CUSTOMER AND KING.

Is the customer always right? It's a question that's guaranteed to generate debate. Many of us think 'yes' the customer is always right - even when clearly, they are not. Others argue 'no', the customer isn't always right, and in fact, can be completely wrong, often expecting unrealistic and inappropriate outcomes and responses we simply shouldn't provide. Yet others hedge their bets and say 'maybe - it all depends on the circumstances'.

My answer to the question 'is the customer always right?' is Yes - in their opinion.

You can argue with them until you're blue in the face, but once a customer has decided they're right and you're wrong, almost nothing you can do, now or in the future, will change their mind. In fact, once they've decided to defend their position,if they feel they are being challenged or attacked, they'll often look for even more evidence to support their case in an effort to 'prove you wrong' and vindicate themselves. As many as 9 out of 10 of us will go out of our way to tell others about our experience if we feel aggrieved, sometimes exaggerating the truth somewhat in the process. And word of mouth has been joined by word of mouse as we let our fingers do the talking on blogs, social networking sites and email.

So what can you do to placate someone who is adamant that you've failed them in some way and reduce the risk of them heading into a tail-spin and telling anyone who'll listen how aggrieved they feel?

Don't take it personally. No matter how angry or aggressive they may be, stay calm, keep your cool and avoid taking it personally. Try and remain as objective as possible.

Avoid arguing with them Let them air their grievances in full without justifying or defending your position.

Simply listen. Allowing them to say their piece without interrupting will make them feel they've been heard and treated with some level of respect.

Identify key points that need to be addressed Calmly reflect back any critical issue(s) that may need to be addressed to enable you to move forward and offer one or more solutions.

Explain the likely follow-up process Let them know what to expect from here on in. Provide factual information regarding what you'll do now, how long the process might take, who may get back to them and by when. Avoid making any claims you may not be able to deliver on.

Stick to your commitments If you say you'll get back to them within 30 minutes, make sure you do so - even if you're unable to offer any solution just yet.

Offer solutions likely to be agreeable to them Anticipate possible solutions and offer them as appropriate. Few complainants expect the earth - most simply want to be heard, treated with respect and recompensed in an appropriate way.

Thank them for their feedback Tough as it may seem, thanking them for their feedback allows them to feel they were right in some way and they may have helped improve things for others. They may never use you again, but you'll have minimised the risk of them bad-mouthing you to others.

Nobody's perfect. Mistakes and complaints happen. How you handle them determines whether you'll maintain a positive reputation and have people speaking well of you to others.

SOURCE

www.hannahsamuel.com.

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How to Building Customer Loyalty through Brand Equity

What emotion do your customers experience when they interact with your company? What impression do you or your employees, internal systems and products make on your customers and business partners? What is the essence of your company that will stand the test of time?

In my BLASTTM Marketing System, I spend a lot of time teaching entrepreneurs the importance of creating both a business and a personal brand to support their business. A brand is created using a variety of different marketing messages, images and touch points and goes far beyond your logo, websites and brochures. It is about emotion and thought. When customers hear your business name what comes to mind? What is the lasting impression? For example, when you think of FedEx, what comes to mind? How about "When you absolutely have to get it there overnight" and did the big plane they use on their commercials pop in your head? Or when you are talking with a client and you need to overnight something do you find yourself just automatically saying, "I'll FedEx that to you" as though FedEx is a verb?

How about Walt Disney? What comes to mind? What is the lasting impression? How about "Happiest place on earth" or the word Magic? Disney went out of his way to leave a lasting impression and to create a world of fantasy, happiness and imagination and everything about Disney, supported that impression. If I start singing "I am stuck on Band Aid Brand because……. Can you finish the phrase? Are you singing "Because Band Aid's stuck on me" Chances are you even are remembering a story perhaps in your childhood when you used Band Aid' product.

When companies have successfully connected with their customers and live and breathe every moment in support of that connection, is when they create a brand - an emotional element connected to your company, its people, its process and all of its points in between that support that emotional connection. So what are the points in between? Simply, anyway your company touches a client or potential client. It could be your people and their behaviors, your internal systems - technology, invoices, phone, website, etc. and your external systems - your product, how the product is delivered, your marketing and your customer service. When this connection happens, your customers become loyal to your brand.

To build equity in customer relationships develop a concrete brand strategy using one word - three simple letters: BID- Brand Promise, Identity and Deliver your Promise.

B - Brand Promise

Your brand promise should be compelling and unique. It must make a public statement that your product will perform the way the customer expects each and every time. It becomes reliable and creates and resonates emotionally with your target audience. It should be short and truly represent why you are different - "when it absolutely has to get there overnight"

I - Identity

Your identity defines who you are and more importantly why you are in business. You should focus defining yourself strategically rather than the functions you perform. Focus on your core values, core differentiators and the markets you serve. Know who you are with confidence and conviction and your customers will come to rely on that identity.

D - Deliver Your Promise

Your promise delivery will make or break your brand. As the old saying goes "practice what you preach". You promise should permeate your entire culture and everything that touches the client should support your brand promise and reinforce your brand identity. There are never any exceptions and the minute you make one, the minute you lose credibility and trust with your customer.

To build brand equity and customer loyalty, you must have a strong company identity that people can relate to and a public commitment or guarantee, that people can expect each and every time they engage your organization including your employees, internal and external systems and actual product or service delivery. By mastering BID, you will create a loyal relationship with your customers, similar to the Blindly Proud Grandparents from my last article "Master Strategy: Know Your Customer"

sources:
www.KellieDandrea.com
www.blastmarketing.blogspot.com

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Find Your Target Market - Make Money Fast

If you want to know how to make money fast, the answer lies within your marketing. Promoting to anybody and everybody is not going to get the job done.Advertising and marketing will sum up the type of success your home business has. However, if you really want to make money fast, you need to find your target market.

Your target market consists of people who are interested in what you have to offer. These are people that are looking for your niche and want the product you have to offer. Although it will cut down the amount of people that see your ads, finding your target market will drastically increase your internet income.

You have probably heard before that there is no such thing as bad traffic. While this statement is true, there is such thing as wasted traffic. Promoting their business to anybody and everybody is a mistake far too many entrepreneurs make. The end result is they receive visitors who have no intention of buying anything or even staying that long.

As a result, you end up wasting several hours on marketing that is going to get you nowhere. Instead, why not focus your marketing efforts on a specific group of people? This can cut back on the amount of people you market to, but you want to make sure you still spend as much time promoting your home business opportunity as you are today.

You are probably wondering how you can go about finding your target market now that you know how to make money fast by finding your target market,. There are several different methods you can use to find that particular market to promote to.

One of the most effective methods is posting in forums. There are hundreds of forums on the internet to post in and many are geared toward specific categories or niches. This allows you to talk to people who are interested in the niche you are in. Instead of just putting up an ad, you will get the chance to actually talk to prospects and let them know who you are. This is the perfect opportunity to build relationships and gain the trust of people.

Another method you can look into is writing articles. By writing articles, you can then submit your articles to hundreds of different article directories. You will find various categories and sub-catergories within each directory that you can submit your article under. As people read your article, they can then make their way to your web site with the link you place in your resource box.

If you want to know how to make money fast on the internet, you need to begin focusing on your target market. It is a waste of your time advertising to anybody and everybody. Start finding your target market and putting your time to better use.

SOURCES

http://www.wcgem.com

WWW.wikipedia.com

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How to Respond to Positive/Negative Mentions of your Brand

Publicity ISN'T always good publicity, and in an age where information, good or bad, spreads like wildfire, it's important to know how to respond to publicity on the internet to avoid nasty exposure and capitalise on positive comments. In order for you to build a Google CV that will see your name / brand name off to a good start it is essential that you respond to and manage all negative and positive comments on the web.

As bloggers aren't necessarily professional journalists, you may find yourself defending your brand against false allegations, or being praised outright.
Here are some pointers on how to respond to positive and negative mentions of your brand:

DO
• Use the opportunity to spark up conversation, increase your online presence and convince any negative blogger/commenter to see your side of the argument. • Set the record straight with the truth if the publicity is incorrect.
• Be responsive and don't let any press pass you by (a bit of online reputation management will ensure that this doesn't happen).
• Use the opportunity to receive honest feedback. Enquire about the details for the positive or negativity and you'll be one step closer to perfecting your product or service.
• Drown it out. Sometimes it's impossible to change opinions or have negative comments removed - and if this bad press appears at the top of your Google CV, then it's imperative that you do something about it as soon as possible. Create content that will overshadow the negative press, and hopefully push it down the ranks to a less noticeable position.
• Distinguish yourself from others with the same name who are receiving bad publicity.
• If all else fails when taking care of negative publicity, compile a formal press release featuring the correct information and syndicate online (but be sure not to draw unintentional attention to the bad press).
• Publicise positive mentions of your brand via social bookmarking to increase your web presence.

DON'T

• Don't pretend to be someone else and try to change opinions or praise your own brand. Not only is this morally questionable, but it is easily spotted, and can end in disaster.
• Don't try and censor a blogger. Bloggers really don't like this, and this could end up in an all-out war.
• Don't discuss your competitors. If it's not their argument, leave them out or you may see an extremely nasty situation unfold.
• Stand up for yourself, but never lose your cool and/or retaliate… Never.
• Legal counsel may come in handy, but only as a last resort - never use legal back up as a threat.

The bottom line: The internet is a medium that facilitates communications, connections and opinions. Use it to the best of your ability and you will see a sparkling set of results when a search is conducted for your name. But be patient - as these listings are organic and not paid for it will take time.

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Starting a Business with 7 things

1) Why are you starting up a business?

Setting up a business is a time intensive task - you need to be dedicated and focused in order to be successful. The rewards of starting up your own business can be great, but think carefully if you have the attributes and right sort of personality to cope with going it alone. What is your goal for starting a business? Is it financial reward or the freedom that comes from being your own boss? What is your motivation?

2) Skills

Identify your skills and particularly your weaknesses. Be honest and ask others for input. If you are less hot in certain areas, outsource these areas of the business or seek professional advice when you need it. Spend your time doing what you are good at.

3) Company Structure

You will need to decide what business structure you will trade under (sole trader, limited company, or partnership) and what obligations and responsibilities you will have as the owner of a new business.

4) Funding

Even if you have the best idea in the world, you are unlikely to make a killing instantly. Make sure you have enough money to live on for 6 to 12 months before committing yourself to self-employment. Alternatives include approaching the bank or an investor. Both these options will require a solid business plan.

5) Competition

Thoroughly research all your competitors. Identify weaknesses they may have and try to ensure your product or service is better. Competition is a very healthy thing, but you need to do constant research and never be complacent.

6) Marketplace

Make sure that there is a market for your product or service. Do plenty of market research and take notice of what your potential customers tell you. You can get very useful feedback that will improve your product or service.

7) Marketing

How are you going to reach you target market? The best product in the world will fail if it has no route to market. Think about your ideal customer - what do they do? What do they read? Where do they go? If you can answer these questions you will begin to identify the best places to advertise.

The author of this article is Tref Griffiths who is the CEO of the online speed-networking website http://www.networkology.com

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