Unfortunately for Simon Cowell, I think he’s become a figure some people love to hate, which no doubt fuelled the desire to ensure he didn’t get everything his own way.  But that has always been the case – customers like to feel they’re in control, not the other way around.  And that’s exactly how it should be (which is why there has been the most horrendous backlash against the Iraq war).

So, how can you harness the ‘power of the people’ in your business?

1. Listen to your customers – what are people saying about you?  Are they happy, or are they leaving dissatisfied.
2. Ask people what they think.  With modern technology, people could be writing complaints about you online without you even knowing they weren’t happy.  It’s always better to ask and deal with any issues immediately.
3. If people are happy, ask if they will put something in writing or whether you can quote them – testimonials give people a great deal of confidence in your abilities and can be used in your marketing materials.
4. Be nice – manners cost nothing and this is where Simon Cowell comes unstuck – he can be just plain rude.  I actually don’t watch X-Factor for that reason – I have no time for people being nasty to others – and neither do your customers.  If you’re a likeable person, customers will tend to stick around.
5. Get your customers and prospects together.  If you can find a way for these two groups to meet, your happy customers can do your selling for you.

Remember that the days of business being done to people are long gone – they now have a very siginificant voice.  If you’re in any doubt, just take a look at ‘United Broke My Guitar’ on YouTube.  It’s been viewed over 719,000 times.

At the end of the advert, they no longer quote their website, but ask people to ‘search for Dyson online’.  No doubt I should have seen that one coming and it’s a very interesting change.  If customers and prospects type ‘Dyson’ into Google, they will receive all sorts of information – both good and bad – about Dyson.  And that’s much more useful to a prospect than the companies own website.

It allows them to read reviews, testimonials, complaints and get a very honest impression of the company and their products.  And, honest is a key word in that sentance – if the internet can be used as a tool for keeping companies honest and actively suggesting prospects read up on their credentials and check them out, that can only bode well for the consumer – and it keeps our industry more ethical.

Of course, the companies that already lack scruples will be pushing their own ‘independent’ reviews into the online space – but it becomes more difficult to hide the people who don’t like them – especially if they’re numerous.  (If you doubt customer power, just look at ‘you broke my guitar’ and see what happened to United Airlines when they refused to take one disgrtuntled customer seriously.)

The marketing world’s a much more interesting space now customers can talk back!

Please ensure that you cover the four Ps first, then have a look at the additional three.  You need all seven when looking at services marketing.

The next layer is as follows…

P – People

If your company ‘sells’ services, they are usually inseparable from the people who deliver them; making your people crucial to your marketing mix.  Effective training, customer service, relationship marketing and standardised forms of delivery all play a part in this aspect of the marketing mix.  How many strategies do you have for developing your people?  Do you have scripts and templates to help ensure each person delivers to the same high standards?

P = Processes

Which brings us nicely to processes.  These are important in any business, but with services they assist in standardising delivery.  If you imagine a company with two offices, selling accountancy services.  You may have the same branding over the door, and the customers will have the same expectations from each office, but the individuals delivering the service can make the difference between happy and unhappy customers.  Processes seek to standardise the delivery as much as possible – so the customer always receives the same level of service on every occasion.  (MacDonalds provides a great example of this in action.)

P = Physical Evidence

Because customers cannot touch and feel your ‘product’, they often require more tangible extras to encourage them to buy.  This physical evidence can take the form of brochures, websites, testimonials from existing clients; anything that helps the customer understand what you deliver and how you deliver it and reassures them that you do what you say.  How many strategies do you have for increasing the physical evidence you have available and do you know which are most suited to your target audience?

See tomorrow’s post for more specific information on marketing services.

Trust is a vital component in any sale; particularly a long-term purchase or with intangible purchases (like a service you can’t touch or hold in your hand).  But many business owners overlook its importance, or fail to take the time for customers to build trust and get to know the sales person.

They say it takes on average seven points of contact before someone will buy from you – and credibility is the reason why.  If people don’t trust you first, they’re unlikely to part with any money.

So, how can you build trust or credibility? Our top five tips are as follows…

1. Have a clear brand, through signage, business cards, telephone numbers etc.  People are happier with landline numbers that are local, rather than PO box numbers and mobiles.  And they like to know who they’re dealing with, so keep things simple and clear.
2. Ease of contact – is your telephone number easy to find on your literature and website?  Do you encourage people to call you and make it easy for them to do so?
3. Stick to your promises – if you say you’ll call back, call back.  As and when you promised.
4. Provide testimonials – let your customers see what other people say about you.  That’s far more convincing than any sales pitch.
5. Give something away for free – with services, it’s great if you can offer a tip or a piece of advice for free, especially if it proves you are great at your job.  If it’s products, offer a guarantee – put your money where your mouth is if your products are fantastic, instead of asking the customer to take all the risk.  You’ll be surprised how powerful it is.

When you take the time to build trust with your customers, they’ll reward you by referring you to other people and put their reputation on the line based on their relationship with you.

And, then you’re on your way to the third and final step…Profitability (see Monday’s blog for more…)