Could This Be More Important Than Price And Product?

By: Steve Olenski, Forbes Contributor

A long, long time ago I wrote a piece about the “this” I refer to in the title of this article. I wrote back in 2003 which may not seem all that long ago but in the digitized, mobilized world we now live in, it is light years away from 2014.

Back then “this” certainly played a large role in a consumer’s ultimate buying decision but surely price and product were inherently more important. For the most part marketers didn’t really pay much attention to “this” for the simple reason it didn’t really affect what they were doing creating their plans and strategies.

The reason it didn’t affect them was consumers had very little avenues in which to use “this” to their advantage and benefit.

As to what “this” is, here’s the opening lines of the aforementioned piece entitled Can Anyone Here Help Me?: 

“We are here on earth to do good to others. What the others are here for, I don’t know.” – W.H. Auden

Customer service. The dictionary defines the word customer as “a person who buys goods or services, especially on a regular basis.” The word service, as used in this context, is defined “as an act of assistance or benefit to another or others.”

Could this be more important than price & product? Source: peppersandrogersgroup.com

My father — God rest his soul, worked for 35 years in the supermarket business. The last position he held up until his retirement was that of District Supervisor — which in those days was a very powerful one in that he had a group of stores where he controlled nearly everything but price. In fact, just about everyone in my family at one point or another in their life worked in a supermarket. Three of my brothers, my sister and myself all met their future and current spouses in, where else? … a supermarket.

My father would always preach to us that price was not necessarily the driving factor behind which particular supermarket a consumer would patronize. While he did admit price certainly played a role, he constantly preached that the two things people looked for was a clean store and good (customer) service. He swore by this: If you provide a clean location, are nice to people and treat them right, they won’t mind paying a little more for their groceries.

You can click here to read the full article.

At Your Service

Ok, so now you know what “this” is — what could ultimately be more important than price and product as it relates to the ultimate purchase decision by a consumer: customer service.

That bold prediction is not mine, however. It comes from consulting firm Walker, who in their report “Customers 2020″ said that by 2020, customer satisfaction, more than price and product, will be the key brand differentiator.

For the record I do not necessarily agree with their stance that this could bethe key brand differentiator by 2020 for I think price and product will always play a role — a key role. But I do believe customer satisfaction, customer service and the entire customer experience will be on equal par in terms of importance, and will do so a lot sooner than the year 2020.

In fact I could argue it has equal footing with price and product right now.

Why?

The number of avenues that are available now as opposed to back in 2003, when consumers essentially had the choice between email or the telephone or God forbid, a handwritten correspondence as a means to communicate with a given brand.

Today of course the possibilities are virtually endless. Consumers have a veritable plethora of avenues at their disposal when it comes to voicing their opinion and seeking some level of customer service.

If a given brand doesn’t know that by now, well, let’s just say they probably never will.

CRM to the Rescue?

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools and platforms are nothing new of course. They have been around in way, shape or form for many years now.

However, according to an infographic released by financesonline.com, more companies, big and small, are investing in Customer Management Relationship (CRM) for better customer service.

In the infographic, which can be seen in its entirety below, the team at financesonline.com and specifically Alex Hillsberg, lay out three reasons how CRM can improve customer satisfaction.

1. Customer reps have access to smart alerts and information sharing to resolve issues fast

2. Customers have 24/4 help desk options: IM, phone, email, social media, and knowledge base

3. Customer reps can personalize answers by getting insights from customer data

They also cite the growing popularity for CRMs with the reasons for this including competitive advantage and increase in sales overall across the organization.

Experience the Difference

It cannot be overstated just how vital and paramount customer service is to the overall customer experience. How can it be given the customer-centric world we now live in?

Chances are you’ve seen and/or read about the numbers above and if you haven’t, where’ve you been? The consumer is in charge boys and girls and all the marketers out there.

They’re driving the bus. We work for them.

I am surely no prognosticator nor psychic and I surely do not know what the future will bring but back in 2003 I wrote the following which is pretty much as true today as it was then.

“Remember the definition for customer? A buyer of goods or services on a regular basis. The operative words being regular basis. What most companies seem to have lost sight of is that their ultimate success or failure is based on the repeat customers, not the ones who try their product, service, etc., once and move on.”

US of A Not So A-Ok When It Comes To Service

One final piece from the infographic I want to share, which by the way is entitled Top 10 Countries With the Best Customer Service, is the fact that United States of America is not faring very well when it comes to customer service and compared with other nations.

In fact it’s not even in the top 10 and barely even makes the top 15.

According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), there was a four-point slide in the index among American consumers, going from  76.6 in the last quarter of 2013 to 76.2 in the first quarter of 2014.

Pretty insignificant slide, right?

Wrong.

It represents the largest in twenty years since the index has been monitoring American consumers.

                                                                                                           

5 Quotes From Billionaire Mark Cuban That Will Inspire You To Work Your Ass Off

1. The working 24 hours a day to take it away from you.”

Life is temporary. Work is temporary. One day, you will be incredibly successful at whatever you choose to do with your life. While that day may be difficult to imagine right now, start fighting for your future.

You may not have a job, internship or college major about which you are crazy, but with everything you do, maintain the mindset that what you have could end or be taken away from you at any time. There will always be someone who is willing to work harder than you, so you should always give your best effort.

This mentality will keep you on your toes and will ultimately help you grow.

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2. “It’s not in the dreaming, it’s in the doing.”

Growing up, we are repeatedly told to dream big, to never stop dreaming and to believe in our dreams. However, we are not told enough that dreams are accomplished by taking action.

Dreams are merely thoughts; the doing is more powerful than the dreaming. The doing is what changes the world and impacts people in unforeseen ways.

Dream of being a physical therapist; apply to physical therapy school and go from there. Dream of being a politician; get involved in local campaigns and work your way up. Dream of being a writer; apply to Elite Daily and start writing.

We have more control over the “doing” than we give ourselves credit. If you spend all of your time dreaming, you will never grant yourself the opportunity to see what you are truly capable of accomplishing.

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3. “Doesn’t matter if the glass is half-empty or half-full. All that matters is that you are the one pouring the water.”

No matter how troublesome life can become, you are in control of your emotions, decisions and outlooks on situations. Try not to dwell on how empty or full your life, or the lives of others, might be. Believing that you have control over how much water is poured into the glass of life is a powerful skill.

How you react to not getting the perfect internship, a friend’s betrayal or a loved one’s death can make the glass seem pretty empty; however, you get to decide how much water is poured.

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4. “Wherever I see people doing something the way it’s always been done, the way it’s ‘supposed’ to be done, following the same old trends, well, that’s just a big red flag to me to go look somewhere else.”

Life can get repetitive, consistent and complacent. Falling into a life or workplace of complacency is dangerous. Seek opportunities and take risks that are out of your comfort zone. Work for a company that is constantly changing, growing and evolving.

Surround yourself with people who are bold and do not follow paths already created. Do not be afraid to look at opportunities in life that are different, offbeat or even a little weird.

We are trained to interpret “different” as a negative, when in reality, different jobs and opportunities often provide for the greatest potential for us to thrive as individuals. Life is too short for us to live in fear of being different. Be whom you want to be and don’t worry about the haters.

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5. “Every no gets me closer to a yes.”

The word “no” leads many of us to see it as a failure. “No” comes in different forms: the test you just failed, the interview that didn’t lead to a job and the person who tells you “you can’t.” We look at that “no” often enough to never go near it again.

“No” does not mean defeat, however. It is an opportunity to get closer to the “yes” for which you are searching. Do not let the “nos” of life impact your goals.

“Nos” are part of your story, and if you keep working hard, they will lead to many “yeses,” which often turn out to be better than the opportunities for which the “nos” would have provided.

What is Public Relations?

A very popular question I get all the time is ... What is Public Relations? 

I always pause and smile before responding with a response like "Well that's not an easy question to answer. PR is a lot of things. Where would you like me to start?"

So here's my answer, as brief as I can get:

I think a Public Relations professional is one who assists clients identify points of distinction and strategically deliver key messages through custom campaigns. They generally have expertise in crisis communications/reputation management, media relations, media training, event planning & facilitation, corporate social responsibility/community relations, internet and social media marketing and other related tasks. Some people think Public Relations is about sending out press releases, strictly managing matters regarding media for business, simply making people or businesses look good, or spend 95% of their time writing.

The definition of public relations has and will continue to change over time due to economic and technological changes. The PRSA defines public relations as “a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.” Considering our modern economy, I would accept their definition as my own. However, I believe my definition of public relations goes more into depth.

By Yana Gaines, CEO & President of Michigan Premier Marketing Team

Take Advantage of Mobile & Media Marketing

There are so many marketing tactics and resources businesses aren't taking advantage of. Some businesses are unaware that their business practices (or non-practices) are killing their business and handing potential customers over to their competitors. Here is a couple of evolving marketing channels to keep in mind the next time your business is analyzing its marketing strategies.

1)    The value of social media marketing:  One of the most difficult aspects about running and owning a business is facing competition. It’s not always easy to convince consumers to purchase your products or services over your competitors. With social media marketing, you open your business to unlimited consumers. This venue is excellent in reaching as many people as possible. It will also augment and accelerate your offline connectivity with your customers.Here are some other benefits of utilizing social media marketing:

• ▬   Social media marketing is extremely inexpensive and often times free. With some work (like updating status), you could build traffic to your social media page.

• ▬   There are many strategies you can use with social media websites to attract potential customers. You can use images, videos, follower interactions, and reviews, just to name a few. Start by doing some research, figure out your target demographic, and then choose which method will be best suited for attracting your target customers.

• ▬   Since social media sites bring in a lot of traffic, this will increase your Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

• ▬   63% of users prefer businesses with the information that can be easily accessed on the social media websites. (Source: Digitalsherpa)

• ▬   Customer acquisition: According to Socialmediatoday, in 2013, 52% of businesses have found their customers on Facebook, 43% have found their customers on LinkedIn and 36% of marketers have acquired customers on Twitter.

2)    The value of mobile marketing: Mobile marketing is becoming more and more important for any business in today’s society. Think of how many times you’ve grabbed your mobile device and searched for a store, restaurant, or service before going or calling there and before considering them over any of their competitors. Now, also think about how many times you’ve been frustrated or turned-off by a business because they don’t have a mobile-friendly site so you have to zoom in, scroll back and forth and up and down, and have a hard time navigating. Chances are, if you don’t find the business right away in your search results or aren’t presented with a mobile-friendly site that (1) loads quickly, (2) is easy to read, (3) is easy to navigate with minimum scrolling, and (4) is visually appealing, you are more-than-likely to give up and turn to a competitor that has such. You can also provide mobile coupons, utilize mobile apps, and use text-message marketing to retain your current customers and gain potential ones. Here are some other benefits of using mobile marketing:

• ▬   Helps businesses reach their customers wherever they are through email, apps, text message marketing, and mobile friendly sites.

• ▬   90% of all smart phone users search for local information on their phone.

• ▬   88.2 million adults in the U.S.A. & Canada have redeemed online coupons.

• ▬   Even if they see your print ads first, 71% of people will then search your business using their mobile phone first.

• ▬   Mobile is immediate.

• ▬   In AdWeek Magazine, Google says that any business that uses AdWords or web search that doesn’t have a mobile-friendly site are going to pay more for their ads and are going to get a worse placement on the search engine results page.

          (Sources: The Mobile Movement Study, jumpchargemarketing.com) 

Bottom line, your customers are online, they want information quickly, and they’ll give you about 7 seconds maximum to deliver what they want. If not, they’ll go somewhere else. Utilizing mobile marketing will result in increased sales revenues because it helps to increase purchase frequency, increase transaction size, and attract new customers.

Making use of these evolving and impact marketing channels might be just the push your business needs in successfully growing your customer base.

Marketing and/or Sales Intern Job Position

DESCRIPTION:

Michigan Premier Marketing Team is seeking an intern to assist the Marketing Director with various projects related to marketing, advertising, digital marketing, sales, collateral development, special events and promotions.

Hours per week are negotiable.

Interns will be assigned to a discipline that matches their area of interest. Interns may also have the opportunity to work with teams to support specific clients. Each intern will be challenged to expand his/her knowledge in preparation for entry-level opportunities with Michigan Premier Marketing Team. Interns must have strong interest in gaining knowledge and insight into careers within marketing or media, and in Michigan Premier Marketing Team.

REQUIRED SKILLS

• ▬   Excellent writing skills
• ▬   Proficient in Office Suite
• ▬   Adobe Creative Suite experience a plus
• ▬   Google Analytics knowledge a plus
• ▬   Knowledge of digital maketing strategy a plus
• ▬   Self-motivated and takes direction well
• ▬   Ability to manage multiple projects
• ▬   Responsive and organized

QUALIFICATIONS (ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED):

• o   Enthusiasm
• o   Strong work ethic
• o   Self-driven
• o   Confident
• o   Self-learner
• o   Interested in the marketing/business field
• o   Organized
• o   Honest
• o   Respectful
• o   Strong interpersonal skills

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

Intern must be currently enrolled in a college or university (preferably in a marketing, communications, journalism, public relations program, sales management or some similar concentration), or a college graduate.

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS (NOT REQUIRED):

ê  Connections with media sources (please mention this in the email you submit)

ê  Lives in Michigan

ê  Enjoys traveling (as little or as much as you’d like)

ê  Multilingual

OPPORTUNITY

This is an unpaid internship. However, if you excel at your intern position, you will have the opportunity to be offered a paying position within our company.

9 Tips for Beginning Entrepreneurs

1.    Don’t start a business unless you have a passion for it. Passion moves us to excel and thrive as individuals. You have to love what you do to be successful.

“There is no greater thing you can do with your life and your work than follow your passions – in a way that serves the world and you.” – Richard Branson

2.    Hire a team with different strengths. If you’re an entrepreneur, hire people who are strong where you are weak. Allow your employees to challenge you and each other. Don’t be afraid to answer or ask the tough questions.

“The smartest business decision you can make is to hire qualified people. Bringing the right people on board saves you thousands, and your business will run smoothly and efficiently.” –Brian Tracy

3.    Your team should be as enthusiastic as you as. Hire people who have a passion for what they do. They should have a strong work ethic. They should be happy working for you and your company. They should be comfortable in their work environment. Enthusiastic employees contribute to the overall success of your business.

"Hire people who are better than you are, then leave them to get on with it . . . ; Look for people who will aim for the remarkable, who will not settle for the routine." — David Ogilvy

4.    Have a business plan and a marketing strategy. Businesses with goals and objectives achieve far more than those that don’t. If you’ve reached your goals, make more. Never be content. Strive to thrive in your business and I promise, it’ll always be worth it.

“People who succeed have momentum. The more they succeed, the more they want to succeed, and the more they find a way to succeed. Similarly, when someone is failing, the tendency is to get on a downward spiral that can even become a self-fulfilling prophecy.” – Tony Robbins

5.    Consumer validation is vital. Know your customer/client/patient/consumer. If you don’t know who you’re targeting, you’re wasting your time and money. So spend the time to get to know your consumers so you can target them. Focus on people, not numbers. This is the key to starting your business off successfully.

“What the people in the business think they know about the customer is more likely to be wrong than right.” –Peter Drucker

6.    Understand, know and focus on your core competencies. Know what you’re good at and use it to your advantage. In order to establish a footprint, you have to have a solid reputation and strong brand recognition. This will give you an upper-hand on competitors. Focusing on your core competencies will provide your business with the best opportunity to grow, survive and succeed.

"Focus on a few key objectives ... I only have three things to do. I have to choose the right people, allocate the right number of dollars, and transmit ideas from one division to another with the speed of light. So I'm really in the business of being the gatekeeper and the transmitter of ideas." — Jack Welch

7.    Don’t lose control of your business. As a beginning entrepreneur, you are in charge. You should know everything that is going on in your business. Don’t waste time or money hiring managers to do what you, as a passionate entrepreneur should be doing. In the start-up phase, having managers report to managers gives your business a 99.9% chance of failing.

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” – Warren Buffett

8.    Seek out new experiences. Take risks and explore opportunities. You’ll never know the potential for you and your company unless you seek it out. Try something different. Challenge yourself. Learn, learn and keep learning. The wider the experiences you pursue, the more you will get out of life as you will be exposed to different individuals, ways of life and standpoints. This is a secure key to success.

“My biggest motivation? Just to keep challenging myself. I see life almost like one long University education that I never had — everyday I’m learning something new.”— Richard Branson

9.    Have some fun! Life is short not to have fun at work. Your employees should be happy and have low stress levels. When they excel, reward them. Celebrate individual and company accomplishments and successes. Nothing is wrong with having nerf guns in the office for a little bit of fun and excitement. It’s always nice to plan a night out with your employees. Who said work couldn’t be fun?

“Some 80% of your life is spent working. You want to have fun at home; why shouldn’t you have fun at work?” – Richard Branson

Michigan Premier Marketing Team is a uniquely full service marketing firm that handles absolutely ALL of your business needs. We guarantee that.

We are located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. We service firms both in Michigan and all over the United States.

If you’re a start-up company looking for business or marketing advice, we are more than happy to answer all your questions. Call (248) 956-0246 to set up a FREE consultation. 

“Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.” – Richard Branson

Lexus Is a Brand That I Can’t Live Without

Lexus is an ideal brand for a number of reasons. Personally, it relates to my everyday life significantly. As you may or may not know, I have been involved in three accidents. For that reason, I am very anxious about my safety and risk of being on the road every day. I purchased a 2014 Lexus GX460 Luxury for many reasons. The number one reason is safety. It has a gorgeous interior and exterior design, is very comfortable, performs extraordinarily, and has top of line in-vehicle technology. Now, I could have chosen an Audi, Range Rover or Porsche and could have gotten the same characteristics; however, Lexus won me over with their reputation for being ranked the most reliable & dependable vehicle manufacturer. Their vehicles are the least likely to have either cosmetic or technological issues. Vehicle dependability is highly ranked in my list of “must” when searching for a vehicle.

When I ordered my 2014 Lexus GX460 Luxury, I customized it to have every possible safety feature available. Many of the safety features I needed came with the vehicle already so there were only a couple additional packages I had to add.

In my Lexus, I feel safe and secure which is the main reason I purchased the vehicle. I also know that it’s dependable so I’m not too worried about having a back-up vehicle in case something goes wrong and it needs to be in the shop constantly (ie. Range Rover). The ride is comfortable and the safety alerts allows me to be more aware of my surroundings which lessens my anxiety. After three accidents, the most recent two being very severe, this is probably the first product that I can truly say I couldn’t live without.

I highly recommend Meade Lexus of Lakeside located at 45001 Northpointe Blvd, Utica, MI 48315. Call (586) 726-7915 and ask for Larry Lauer.