I’ve just been to lunch in a small independent cafe, I try wherever I can to use small businesses for obvious reasons! What a pity, I don’t think I’ve had such a stressful experience getting served in such a long time.

Putting that to one side and whilst I waited an age for my elusive cappuccino, I noticed something interesting. Every time a waiter (there were several) interacted with a customer, their first word was sorry…..sorry to keep you waiting, sorry you haven’t been served yet, sorry your order is taking a while!

What a way to start a relationship with a customer and a new one in my case. Even if things are not right, and don’t get me wrong the ’sorry’ bit is a direct result of something going terribly wrong way up the customer process chain, try and think of starting the opening sentence with something a little more positive.

It’s an interesting thought that this cafes most used word was sorry, made me think what mine was and perhaps it might make you think of what your most used word is with customers. Whatever it is make sure its a positive, dynamic one!

The cafe in question, I give it 8 months!!!!

Been thinking over the weekend, aided by the bad weather and nothing else to do, what small businesses need to be concentrating on. It seems sensible to be throwing a lot of thought into the following:

1. In a crowded market place, build a sense of exclusivity or differentiation from the surrounding clutter.

2. Our prospects are tired, it’s a matter of turning their opinions and pre conceptions on their head. Period.

3. It strikes me that going against what your competition boasts is a good start.

4. Market your company’s characteristics, values and ideas rather than price.

5. Have conversations with your customers don’t just communicate.

6. Customers don’t compare products with products anymore, they compare the experience with the experience.

Just a couple of questions:

1. What two ideas have you created, developed, influenced, launched so far this year?

2. Are you making waves or simply bobbing along hoping for the best?

Answers on a postcard please…………………..!

Running a small business is sometimes like trying to push an elephant up hill. Small business owners are forever trying to do everything themselves. Understandable I know, because often they feel they can’t afford it or can’t justify the cost. And that’s the point, we see it as a cost not an investment.

Looking at small businesses that are successful, what is clear is that the founder, managing director, chief executive, who provided the early, initial motivation, products or service were quick to recognise that it’s not just about products and customers, it was actually about putting the right people around them. Not just employees (if you choose that route) but if you outsource too. They understood that when they had a problem or challenge they hit the right button with an outside person to get them over the hump.

So when you have a marketing problem, go get a good marketing consultancy. If you have a financial issue, go get a financial adviser who understands business. If you have a management problem, go get a management consultancy. Be clear about what you want, what you need to change and what the return on investment is going to be.

Success is about putting the right people around you. Invariably you really can’t do it all yourself, if you do, your business will experience complete limited growth.

There is no such thing as a sole entrepreneur! So do you want to grow your business or not?

Great post by Mark Ramsay at:

www.hear2.com/2008/05/it-doesnt-have.html

In the New Scientist (19th April 2008) they mention in their Evolution feature on page 30 that “You Don’t have to be perfectly adapted to survive, you just have to be as well adapted as your competitors are.” Whilst this may be true in the animal kingdom, evolution over a relatively short time in the business world, has determined those days have long gone. Thank goodness!

Being good enough to be just as bad as your competitors sends an interesting and telling message to customers. Those companies that are doing well in crazy times are breaking the rules, generating creativity, standing out from the crowd and, perhaps in some instances, not giving a damn what their competition is doing.

Differentiating ourselves at every stage in the business process is mandatory. Knowing what makes us distinctive and then communicating that in a compelling message captures customers imaginations.

Sometimes it’s the right thing to do your own thing!

Learn a little more in the free e-book at www.clarityprojects.co.uk

I supply a lot of training to business support agencies funded by the government. I enjoy doing them and I meet some great people running businesses. Yesterday I got a letter from one of them, who will remain nameless, addressed to “Dear Valued Supplier.” It annoyed me…if I’m particularly valued why haven’t they addressed me by my name?

Fundamental mistake in marketing no business, if you are addressing a letter to someone never ever make it ambiguous. Be courteous and get straight to the point…Dear Ann, Hi Ann or whatever! It’s unbelievable that basic errors like this are being made.

Rant over…….!

I spent quite a bit of time in the car today which got me thinking (to pass the time.) What are some of the key questions we should be asking ourselves on a regular basis. You know the ones we avoid immediately as soon as they enter our head, or, the ones our staff possibly ask themselves each day. Anyway I came up with five:

1. How would your customers recognise you if you got rid of your company logo?

2. What if your best customer was about to go and do business elsewhere?

3. What if your exceptional reputation for customer service was based on just a couple members of your staff or team?

4. What else would you do at work if you had an extra hour a day?

5. Which customers should you be picking the phone up to tomorrow…. urgently?

I’m not saying what you come up with you might do, but hey it may get you thinking!!! What other questions should we be posing?

On this hot, sunny day in the UK, I’m cheating on my blog today but then Seth Godin is just saying what’s key in marketing and as always I couldn’t have put it better myself. He has just posted a blog that is cut and pasted below: (it’s okay he is allowing people to do it!) I particularly like the one about static marketing budgets! For further information on Seth go to www.sethgodin.com

What Every Good Marketer Knows:

• Anticipated, personal and relevant advertising always does better than unsolicited junk.
• Making promises and keeping them is a great way to build a brand.
• Your best customers are worth far more than your average customers.
• Share of wallet is easier, more profitable and ultimately more effective a measure than share of market.
• Marketing begins before the product is created.
• Advertising is just a symptom, a tactic. Marketing is about far more than that.
• Low price is a great way to sell a commodity. That’s not marketing, though, that’s efficiency.
• Conversations among the members of your marketplace happen whether you like it or not. Good marketing encourages the right sort of conversations.
• Products that are remarkable get talked about.
• Marketing is the way your people answer the phone, the typesetting on your bills and your returns policy.
• You can’t fool all the people, not even most of the time. And people, once unfooled, talk about the experience.
• If you are marketing from a fairly static annual budget, you’re viewing marketing as an expense. Good marketers realize that it is an investment.
• People don’t buy what they need. They buy what they want.
• You’re not in charge. And your prospects don’t care about you.
• What people want is the extra, the emotional bonus they get when they buy something they love.
• Business to business marketing is just marketing to consumers who happen to have a corporation to pay for what they buy.
• Traditional ways of interrupting consumers (TV ads, trade show booths, junk mail) are losing their cost-effectiveness. At the same time, new ways of spreading ideas (blogs, permission-based RSS information, consumer fan clubs) are quickly proving how well they work.
• People all over the world, and of every income level, respond to marketing that promises and delivers basic human wants.
• Good marketers tell a story.
• People are selfish, lazy, uninformed and impatient. Start with that and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what you find.
• Marketing that works is marketing that people choose to notice.
• Effective stories match the worldview of the people you are telling the story to.
• Choose your customers. Fire the ones that hurt your ability to deliver the right story to the others.
• A product for everyone rarely reaches much of anyone.
• Living and breathing an authentic story is the best way to survive in an conversation-rich world.
• Marketers are responsible for the side effects their products cause.
• Reminding the consumer of a story they know and trust is a powerful shortcut.
• Good marketers measure.
• Marketing is not an emergency. It’s a planned, thoughtful exercise that started a long time ago and doesn’t end until you’re done.
• One disappointed customer is worth ten delighted ones.
• In the googleworld, the best in the world wins more often, and wins more.
• Most marketers create good enough and then quit. Greatest beats good enough every time.
• There are more rich people than ever before, and they demand to be treated differently.
• Organizations that manage to deal directly with their end users have an asset for the future.
• You can game the social media in the short run, but not for long.
• You market when you hire and when you fire. You market when you call tech support and you market every time you send a memo.
• Blogging makes you a better marketer because it teaches you humility in your writing.

I know it’s easier said than done but by following just a few of his principles you might find your marketing works better. In my e-book I talk about some similar things. For a free copy go to www.clarityprojects.co.uk

I recently had a holiday in the Canary Islands and very nice it was too! Everyday, well almost everyday, we caught the free shuttle bus from the hotel down to the beach and village (a short 1.5km) to do what your average holiday maker does on holiday. What was interesting was that the bus driver (on his own accord) gave out small boiled sweets to all the passengers both going out and coming back! Small gesture but huge feel good feel factor. He didn’t need to do. His motivation, to make people feel welcome to his island and so he could engage in conversation!

This just proves that great customer service can be so very, very simple or should I say we need to keep it simple. It’s those things that make a huge difference and engender loyalty to your product, service and brand.

Intrinsically motivating your customer – making them feel good about the purchase, gaining their trust and respect, understanding their values, over delivering, saying thanks and appealing to them is far more powerful than extrinsically motivating them - giving them materialistic rewards such as money off vouchers and buy one get one free. It’s essentially making your only differentiating factor price which, of course, is not sustainable.

Provide customers with great service, a few simple, low cost great surprises along the way (the sweets) and ensure any customer retention strategy has gaining customer trust and respect at it’s core. That’s what customer service should be about. Perhaps a little more creative thought required but isn’t that the point?

I read Chris Anderson’s book a while ago and have just re read it. Its an interesting look at the future trends using the media and entertainment industries as an example. I’d recommend the book to anyone who has an interest in how business could work, actually is working now and in the future. You can see a preview of his thoughts in a video on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Yku0GTrcuw and have an option to download the full video when you are there.

Enjoy.