Mills on Marketing

John Robert’s Spa owned by service guru John R. Dijuluis III, an American chain of high-end salons and spas whose is policy is that a ‘smile is part of the uniform’.

When you train your staff to greet your customers, ask them to notice the colour of the customer’s eyes.

Scientists using MRI scan machines show the names associated with smiling faces activate the orbitofrontal cortex – an area of the brain involved in reward processing.

People remember smiling faces. It’s simple - we want to remember people who were kind to us, especially when we are likely to come across them again in the future.

Even mega retailer Wal-Mart understands this. Staff follow a “10 feet greet” rule. Every time a staff member comes within 10 feet of any other customer or coworker, you must smile. If you run a service firm, make smiling a ‘non-negotiable’ behaviour.

The Chinese proverb ‘Don’t open a show unless you like to smile’, has more than a ring of truth to it.

Popularity: 12% [?]

When you discover a compelling difference that sets you apart from your competitors leverage it for all you are worth.

Commerce Bank, from New Jersey, offers its customers extended opening hours - which typically run from 7:30am to 8pm, 7 days a week. These operating hours mean Commerce Bank is open for more hours than any other bank.

To drive its difference home, the branches follow the ten-minute rule. Branches open 10 minutes early in the morning and stat open ten minutes later than the official closing time. Can you remember the times when you ran towards your bank to see the staff close the doors at 4:59pm?

The 10 minutes dramatizes Commerce Bank’s key differentiator by adding an additional burst of creative magic.

Popularity: 100% [?]

One of the things that I admire about Disney World is the way it transforms its low paid workforce into a cast of brand evangelists.

Walt Disney understood that the words we use frame the way we think and often behavior. Disney created his own language to support the Disney mission of delivering happiness through entertainment.

In Disney Speak:

• Rides or shows are always called ATTRACTIONS
• Employees are always CAST MEMBERS
• Customers are always called GUESTS
• Jobs are always called ROLES

On the surface, language can seem superficial or trite. But words create images that reinforce assumptions. Take the word GUEST. A disgruntled customer evoked a different image to an unhappy guest. Guests always deserve special treatment, while customers often evoke images of indifference.

If you want to create a service culture where staff stay in role or on-brand, start by changing the vocabulary you use to label staff, roles and customers. The right words really can mobilize your culture.

Popularity: 22% [?]

Most of us are appalling listeners. We may have 2 ears and 1 mouth - but we rarely use them in the proportions nature allocated us.

The famous editor, Maxwell Perkins (1884-1947) who is credited with popularizing Ernest Hemingway, believed no one really listens at most social events. To test his theory, he turned up late to a cocktail party where he grasped his hostess’s hand and said, “I’m sorry I’m late but it took me longer to strangle my aunt than I had expected.” “Oh, I completely understand,” replied the hostess, smiling sweetly, “I’m so happy you could come.”

Listening takes place on different levels. At level 1, the person simply hears us, but makes no attempt to emotionally engage. think of the bartender who doesn’t smile or affirm your order but turns to the fridge and gets the bottle of Stella Artois you ordered.

At level 2 the barman would make good eye contact and smile.

Level 3 listening involves engaging a person so they feel that they are the only person. They attentively listen to ever word you say and engage you emotionally.

All staff engaged in customer contact need to be able to listen at level 3. Can you?

Popularity: 14% [?]

In the 1900’s all train passengers traveling from East Germany to West Berlin had to pass through Checkpoint Charlie.

At the border, an East German officer would check all passports and travel documents. As the officer checked each passengers papers he asked the same 3 questions:

1. Who are you?
2. Why are you here?
3. Where are you going?

These 3 fundamental questions were all the officer needed to ask to test the validity of the family’s travel plans.

When you are selling to customers you need to be able to answer three questions that your customers will ask of you:

1. What makes you different?
2. What makes your company different to other vendors?
3. What makes your company’s product or solution different to your competitors?

Before you ever sell to a customer you need to be able to answer these 3 questions with clarity and conviction.

Popularity: 18% [?]

I never cease to be amazed by the number of inane responses when we ring service centers.

It doesn’t matter whether its Dublin, Atlanta, or Mumbai, but the same prerecorded voice bleats out, “Your call is extremely important to us. Please hold and your call will be answered by the next available agent.”

As a customer, you know your call is not important. If it were there would be enough staff to answer the call.

Why don’t companies limit themselves to a simple sorry? Gratuitous responses simply add to the frustration of hanging on.

Popularity: 13% [?]

I have worked with Toyota and Lexus for over 20 years.

Undoubtedly, I’m biased. My wife and I both drive a Lexus. Plus, I’ve been part of numerous Toyota and Lexus product launches, branding and sales plays.

Over the years, I’ve thought deeply about what separates Toyota from its competitors.

Building cars that are relentlessly reliable and offer exceptional value explains much of Toyota’s success. But you can only do that consistently if you have a culture or mindset, that welcomes customer feedback - especially when it’s a negative.

No other company I have ever worked for embraces and faces problems or challenges like Toyota.

When Toyota discovered the average age of a Toyota buyer is about forty-five, compared with about thirty-seven for Honda and thirty-two for Mitsubishi, they set about building a brand that would win the hearts of the next generation of consumers by launching a new brand called Scion in the U.S.A.

The median age for Scion buyers is thirty-five. More importantly, 76% of Scion buyers have never bought a Toyota before.

Compare this to GM who spent years trying to rescusitate Oldsmobile with slogans such as “This is not your father’s automobile” and “A New Generation of Olds.” The campaigns didn’t work. So in 2000, GM killed off Oldsmobile.

Popularity: 93% [?]

Most of us are familiar with the power of goal setting. Setting SMART goals must be one of the most common acronyms used by trainers and coaches.

SMART stands for:

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time-driven

Graham Jones and Adrian Moorehouse in their book Developing Mental Toughness, have coined a new acronym INSPIRED which I think works even better. Why? Because it adds the emotional element to goal setting which is lacking in the SMART formula.

The INSPIRED Formula is:

Internalized
Nurturing
Specific
Planned
In your control
Reviewed regularly
Energizing
Documented

Popularity: 12% [?]

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Polonius advises his son Laertes

“This above all, — to thine own self be true. And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.”

In one insightful quote, Shakespeare tells us what it is to be real — to be authentic.
Shakespeare tells us there are two tests for authenticity

1. You have to be true to yourself
2. You must be what you say to others

James Gilmore and Joseph Pine, authors of Authenticity remind us there are only two tests for authenticity. Are you authentic? Are you true to yourself? Do your customers see you as real?

Popularity: 8% [?]