Note: Wisdom on Wednesday has gotten a face-lift! Please visit our new site at www.wisdomonwednesday.com. There, you’ll find tons of new features like: mp3s of Joe’s radio shows, Joe’s Twitter and LinkedIn profiles, sources of related reading, and more!
Remember the Wizard of Oz? Dorothy and the gang had to head into the enchanted forest. They were holding each other close, frightened about the unexpected. I think a lot of you feel the same way when it comes to social networking. It’s not worth fighting–you’re going to lose if you ignore the power of social networking. Scott Grall, our resident expert in this area illustrates this point beautifully below:
I remember, when I was young, my grandpa would stop by with a thermos of coffee and some doughnuts. He would end up talking to my mom for hours about the gossip of the town. They would even talk about how they were treated at the local grocery store or my grandpa would talk coffee shop. Eventually, after a week or two, that word would spread throughout the family, then eventually to friends.
Times have changed, that’s for sure. Now, when I have a positive experience, negative experience or any type of experience at all, I immediately go to Twitter on my Blackberry and Tweet about my experience. Instantly, word about a particular business or subject reached thousands of people, just from a few comments I posted.
In today’s business climate, it is imperative you know what your customers are saying about your business – good or bad. It is equally important in how your business reacts and interacts with customers in the social network universe.
This is why we now have an On-Line Marketing Department, where we create websites, develop on-line marketing strategies, create and monitor social network platforms and help train media groups to utilize and monetize websites.
It’s a big, fast-moving social networking world out there, and if you need help or simply answers to your questions, e-mail me. So bottom line, the world is changing at a rapid pace and the corner coffee shop has grown to a global one!
Scott Grall
ACTION PLAN: Start simple with just setting up a Facebook or Twitter account. Pick one or two platforms and experiment a bit!
When it comes right down to it do you see customer complaints as an opportunity or a hassle? Most people see them as a hassle. Those who see them as an opportunity really “wow†their customers. I’ve heard that Four Seasons Hotels, one of the finest in customer service, will put the beverage preferences of each customer in their database.
For example, if you were to book a room as a first time customer they will ask you what you would like to have waiting on ice in your room when you arrive. You say, “Diet Coke.†Diet Coke will forever be in their database for future visits. If you show up a year later at any one of their locations, voila, Diet Coke is waiting.
I’ve been told that if you’re a frequent traveler, they will place the wrong product in your room on purpose and then, five minutes after you arrive, will knock on your door holding the proper product with an apology. “Hello Mr. Kiedinger, I apologize we accidentally put Diet Pepsi and not Diet Coke in your room. Enjoy your stay.â€
How about when a customer complains? Do you have systems in place to win the customer over for life? It’s only through a sharing of concerns can you uncover what your customers truly want. Sometimes you can’t deliver what they want and that’s ok too, but at least open conversation can begin.
Finally, I would like to talk about passive complaints, the ones you never hear about, but you discover and react upon. I would like to give a local example. My wife discovered a new shoe company called Okobos. She, through their website, inquired about shoes back in September. She never heard a response back until April when she received a message from a very apologetic owner who explained that her email was accidentally overlooked. She then asked Danica her shoe size because she wanted to give her a pair of Okobos. One week later two pairs arrived in her size.
Wow! Danica loved the sandals she received and Okobos won a raving fan. This experience was also launched out across 7 countries and 50 states through Wisdom On Wednesday! See, it pays to be proactive when you make a mistake!
Joe
Action Plan:Â Develop systems of handling customer complaints. The first step is to gather the facts and act quickly! Now go do it!
Some people would consider me to have a “control†mentality, meaning I strive to control the things in my life. It’s true I do like to take control and create things my way, no doubt. However, I found a few years ago that sometimes fighting to stay in control actually takes control out of your hands.
When I made this realization it dawned on me that life is like a river. Sometimes it’s calm and easy to navigate. Sometimes there are rocks in the water that are easy to avoid. Other times, the river is rolling downhill with lots of rocks that are very difficult to steer around. It all depends what boat you’re in, really.
My old self used to ride down the river of life in a nice powerboat with beautiful fiberglass shell that sparkled in the sunlight. The problem was when the waters became rough, meaning when things happened that were out of my control, my boat would hit the rocks and by the end of the turmoil my boat was all marked up and scratched. I would hold resentment and anger for absolutely no reason.
I learned to trade in my old boat in for a more practical one. Now I try to ride the river of life in big inner tube. This is the perfect vehicle of choice. When the water is calm I can paddle and kick myself around. When a rock appears I can position my legs to gently push away from the hazard. And when the water becomes rough and things happen in life that are out of my control I can curl in my limbs and allow the inner tube to bounce off objects all the while screaming, “Weeeeee!â€
This may sound exaggerated but I assure it isn’t in my world. I literally will say, “Weeee!†in my office when something comes up that was unexpected, especially when the information is not so positive. I believe the best word to express this philosophy is “surrenderâ€.
Sometimes we need to surrender to what life brings and just see what happens. This surrender brings peace and clarity. It allows you to lead others and yourself with a calm confidence that promotes hope and productivity. Surrender with me today to the things we can’t control and help steer the things we can.
Joe Kiedinger
ACTION PLAN: Sign up for our FREE Road Show event coming up July 16th in De Pere!
Ten years ago a couple of guys began something that many thought would never fly. You see the reason for this doubt is based on the two businesses that are the most difficult to sustain: live theater and restaurants. These guys combined them by beginning a dinner theater. Nuts, huh?
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I wrote about this theater in chapter eight of my book, The Brander-In-Chief. However, what I didn’t tell you is that Mel is really created out from my own experience. Mel is really Frank from Frank’s Dinner Theater which is now Let Me Be Frank Productions.
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Frank has proven that passion and vision can persevere. His theater is for profit, all the talent is paid and it is Frank’s career. What I also didn’t tell you is I was that other guy who, ten years ago, said, “Yeah, what the heck, let’s do it.†Yes, even when combining the two worst industries (percentage of success wise) together, success can still be found.
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Today, Let Me Be Frank Productions is a staple at the historical Meyer Theater in downtown Green Bay. We began in an upstairs banquet room of a corner bar. I had to drop out once I started this business and my young family. People would refer to our group as “The Saturday Night Live†of theater. Even guys like to see these shows. It’s that brand that has built Frank’s into what it is today.
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I’m proud to say I had a role in getting Frank’s started, but I know it would happen anyway based on Frank’s drive and creativity. I’m also proud to announce that I will be in their 10th anniversary show, The Groovy 70’s; the original show title that Frank and I wrote. Of course this show is a show about how we wrote the first show. Did you follow that?
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If you like to laugh, love 70’s music, and want to see me in a leisure suit, you’ll love The Groovy 70’s! It opens this weekend and continues through the first three weekends in June. The moral of the story here is to follow your passion and the money will follow. Most people chase the money. Don’t be a chaser, be authentic and do what you were destined to do!
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