The 8 Laws Of Customer Service!

"Endless Referrals" by Bob Burg, is a book about how to turn every contact you make into a "sky’s-the-limit sales opportunity." The book redefines networking – how to do it right and how to do it wrong.

As Bob explains in his Golden Rule:

"All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to,

those people they know, like and trust."

And he continues:

"The intent and theme of this entire book is to show you how to get people

to know, like and trust you."

Here, I’ll share with you Bob’s eight basic rules of customer service as they relate to networking.

1/ EVERY EMPLOYEE IS IN SALES:

Bob reveals why even those staff members in your company who are not

salespeople, really ARE salespeople.

2/ IF YOU THINK YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE NOT KING, TRY RUNNING

YOUR BUSINESS WITHOUT THEM:

Here, Bob tells why you must adopt a "the-customer-is-the-boss"

attitude.

3/ DON’T EVER TELL CUSTOMERS THEY’RE WRONG:

As I like to put it: Do you want to be right – or do you want to make

money? Here’s why it’s a mistake to win the battle but lose the war.

4/ DELIVER WHAT YOU PROMISE AND A LITTLE BIT MORE:

Here, Bob cites a true, personal story that ends with a restaurant manager

telling him, "Sir, if we were to deliver everything we promised on the

menu, we’d go out of business!"

5/ GOING THE EXTRA MILE, OR EVEN THE EXTRA STEP, IS WORTH

ALL THE PAID ADVERTISING IN THE WORLD:

Bob demonstrates why "people don’t care how much you know until they

know how much you care."

6/ YOUR RECEPTIONIST IS ONE OF YOUR MOST IMPORTANT

SALESPEOPLE:

Bob discusses why "you never get a second chance to make a good first

impression."

7/ RETURN TELEPHONE CALLS PROMPTLY:

Bob talks about how "some people are just TOO BUSY to make money."

8/ IT ISN’T NECESSARILY WHAT WE SAY BUT HOW WE SAY IT:

Here, Bob shows how it’s possible to say all the right things, but all the

wrong way.

The book also contains some fascinating techniques for learning to remember people’s names by creating word pictures in your mind.

For more ways to network your everyday contacts into sales, get Bob Burg’s book "Endless Referrals" by going here:

http://www.amazon.com

Tags: affiliate marketing, niche marketing, internet marketing, Jonathan Hook, internet marketing tips

Fake It Till You Make It!

When I started my coupon book business, I sometimes found it necessary to call on business prospects in person.

I would creep nervously into an establishment, introduce myself to the nearest staff member and ask to see the owner. Usually (big surprise), they were busy.

I’d sit down to wait, fidgeting with my briefcase. Often half an hour or more would pass.

This scenario took place regardless of whether I had an appointment. The owner would almost always keep me waiting an eternity.

Once, as I waited in a hotel lobby for nearly an hour, I saw the hotel manager stroll by casually, barely giving me a glance.

"Does she know I’m waiting?" I asked the desk clerk.

"Oh, yes," came the reply. "She’s very busy today. She’ll get to you when she can."

This reminded me of something a former boss once told me years ago. He arrived late one day to find several job applicants lined up outside his door for a job interview.

"Always keep ‘em waiting," he winked at me. "Shows ‘em who’s boss."

It was all one big powerplay.

The store owners kept me waiting because I was willing to wait. I needed them more than they needed me.

I thought about the service I was providing.

I was about to offer this hotel manager free advertising in my coupon book. Advertising that I COULD charge hundreds of dollars for. Advertising that would likely net the hotel thousands of dollars in profit. If she didn’t want to listen to my offer, plenty of other hotel managers would.

My frustration turned to anger. It was time for the power to shift.

"I’m sorry. I’ve got to go," I told the desk clerk.

"I’m sure she’ll only be a few more minutes," he said.

"Thanks anyway. I have another appointment," I said. "Have her call me."

I handed him my business card and walked out.

Now, you’ve got to understand that, in the beginning, it took a lot of guts for me to walk out on a potential deal like that. Especially when I didn’t really have another appointment lined up.

But I wanted to project an image of success. I wanted to prove that I didn’t need to jump through hoops to get business.

And you know what? It worked.

To my surprise, the next time I called on the hotel manager, she took me immediately (and she became a client, I might add.)

I made a decision right then and there. From now on, if the owner knew I was waiting, the countdown would start. If, after ten minutes, I was not face to face with my prospect, I would get up and leave.

Every time I did this, I got what I wanted – often right away. It never failed.

I found the confidence I needed to be successful by acting like I already was. And I discovered the secret of how to use, to my advantage, the old adage "People want what they can’t have."

Try this technique the next time you’re facing an apathetic prospect. Send your success stories to mailto:randy@randyruggles.com and I’ll publish them in a future article.

Or maybe I won’t.

Tags: internet marketing, internet marketing tips, niche marketing, website optimization, Jonathan Hook

Business Means Sometimes Having To Say You’re Sorry!

I’ve said before that the best word in advertising is "FREE." If that’s true, then the easiest word in customer service should be "sorry."

In business, as in life, perception is everything. If your customer perceives you made a mistake, whether or not you actually did is not the point. The issue is that your customer thinks you wronged him.

I want you to begin a new habit. Starting today. No, starting right now.

When one of your customers has a complaint, make sure the first words out of your mouth to her are "I’m sorry."

I know you’ll be tempted to get defensive. I know you’ll feel the need to explain.

Don’t.

Just say, "I’m sorry." Then, ask what you can do to rectify the situation.

I’ve witnessed many examples of bad customer service. And I’m constantly amazed by how many of these cases could have been resolved with those two magic words.

Often a problem occurs when a customer complains about an employee. The owner or manager feels he must defend his employee against the big, bad customer.

Now, I’m not saying you should berate your employee in front of the customer and fire him on the spot. But it must APPEAR, whatever the outcome, that you are on the customer’s side. Remember: perception is everything.

From now on, look upon every complaint as an opportunity. First, to improve. But more importantly, to turn an unsatisfied customer into a satisfied customer into an ecstatic customer.

A properly handled complaint can really turn things around. Don’t be too surprised when yesterday’s complainer becomes tomorrow’s biggest client.

Tags: article marketing, affiliate marketing, internet marketing tips, internet marketing, niche marketing

Are You Losing Customers By Not Following Through?

Here’s a shocking fact:

A recent study conducted by Sales and Marketing Executives International concluded that 81% of major sales are closed after the fifth contact.

That means if you aren’t following up with your customers at least five times, you’re losing over 80% of your business.

Put another way, four out of every five customers will not buy from you until you’ve contacted them five times.

There’s no doubt that consistent follow-up is the key to increasing sales.

Here’s a quick example to illustrate the importance of sending repeat offers to your customers:

Marketing Consultant Michel Fortin did a mailing for one of his clients that generated a response of less than 1%.

Typical, you say. But wait.

A second mailing to the same people increased the response rate to 7%. A third got another 3%. And finally, a fourth mailing to those prospects who hadn’t yet responded generated another 5%.

Do the math.

That’s a whopping 16% response rate with a four-mailing campaign where only 1% would have been achieved with one mailing.

Are you beginning to get the picture?

The Easy Way to Follow Up

So, ‘Great,’ you say. ‘I need to follow up with my customers. But how?’

Well, I’ve got great news for you. Technology has now made it possible for you to follow up with your customers with zero cost to you and zero effort on your part.

How is that possible?

With an email autoresponder.

What is that, you ask?

It works something like a fax-on-demand system. If you’re not familiar with this, it is a system whereby you call a number from your fax machine, enter a code, and you immediately receive a document in your fax machine. Presto! Instant gratification!

An autoresponder works the same way, but using an email address instead of a fax number. If you send a blank email to an autoresponder address, you immediately receive a prewritten message in your email inbox.

Think for a moment about how you could use this technology to benefit your business. If your mind isn’t racing by now and your heart isn’t pounding a mile a minute, you might want to either check your pulse or read on.

Suppose a customer named Helen buys a widget from you. When taking her order, you ask for her email address. You enter her name and email address into your autoresponder system and BAM! She is instantly sent a message that says something like:

"Thank you very much for your order today, Helen. If I can serve you further in the future, please don’t hesitate to contact me."

Personalization is the key here. Every message you send will automatically be personalized with the customer’s name. And who doesn’t love to see their own name in print.

Next, you would go on to suggest other products or services you sell that Helen might need, perhaps including a coupon for a future purchase. After all – the best time to ask for another order is when you’ve already got a satisfied customer. A hot prospect.

This is the twenty-first century version of, "Would you like fries with that?"

This message would be pre-programmed to be sent out automatically once you enter an email address. So the initial work you do to set it up will pay off for years to come.

Don’t Just Follow Up Once – Do It Over and Over Again

Until recently, it was only possible to send out one pre-programmed message. But thanks to new technology, you now can set up a whole series of autoresponder messages to go out whenever you want.

Let’s say you sell filters for some type of equipment. Suppose these filters need to be changed every four to six weeks. Your autoresponder series might look like this:

Day 0: Thanks for your order. You should receive your filter within

two days.

Day 3: You should have received your filter. Installation

instructions are enclosed.

Day 7: If you have difficulty installing your filter, please call us.

Day 31: Your filter should be changed every four to six weeks.

Yours was installed about four weeks ago. Why don’t you

reorder today?

Day 38: It’s been five weeks since you installed your filter. Why

not reorder now?

Day 45: It’s been six weeks since you installed your filter. Unless it

is replaced immediately, your equipment may be subject to

damage. Please reorder today so we can get it to you

before any serious damage occurs.

When another filter is ordered, you would reset the customer to

Day 0, maybe on a different but similar series of messages.

Are you seeing the potential yet?

Another way to use an autoresponder is to put the email address in every print ad you run. Offer a free report that relates to your product or service. Not a sales pitch. Just solid information that will be helpful to your prospects.

For example, if you are a Real Estate Agent, your ad might read:

"To receive a FREE report called ‘Seven Things You Must Do To Get The Best Price When Selling Your Home,’ send a blank email to: report@blahblahblah.com."

Don’t be surprised if your autoresponder gets deluged with requests for your report. Everybody is seeking information – especially if it’s FREE. You would, of course then send prospects timely and compelling messages about why they should list with you.

"Wait a Minute. Isn’t This ‘Spam’ We’re Talking About?"

Absolutely not – for two reasons. First, your customers opt-in to receive your messages when they give you their email address. And second, every good autoresponder places an ‘unsubscribe’ link somewhere in the email. It’s usually located at the bottom of the message. If your customer clicks on this link, she will be instantly removed from your list and will not receive any further messages in the series.

And remember. This is all automatic. Your autoresponder works tirelessly day and night whether you are at work or on vacation. Even while you sleep.

If, by this point, you haven’t begun to see the tremendous potential for using an autoresponder to increase your business, I give up.

Wondering what to say in your autoresponder? In the next issue, we’ll look at how to structure your messages so your prospects will be compelled to respond. Until next time.

Tags: internet marketing tips, website optimization, Jonathan Hook, internet marketing, niche marketing