AMiable Solution #94: The Most Powerful Words in Marketing

Okay, we admit it: “free” is a powerful word in marketing.  Who isn’t intrigued by the notion of getting something for nothing?  In our opinion, however, it’s not one of the most powerful words you can use with your customers, clients, donors, or members.  We think four other words have far more influence on your relationships than “free.”

“I’m sorry.”  When something goes wrong, it’s easy to blame others.  Your delivery was late because our supplier was late in getting us the materials.  Your check wasn’t cut on time because we received your paperwork late.  But reflecting responsibility doesn’t solve any problems, correct future issues from occurring, or win any points with the person or organization who was wronged.  In fact, in many cases, it causes permanent damage.

According to Customer Service Manager, a U.K.-based source of news, tools, articles, and resources for customer service managers and professionals around the world, 91% of unhappy customers will not willingly do business again with a company that has “wronged” them in one way or another.  However, 56%-70% of the customers who complain will do business with the offending organization again if the organization resolves their problem, and up to 96% of them will not only do business with that organization again but will also refer other people to that organization if the organization acted quickly and to the customers’ satisfaction.   What’s more, customers who have had their problems satisfactorily resolved will tell 4-6 other people about their positive experience.

“Thank you.”  They’re among the first words we learn to use when interacting with others.  Why?  It’s more than just good manners.  It’s an act of appreciation and respect.  It’s acknowledging that someone else did something for your benefit.  And it’s a principle that should be applied to all of our relationships, personal and professional.

Offering a genuine “thank you” to those who keep us in business is a start.  But we should also thank our vendors, neighbors, suppliers, volunteers, etc., particularly when one of them does something special or exceeds “normal” expectations: gets you a great price on paper, turns an order around quicker than usual, stores your overs longer than planned, meets a short deadline.  When you say “thank you,” don’t just send an email.  Print it out—or even better, handwrite it—on letterhead and mail it.

While none of our four words will result in an immediate response, they do have another budget-friendly benefit: the sentiment required to produce them is free.

AMiable Solution #93: Provide Content that Matters

"GOOD COPY CLOSES THE DEAL"

One of the best ways to show customers, clients, members, donors, prospects, etc., that their response matters to you is to acknowledge that their time matters to them.  How do you do that?  Give them content that matters.

What makes content meaningful?  It’s succinct but informative.  You tell your readers what they need to know to make an informed decision, and you don’t drag it on longer than necessary. 

It’s also detailed but not cumbersome.  If you’re selling a new car, basic specs on the motor will suffice for most audiences, unless you’re appealing to a particular segment of audience or highlighting a unique selling feature of the engine itself.  Tout key benefits and features.

It’s written in an audience-specific, reader-friendly way.  If your audience is a technical or scientific bunch, jargon is acceptable.  For more general or lay audiences, however, jargon-free, colloquial language is best.  Keep sentences on the shorter side, but also vary length to keep readers engaged, not bored. 

Finally, make it obvious what you want your readers to do, and make it equally obvious how you want your audience to contact you.

Graphics grab attention but copy closes the deal.  Make sure your text does its job.

AMiable Solution #92: Listen and Respond

You wouldn’t ask your mother about her day and then walk away before she could answer, would you?  If you ask for or accept customer feedback but don’t do anything with it, you’re doing essentially the same thing.

Customer service isn’t something you say you have: it’s something you do.  Regularly asking for and receiving suggestions, complaints, criticisms, and requests are all part of that.  How well you handle communication with your customers, clients, donors or members can influence how long their names will be on your list and how long your name will be on their minds.

It’s easy, of course, to respond to compliments.  A thank-you email or letter acknowledges your receipt of the kind words and lets the sender know you appreciate him/her taking the time to contact you.

Suggestions and requests are pretty easy, too, particularly when the request is reasonable.  If the request requires resources you simply don’t have available at the time but think would be worth considering, consider it.  Get more feedback from the requestor.  Solicit input from other customers, either with a general request to all customers online, in email, or in direct mail or to specific customers over the phone.  Then act of it and make sure the customer who made the request is both aware of the change and thanked for it.

How do you respond, though, to complaints?  First of all, address the situation with a gracious and positive attitude.  Second, don’t be defensive.  Rather, figure out how you can make the situation right and what your organization can do internally to avoid a repeat of the situation.

Responses, no matter what kind, should always be prompt and should always be courteous.  That’s what good customer service is all about.

AMiable Solution #91: Crying Out Loud

What do commercials created specifically for The Big Game have in common?  Besides huge audiences, they also share some key approaches to communicating their message.  In the last two weeks we’ve talked about two of them: the creation of a catch phrase and the inclusion of a celebrity endorsement.  This week, we look at Big Game commercials’ use of…

3.  Emotional appeal.  Although many companies use emotional appeal in their Big Game advertising--most memorably Coca-Cola’s classic 1979 “Mean” Joe Greene commercial--none seems to out-emote the competition like Budweiser.  Sure, the company has gone the catch phrase route and conquered the comedy approach, but one other stage it lights up is emotional appeal.  Remember the Clydesdale and its trainer who were reunited in 2013?  The little Clydesdale who dreamed of putting on a harness and pulling that infamous red wagon in 2006?  The 2002 9/11 tribute?  They all left you feeling something, and not just about the action on the screen.  They also left you feeling something about the company behind the commercial.

How do they do it?  Television commercials have advantages that printed ads don’t: they make noise, they take time, they have action, and they have actors. 

But making a successful emotional appeal works just as well on paper, too.  After all, direct mail recipients see only the images that you want them to focus on, obtain more information and detail about the product or service being marketed, and have all the time they need to absorb what you’re communicating, which you can’t do on film. 

The key is to use your tools--words and graphics--to your advantage.  Instead of using industry terms and technical jargon, get colloquial.  Speak to your readers.  Paint a picture.  Tell a story.  Share a testimonial or address known reservations or concerns, and inspire a response.  Pair your copy with realistic, not overly dramatic, photos or graphics that support and elicit the emotion you’re trying to engage. 

Making an emotional connection doesn’t have to require a big production, just good planning.

Check back next week for one last marketing tip drawn from Big Game advertising.