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Actual for You - Small Business Marketing Strategy - Spot the Mavens
"If we lived in a perfect world, there wouldn't be a need for managers." - Bryce's LawINTRODUCTIONI recently had a good friend experience a troubling termination of an employee. This was for a national retail distribution company where my friend serves as Sales Manager for one of the company's regional outlets. The problem centered on a young (thirty-ish) salesman who was well traine
Let’s face it: the average employee will likely see the maven as just a pain in the rear. Here is where it’s vital that your company pays attention to the People element of marketing success--in this case, your customer service
Whether you run a brick and mortar store front,(off-line store), or you are an internet marketer, everyone knows that profits are what it’s all about. If your business is not producing profits then you are not going to be in business for very long. That is unless you are independently filthy rich and have nothing better to do with your money. How do we increase profits, well the two basic ways come to min
And the right kind of prospects.
But, little is written about focusing on the right kind of referrers.
A Maven is a kind of “consumer super-helper”. In The Tipping Point Malcolm Gladwell describes this group of individuals who make it their pastime to discover where to get the best deal in town. Mavens don’t sell this information; they simply accumulate it and then pass it on freely to others. If you reflect a bit, you can probably think of somebody in your personal or business life that’s just like this.
If a maven perceives your company to be of benefit to her friends, then you have access to a referral source that’s second to none. But, this is an indirect access. Unfortunately, you can’t just go look these people up in the yellow pages under “Maven”. Your company will have to implement other methods to aid these helpers in better understanding how your company can provide value to their friends.
Frontline customer service or sales staff will most likely be the employees that interact with a maven. Signs the person they are dealing with is a maven might include:
- Person asking many detailed questions
- Person not just reading the fine print on a brochure but marking it up with questions of their own
- Person asking very technical questions
Let’s face it: the average employee will likely see the maven as just a pain in the rear. Here is where it’s vital that your company pays attention to the People element of marketing success--in this case, your customer service t
I'm helping a company find qualified prospects for their product.This company manufactures lighting systems. And although I'm no expert on this topic, I am still able to help them figure out and find qualified leads.How?The short answer is: through "informational interviewing".(No, this is not just for new college grads! In fact, "informational interviews" can be a very powerfu
If a maven perceives your company to be of benefit to her friends, then you have access to a referral source that’s second to none. But, this is an indirect access. Unfortunately, you can’t just go look these people up in the yellow pages under “Maven”. Your company will have to implement other methods to aid these helpers in better understanding how your company can provide value to their friends.
Frontline customer service or sales staff will most likely be the employees that interact with a maven. Signs the person they are dealing with is a maven might include:
- Person asking many detailed questions
- Person not just reading the fine print on a brochure but marking it up with questions of their own
- Person asking very technical questions
Let’s face it: the average employee will likely see the maven as just a pain in the rear. Here is where it’s vital that your company pays attention to the People element of marketing success--in this case, your customer service
People love to talk; and they talk about everything, including YOU! Every interaction with every person you meet not only affects your relationship with the people you encounter, but even with those who only hear about you.Your reputation is the most powerful marketing tool you have. When a great reputation precedes you, it speaks volumes about the value of your business and immediately distinguis
If a maven perceives your company to be of benefit to her friends, then you have access to a referral source that’s second to none. But, this is an indirect access. Unfortunately, you can’t just go look these people up in the yellow pages under “Maven”. Your company will have to implement other methods to aid these helpers in better understanding how your company can provide value to their friends.
Frontline customer service or sales staff will most likely be the employees that interact with a maven. Signs the person they are dealing with is a maven might include:
- Person asking many detailed questions
- Person not just reading the fine print on a brochure but marking it up with questions of their own
- Person asking very technical questions
Let’s face it: the average employee will likely see the maven as just a pain in the rear. Here is where it’s vital that your company pays attention to the People element of marketing success--in this case, your customer service
Maintaining Corporate Facilities is not easy and it requires a lot of CYA and planning. Many times it makes sense to hire a property management company who can coordinate with all the vendors needed to keep everything running smoothly. Often such property management companies charge fair rates and get and override on all the services rendered from those vendors they will be working with. What types of ven
Frontline customer service or sales staff will most likely be the employees that interact with a maven. Signs the person they are dealing with is a maven might include:
- Person asking many detailed questions
- Person not just reading the fine print on a brochure but marking it up with questions of their own
- Person asking very technical questions
Let’s face it: the average employee will likely see the maven as just a pain in the rear. Here is where it’s vital that your company pays attention to the People element of marketing success--in this case, your customer service
The most easily expectable reaction from employees for Six Sigma implementation will be the one of Well, here they are at it again or How good is it over other existing methods? Knee jerk reactions, such as these are nothing new in an industrial world. Cold responses such as these can dampen the zeal of Black Belts initially, if not completely unnerve them. Why should the culture be so different and how t
Let’s face it: the average employee will likely see the maven as just a pain in the rear. Here is where it’s vital that your company pays attention to the People element of marketing success--in this case, your customer service training. Mavens are looking for value, right? That means they want a “good deal”, and all of you that are successful business owners know that competitive pricing is only one component of a “good deal”. Helpfulness at the point of sale can be incredibly valuable to a customer.
Instruct your employees to steer the maven to you or a senior salesperson immediately. If more experienced employees aren’t available, teach that frontline employee to write down the maven’s phone number and ask her permission to let you phone her later. This may sound extreme, but these opportunities don’t walk through our door every day. Here’s a chance to out-do your competition and be seen as a company that really takes care of legitimate inquiries.
But, tread lightly. Don’t be seen as a pushy salesperson. Better to answer questions honestly and find out just what benefit she is searching for. Remember, mavens seek value. Find the appropriate niche where your company really can supply a maven and her friends with value and you’ll have a referral source that is highly profitable.
Mavens seem to be especially good at sniffing out the essence of a company’s Brand, that essential “who-ness” of a small business. They are less likely to be fooled by a clever ads or promotions that support lackluster value. Make sure your Package complements your Brand, to reinforce your company’s name inside the mind of these
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