This is a huge move for Domino’s.

Disclosure: I haven’t had the ‘new’ Dominoes and it’s been a while since I had the ‘old’ one too. Nevertheless, this is a clever campaign and very well done video. Nice work Domino’s and team!

The initial look of the site was great. Clearly they’ve done some nice design work. But seems like someone forgot the customer experience and why people actually visit retailers’ websites…to look at product!

There’s no where on this page to find what products they carry. The only way is to click on View Flyer and then have to enter a postal code. I don’t want to see a flyer with some products, I want to search as I please…is that so much to ask?

In this day and age it’s surprising to see that Zellers shows so little of what they carry. Maybe I’m missing something here? If I am, do let me know…BTW, I never found what I was looking for (I headed for another retailer’s site).

Intense Debate replied with a very detailed and honest answer about how their product can and can not be used.

Disqus replied with “You can use Disqus”, that’s it.

I’ve heard great things about both companies and products. But as someone that really values customer service and support it’s interesting to note how different the responses were.

Consulting Methods to Keep Clients

Consulting Proposals: Winning Strategies

A Big Marketing Mistake: The Cookie Jar

Here’s an ad I just saw on CNN.com this morning. I haven’t had a chance to contact the advertiser and so I can’t say whether or not this ad is actually selling any product. But you gotta wonder.

As seen on CNN.com

Here’s an ad for a Stainless Canteen from uscanteen.com. The ad doesn’t look bad, but here’s the biggie…why is a woman wearing the canteen? This is supposed to be a gift for a man. This ad got my attention, but putting the canteen on a woman takes away the ‘manliness’ quality and gives it more of a modern chic look.

Maybe you’ll have a different view, if you do I’d love to hear it. But this seems like advertising gone wrong.

Don’t worry. I know it sounds like I’m trying to sell you something, but I assure you I’m not. All it is is an introduction to a great video of him I just found.

If you’ve followed my work and writings over the years you’ll know I’m a big believer in the power of having a guarantee to increase sales. And not just some fluffy text in miniscule type. But one that stands out and means something.

Well, here is Dan Kennedy delivering his personal guarantee for his products. Enjoy, it’s live and it works!

Two brothers in Maine have created a new program where you can own your own lobster trap. Everything that is caught in that trap during a whole year’s season is yours. 

They guarantee you’ll get at least 48 delightful crustaceans weighing on average 1.5lbs each.

Plus, you also get clams, mussels, and other wonders from the Atlantic.

Don’t eat seafood? Hey, that’s okay. And I won’t even ask why. But there is a big marketing lesson here.

These two brothers have run with a classic strategy that works. They’ve take the structure and model of “own your own olive tree” or apple, or vineyard section, etc. These biz models are popping up all over the place.

People like to call something their own. It’s impressive, and if you like wine, apples, olive oil, or lobsters it’s a good deal.

They definitely charge you a premium here. In the case of the lobsters they charge $2,995 a year. 48 lobsters minimum at $15/lb (let’s say standard price), that’s $22.50 per lobster and $1080 for 48. But these guys give you so much more, a long list of goodies (see their website here).

When you ad it all up does it equal the $2,995 price tag. Probably not, but you’re getting a piece of “ownership” and this is what people love buying into. 

You see, these guys have recognized that they’re better off not just selling a product. They’re selling a whole experience and memories around that … and people are happy to pay good dollars in return.

Ask yourself, can this model be used in my business in anyway?

To your success,

Michael Zipursky

(If you didn’t read the last post, you can check it out here: Post: The Fastest Way To Gain Your Business Advantage)

I’m happy to do so Jordan. The reason why keeping your customers happy is so powerful is because your current customers, the ones that have already made a purchase from you, are many times more likely to purchase from you again.

Plus it is much easier for them to take out their money and put it in your hands. Customers have far less hesitation, and give much less thought, to buying from you again and again. Once they’ve made the first purchase, and have gone from being a prospective customer to a customer that is.

That’s why…HAPPY CUSTOMERS ARE YOUR MOST PROFITABLE, MOST VALUABLE ASSET

It’s amazing how many companies spend millions of dollars every year acquiring new customers, yet they completely lack any kind of follow up and relationship management system to keep their active customers happy.

So you have customers coming in, and customers coming out.

You can think about it like having to continuously add more water to a bath…because the drain is open and lets the water out.

Put a plug in the drain (by keeping your customers happy, which means multiple communications and meeting their expectations) and you won’t need to spend nearly as much money or time filling up the tub.

The result?

Spend a certain amount of money bringing new customers in, keep more of them as long-term loyal customers, and watch your sales and profits climb many times over.

To your success,
Michael Zipursky

Today’s topic is very dear to me. In fact, I recently wrote a book that holds today’s subject at its core, Profitable Relations.

Communications, Expectations,
Relationships, And Profit

Business books, articles, seminars , and other products filled with  promises to help you grow your business may teach you an array of ideas, theories, techniques and strategies…

…But even with all that, business owners often forget one
crucial ingredient.

Differentiating your business, whether big or small is critical to success. I’m not going to write more on that topic today…we’ll leave the importance of USP statements, vision planning and all that other good stuff for another day.

You see, even more important than your mission statement, your advantage, your selling strategy, distribution plan, or marketing materials…is one single concept so powerful and easy to use, yet it is often neglected and completely misunderstood or forgotten.

This concept is an integral part of every business. Once used, it is immensely profitable. So why do so many fail at it?

Folks I’m talking about COMMUNICATION. Not technological communications. Not technical or “efficient means” of communication.

But the basic principle of managing your customers expectations with the natural HUMAN ability most of us were given when born to communicate.

I’m going to dive in and give you an example that best explains this…

A homeowner spent $20,000 or more landscaping a new backyard, complete with a beautiful pond. The pond features a waterfall and koi fish swimming around. Lovely thing!

But each year the homeowner has to have the pond cleaned. So they call a couple of companies to come out and give an estimate to do this work. The first company comes and gives an estimate of $500. The second gives an estimate of $900.

The homeowner goes with the company A, offering the service for 5 big ones. They clean the pond, make a bit of a mess, destroy some plants and promise to come by the next week to put in new ones.

They don’t come back, don’t call to apologize. Needless to say the homeowner decides to use a different company next year.

The next year, company B is called. The homeowner figures if they spend more they’ll get better a quality service and product.

Company B says they’ll come by to give another estimate. They do. They scope out the pond and say they’ll send the estimate very soon. 1 week, 2 weeks…no estimate, no communication from company B.

The homeowner wants their pond cleaned so they call the company. “Oh, I’m sorry, I’ll send that to you right away,” says the owner of company B. Later that evening the homeowner receives an email with the estimate for $900. “Okay, we’ll do it” they think. The pond company comes provides the service, get’s their cheque and is gone baby gone.

That’s it. The homeowner doesn’t hear from that pond company until the next year.

Hello! Yeah, you reading this. Does that sound like a relationship building business approach?

Here’s another true story:
A lawyer moves into his new office. Spends $10,000 on brand new furniture. The sales woman at the store was helpful and nice. While the lawyer was making his purchase he asked the sales woman if they had a leather chair he had seen, but in a red color. The woman said she wasn’t sure but would let him know.

Long story short, she doesn’t call. He thinks about calling her, but decides to wait. End of story.

I could keep going with countless other episodes where the lack of basic communication skills gets in the way of making business successful, or taking a successful company and making it even more successful.

But for you, this is a chance.

You see, if you’re the kind of person that follows through. If you tell your customer that you’ll be in touch by Monday and you do in fact call them on Monday. You’re ahead of the game.

You’ll stand out from the competition

If you provide a service or sell a product to a customer, and a day or a couple of days after you make that sale, you give your customer a follow up call…they’ll appreciate that. They’ll be more likely to recommend you to others.

And it’s not because what you are doing is amazing. It’s because you’re doing what most others aren’t.

Most businesses, from small companies to global corporations
don’t meet their customers expectations.

Business is about building meaningful relationships with your customers. You can’t do this by selling a gizmo and stopping at that. Well, you can, but you’ll never reach your full potential. You’ll be leaving so much money on the table…

Relationships are developed through multiple communications
and the meeting of expectations.

If either the pond cleaning company or furniture salesperson had met their customers expectations they’d have an ready to buy again customer. Keep meeting your customers expectations and you’ll have a loyal customer for life.

This is a simple, fundamental, and in my mind, essential aspect of business relationships. Yet, so many don’t understand this.

Make sure your customer communications are properly in place and used consistently. Your sales and profits will soar. Your customers will love you, and you’ll enjoy business more!

If you can see value in managing customer relationships, I think you’ll find my new book, Profitable Relations a worthwhile read. In it, I lay out action steps and techniques that show you how, in a no-nonsense approach you can dramatically increase your sales and profits by giving your customers what they really want. You have nothing to lose by purchasing this book as it comes with a 90 day money back guarantee. Have a look here >>

To your success,

Michael

Air Canada has come out with a new service to “ease travellers worries.” Called On My Way the service offers travelers that have had their trip interrupted protection.

Protection in what form and from what exactly? According to the Air Canada website if you’ve been affected by harsh weather conditions that cause delays, flight and plane issues that force cancellations or pretty much anything else that restricts you from getting off the ground…then On My Way will provide assistance.

When you’ve signed up for this service you receive a special number to call. Calling that number a “special customer service agent” will rebook you on the very next flight (so you get dibs on that) and arrange for complimentary accommodations and means (that’s right, they foot the bill).

So what’s Air Canada’s strategy here? Model-wise it’s insurance. AC is betting that enough people will sign up for this service and that that number will be much higher than those caught in delays.

It’s a numbers game.

The insurance industry has made this work for years…so why not borrow this model for the airline industry?

As long as AC gets enough people to sign up…they’ll make a tidy profit.

When this first came out, naysayers demanded that AC should provide this service for free. Unlikely if not unthinkable.

 Now, before we move forward, I’m not what you’d call the biggest fan of AC to this point. I’ve been on plenty of flights with their share of problems. But as Canada’s main airline, I’ve always cheered them on, and even offered letters of advice warning on how to improve their service and avoid losing clientele.

That said, I’m a fan of this On My Way plan. The cost of $25 to $35 per flight isn’t unreasonable…and surely costs less than paying for a hotel and meals due to a delay.

 The question I pose is should some of these services not be built into the AC ticket price anyways. Here’s the thing…I’ve been on flights to Asia before, with American and Japanese carriers, and when things go wrong….when the delay turns into a longer and longer delay – resulting in extreme delays, changing planes, or needing to fly the next morning – the other airlines paid the bill for meals and hotels.

Whether these airlines still do this, I don’t know. But it’d be interesting to find out.

Back to the AC On My Way Plan. There are 2 areas that Air Canada needs to be careful with. Messing these two up and the new plan becomes a thing of the past:

A) Customer service. Sounds simple enough, but I’ve spoken to my share of customer service people that don’t know the first thing about customer service and taking care of clients and customers. These AC agents better be prepared to put out some fires (since anyone calling the number won’t be in a good mood to start with) and understand the purpose of their jobs. That is, to relieve the stress of clients and do whatever is necessary to keep them happy in a situation that isn’t happy to start with.

B) Logistics.Let’s say your flight is delayed until the next morning. You call the number. An AC agent then tells you to board a bus to your hotel. The last thing you’re going to want is to stand at a bus stop (especially if you are new to the city), board a bus and wait 30-40 mins to get to your hotel. AC must ensure that they have the logistical capability to get its clients to a hotel quickly and efficiently and that the process of them leaving the airport through to check-in is seamless.

The danger, a danger that exists with any such service offering, is that if Air Canada does not meet its customers expectations of this service (which will mainly be in the above 2 categories), customers won’t purchase the service on their next flight.

Like with any business, customer retention is just as important as customer acquisition.

Start losing customers and the numbers get wonky. And it’s all about the numbers.

It’ll be interesting to follow this as it develops.

To your success,
Michael