We are bombarded on a daily basis with information and tasks that we often get muddled down to the point that we can’t see or focus on the more valuable things.  The words connecting or connections are great examples of this very thing and are often overused. Connecting is much more than just a relationship with someone or a group of people. Connecting is a philosophy of life, a worldview.  For example, Keith Ferrazzi in his book Never Eat Alone defines connecting as, “The constant process of giving and receiving, of asking for and offering help.”  The goal of connecting should be about finding ways to make other people around you more successful.  It is proving to others over time, that you have a what’s in it for them, rather than a what’s in it for you mentality.   

Connecting with others is not a one-time event. It requires consistent and regular communication.  However, there are some great tools available to help you make connections with others easier.  I have listed a few of them to help you start making more connections:

·         Linkedin-  http://www.linkedin.com

It provides you with a professional network of contacts. Their goal is to connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful

·         Facebook Pages for Businesses- http://www.facebook.com/FacebookPages

This is a great way for businesses to connect with their customers in a more dynamic way and to build their brand by possibility tapping into a new audience. Many successful businesses are now using social networking tools as part of their overall Marketing plan.

·         Spoke- http://www.spoke.com

Their goal is to make connecting with other business people easier and to focus on professional networking

·         Biznik- http://www.biznik.com

A community of entrepreneurs and small businesses dedicated to helping each other succeed.

·         Fast Pitch- http://www.fastpitchnetworking.com

They are a Global Network of Professionals connecting online with the primary goal to add value to their business and the community as a whole


If you are looking to grow your business or network, success may only be one connection a way. The question then is what will you do today, to make that connection?
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It takes a long time to build trust but only a moment to lose it. Most companies, particularly their sales people, know the value of customer trust. It is, without a doubt, the heart if their customer service strategy. In reality however, most companies and sales people only tell half the story, by telling their customers only what they can do for them. Though upfront this doesn’t seem such a bad business tactic, it has the potential risk of losing a customer. It simply is not enough to tell your customers what you can do for them. In order to build long term trust, you must set up realistic expectations for them upfront by also telling them what you cannot do.

Telling clients the other half of the story, you are creating a bond with them by showing them you are more interested in building a long term relationship, rather than just a quick sale.  Companies that do this well, will stand out because they are willing to go against the norm.  Southwest Airlines is a great example of a company that does this well. They are known as the “no frills” airline as they do not offer many of the amenities that most other airlines do and what experts view as “musts” for travelers. However, Southwest Airlines’ strength is that they tell their customers what they are and what they aren’t going to do for them.  Proof of their success is found in a recent study where Southwest Airlines was the airline that received fewest customer complaints. I don’t believe they could accomplish this by only telling their customers half of the story.  Some say they take a risk by not offering the amenities that their competitors offer, while others say they take a bigger risk by telling their customers what they won’t provide or do for them.  However, the fact that Southwest Airlines has been upfront, telling customers the full story, they have built a mutual, long lasting trust between themselves and their customers.

Setting up expectations with your customers needs to happen at the forefront of your business relationship.  This creates an atmosphere of trust. With trust comes better communication. And when, for example, if the customer has an issue with your product or service, they will be more apt to forgive you and allow you the time to resolve the issue before they decide to take their business elsewhere. They know you have their best interest in mind. It is my experience that customers would rather do business with a company that is upfront and honest, telling them the full story, than with a company who hides issues or hopes the customer won’t notice the issue.

Jeffrey Gitomer, author of “Little Teal Book of Trust” offers some simple but effective ways to make trust flourish with your customers:

Tell the truth (not just half)

Deliver what you promise

Do what you say you will do

Communicate in a timely manner

Bring value beyond your product or service

Be on time

Be friendly

Be sincere

Be appreciative of their business

Be grateful for the opportunity to be of service

Be consistent

Give trust

 

Source:  Gitomer, J. Little Teal Book of Trust, 2007.
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Brand Awareness 04/11/2010
 
Brand is more than image or logo.  It is more than our tag line or how we would describe our company in an elevator speech. Perhaps, many of us have not taken the time to decipher the difference between what our company’s brand looks like through the eyes of our customers verses what we, as employees, believe it to represent.  Founder of Red Zone Marketing, Maribeth Kuzmeski reminds us that “brand is how someone else describes you, your employees and your products…brand exists whether you like it or not, but you do have the power to control it.” Simply, brand is what people say about you.

When we contemplate brand, we primarily think in terms of our external customers, those that we extend our service and/or products. How often, however, do we over look our internal customers, our employees, and ask ourselves if they understand what our company represents? If our brand is what others say about us, what is more important than making sure our front line employees understand who we are? Though we know our employees are an extension of our company and understand the impact they regularly have on our customer, we often overlook what message they may be sending about our brand. It is important to recognize their value on our brand. It is equally important to realize that internal processes and procedures affect our frontline employees, which in turn, affect our brand.

The Undercover Boss, on CBS, highlights a different CEO of a major US company each week, going “undercover” in his/her company to work various frontline jobs. The goal is to see the inner workings of his or her own company, to experience firsthand the various jobs within the company; seeing if the policies and procedures they created are being followed and what impact they have on the employees. This also gives them a sense of what the employees know and believe about the brand, which is what is extended to the customers. Each week the featured CEO has an eye opening experience about how their front line employees feel about the company and in turn, their brand.

In today’s economy, companies are fighting for every dollar, which has caused us to look at how our brand is perceived by our customers, both internal and external. It is of utmost importance that all employees, especially new employees, are trained to understand the role they play in the overall brand. All employees that interact with customers need to understand they are responsible for building or tearing down brand trust and that each interaction with the customer reinforces the brand one way or another.  It is up to the management and department heads throughout the company to continually reinforce this as well as company updates on a regular basis to all employees, making certain that every employee correctly understands and protects the brand.

Do your employees know and understand your brand?  Do you know what others say about your brand?
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