use of Pay-Per-Click (PPC) to feed the pipeline as you build your social media plan. I totally agree with this and wrote about it last year so I thought I'd share it again in case the new readers missed it. Read the Hubspot article at this link: http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/34152/8-Times-When-You-Shouldn-t-Feel-Guilty-About-Using-PPC.aspx #Hubspot, @Hubspot, @splashmedialp,

Listen to Your Customers - the proper use of Social Media.

Reblogged from Hunt Consulting DFW:

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Today will be a busy day for the internet. Cyber Monday deals 2012 will keep people in front of the computer like a lab rat pressing the button for another pellet. We've seen Black Friday morph into "Gray Thursday Night" as retailers attempt to capture a share of whatever sales are out there. The competition for your time, attention, and money is fierce.

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I was reading how Oreo Cookie used the blackout during last weeks Super Bowl game, to send out a special photo and Tweet that Oreos can be dunked - even in the dark. (click the photo to read more.) The Tweet got amazing response and is still being retweeted and shared by thousands. This emphasizes the concept that Social Media Marketing should be about joining the conversation - not trying to control it. Read our blog about the proper use of Social Media Marketing and see if this makes more sense you, then share how you are joining the conversation in your marketing efforts. by Robert Hunt