Great News!! You Don't Need to "Engage" Customers Anymore!!!

I am writing this post from the world famous Roger Smith Hotel in NYC and the only reason I mention this is so you realize at the beginning that I was not in attendance at the event I am referencing in this post and as well I would like to say that even though I am using an example by @unmarketing I would like to say that if you read the post you will see I am not starting up with him but attempting to show another point of view to his comment in the effort to demonstrate this is an ever evolving space with the need for some fresh eyes. I should also mention that I don't know Scott except for on Twitter and haven't met him in real life so this may not be fair but I am in no way attacking him. I am sure Scott is a nice guy and he is only in the post because he inspired it...and as always, these opinions are mine and mine alone. What I am saying is that not even my mom wants to be associated with some of nonsense.

Last night as part of Social Media Week in Toronto, Scott Stratten spoke on the subject of Social Media at The Refresh Events gathering. I can't comment on the event or Scott's ability as a speaker because I wasn't there but I did see some of the tweets that came out from it and one specifically caught my eye.

This is a bold statement and one that I don't agree with.

Sure conventional Social Media wisdom says you need to respond to every comment and engage your community but since there is nothing really conventional about Social Media there can't really be conventional wisdom...or to phrase it differently, there can't be any hard and fast rules because every situation is different.

Under certain circunstances I advise companies not to engage their customers because there is no one on the team who has the correct personality/passion/disposition to do this sort of stuff. Communications is about comfort and confidence and if you don't have that person on your team you should not be putting people in a position to fail because that is just not fair.

BUT <---- I made that all caps because here comes the part that makes me look really smart and I wanted you to notice.

Even without true engagement you can still make a noticeable difference in customer care and activate customers to become more loyal and tweet about their level of satisfactions by simply listening super closely to their needs and make the necessary (if any) changes...then once the changes are made you let your customers notice on their own and let them draw their own conclusions to how or why the product or service is suddenly better. People are smart and they will notice your work.

How do I know this?

Well because just about every speaker on the Social Media speaking circuit says some version of "Your customers are talking about you weather you engage or not so you better get in there and engage" (I know because I say it in my presentations) so an assumption can be made by that logic that they will continue to talk about the "new" you and spread the word and by just listening you can still do your brand good and not ask your staff to do something they are not equipped to handle.

What says you?

p.s. This is just one example of "non engagement for fun and profit" and I could list a few more but honestly I am going to save them for a future blog post since I am finding myself too busy to come up with interesting blog content :)

I am Michael Knight, I am Michael Knight, I am Michael Knight...

I remember a long time ago watching an A&E Biography on David Hasselhoff (this was when he was still relevant) and him telling a story of before his audition for Knight Rider he drove his car all around the city saying to himself "I am Michael Knight..I am Michael Knight...I am Michael Knight".

This always kinda stuck with me because this was right out of the book "The Power of Positive Thinking" by Norman Vincent Peale but more than that I have always been intrigued by escapism and experiences and an argument could be made that The Hoff was tricking himself to offer himself a new experience.

Now I have never tricked myself into thinking that I own a members only jacket and a talking car but I do let myself escape into video games every now and then and was taken back by reading about the new Tiger Woods 10 game for the Wii because they are taking Escapism and Experience to a whole new level.

Basically you can enter yourself in golf tournaments and play along side (in real time) against all the players playing at the same time.

OK so that isn't that new or different but the thing that caught my eye was that when you do play a weekend tourney you can play the same real time tourney that the real pros are playing that weekend and to add to the experience you will play in the exact same weather and conditions of the actual course.

So if you were playing along with the US Open a few weeks back your screen would have been blanketed in rain and darkness.

This is very cool because the obvious next step, and I am sure they are working on this, would be to play along side the pros to see if you can match them shot by shot with real updates from the actual tourney. Currently they post the scores but if they could actually embed the game play of the pros it would be pretty awesome.

That my friends is the perfect combination of escapism and experience and if game companies can pull if off I think you will hear a lot of people whispering under their breath...I am Tiger Woods, I am Tiger Woods, I am Tiger Woods.

The Porn Industry is Recession proof... Be like the Porn Industry! (two blog posts in one)

The economy is on everyone's mind. People are getting laid off in record numbers and the the news is dominated by stories of the downturn....heck even Larry Flint is asking for a bailout!

Ok, I know that the Larry Flint thing is just for publicity (and it is brilliant beyond words) but it did get me thinking about if there is such a think as a recession proof business.

Without thinking too hard I have to say the answer is probably yes and the answer is the going to bring a smile to Larry's face cause it is the porn industry.


The adult industry was the first to profit from the Internet this is a fact (that I am pulling out of my head but it seems to be accurate)

I read recently that Adult DVD sales are actually decreasing as more people are spending less on just about everything. Playboy recently announced that it will stop DVD distribution and close its Los Angeles office, Hef announced that he is cutting back to only three girlfriends so it is obvious that everyone is being effected by all of this. However, adult video-on-demand (VOD) has become the growth engine of the porn biz as studios now realize that the future of the adult industry is online. VOD-related traffic and sales, while in the early stages, are increasing steadily.

You can say what you want, and feel however you feel about the porn industry but an indisputable fact is that the porn biz is one of the most pragmatic industries in the world and if there’s a way to make money, these folks will find it...and when they do, history has shown that they have opened doors for technologies to be applied in broader adoption by other businesses. Banner Ads, PPC, the battle between VHS and Beta are classic examples or Myths (depending who you speak to or what articles you read).

As long as the Adult Film industry keeps finding new ways to deliver their content and essentially giving their customer what they want, when they want it I see them being just fine.

Sure they will see a little hit to their bottom (line) but so will all companies...so in an effort to make this blog post more commercially acceptable so it can be read all over the interwebs I am now going to give you a few little pointers on how to make your company a little safer in this downturn economy...and you will notice that none of the tips are "Take your clothes off and get a web cam"

I admit these tips don't really fit in to all the talk above about VOD because the advice I am about to give you is something McDonalds has been doing for a long time. Yep I telling you ask your customers if they "Would like fries with that order". One of the best things to do in tough times is to try to generate more revenue from the people who are already using you and love you. You just have to be cool about it and not too pushy.

So here ya go:

Become Your Customer’s Customer

This is so simple but you will be amazed at how many people don't think of it. Whenever possible take advantage of the products and services offered by your clients. Chances are you are already buying things (paper, water, desks, anything really) from strangers that you could be getting from friends. Take a second a make a list of all these items and make some people happy with your next orders, because showing support of their business will help build more trust in the relationship and make people love and appreciate you more.

Grace Them With Your Presence

A recession is no time to hide. Be as visible as possible among your customer base. Being face to face is the same or better than being top of mind. If you are able to swing it, go make a visit to some cool customers and say hi...and nothing says hi like donuts!

Open All Lines of Communication

Being in constant contact with your customers will show them that you are thinking of them and actually care for the well-being of their business. Call, email and send birthday cards if you can. Connect to your customers through social networking tools as well. Establishing a strong online presence will benefit your business from all angles.

Organize A Customer Dinner

Sure budgets are tight but if you can, why not treat a select group of your customers to a fun dinner to show your appreciation for their business. Doing so will create a warm feeling for you in the tummy's of your customers as well provide you with a very valuable forum for feedback as well as a platform for networking and generating new business.

Hang on to Customers at All Costs

The price of generating new business can be costly and is not always guaranteed. If a customer is having trouble affording your product or service try working with them to make it affordable. This isn't always possible but will go a long way to help build customer loyalty and will certainly pay off in the long run.

These are just a few tips...What do you think?

Feel free to add more in the comments if you have any others and I hope this was helpful in some way!

Did ya hear the one about the guy who tried to make love to 400,000 people?

Growing up in a family business was still to this day one of the best experiences of my life because not only did I learn way more about business at a very young age than most people I knew but I got to do it all next to my Dad.

My Dad has always been a great teacher to me and most of who I am and how I work (drive, motivation and work ethic) were all passed on from him.

No one enjoys any little success I have more than my Dad so it was extra special last week when I was featured in a pretty amazing article in INC Magazine (online version) called ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE because INC is not only MY favorite mag but also his!

The article spoke about my practice of "Making love to your Customers" (more than 400,000 of them) and to a smaller extent of how I am attractive to ladies :)

Here is a small excerpt

"Making love to customers is not a campaign, but a lifestyle," says Saul in his talk. What does he mean? "Making love to your customers is not something that you can do for a certain amount of time--it is a company commitment. You can’t run this like an ad campaign--customers will sense when it is over and leave you. Over-exceeding expectations means treating your customers better than any other company relationship your customer has ever had." This is something the Nordstrom executive or a manager at the Four Seasons would smile knowingly and nod at.

...and you can go read the whole thing here

Writing this post has gotten me all nostalgic and I only wish my Dad could see this.....I think he would enjoy this post.

Oh What? No my Dad is very much still alive....he just doesn't know how to use the internet!

Please enjoy your stay Mr. Colt

I know it is much more fashionable to blog about or chat up bad experiences you have with people or companies because they are usually more interesting etc but I had such a great experience the other day with of all places a Hotel that I have not stopped telling anyone who will listen...and the people who I am traveling with are getting tired of hearing about it.

So here is the deal. Last Sunday I flew into Boston with two other people from FreshBooks and when we got to the Colonnade Hotel the first thing I heard was...

"Hello Mr. Colt, Hello Mr. Shah, I hope you had a nice flight"

This little touch was incredible because our greeting didn't come from the check in people but rather the doorman. Ya see, as he was taking out our luggage from the taxi he looked at our luggage tags and addressed us personally.

This was enough to really impress me because I spend a bunch of time thinking up new ways to let our customers know they are special and this person made me feel like POTUS or something equally important.

Now the story could easily end here and I would have an incredible feeling about this hotel and would recommend it to anyone I knew who was going to Boston but something else happened to make me a voracious evangelist for the Colonnade Hotel.

Wanna know what it was?

Well a full 24 hours later I saw Norman (the doorman) again and without hesitation he addressed me by name and told me if there was anything he could help me with to make my stay better I should let him know.

Our previous encounter was maybe 3 minutes long at the most and he still remembered my name. This experience was so amazing that I was moved to not only write this post but I also wrote a letter to the hotel manager letting them know what a treasure they had at the front of the building....and for the record I have never written a letter like this to anyone.

I hope this shows that when your employees are customer facing it doesn't matter if they are your most senior person or your most junior, everyone is key to making people love you...and I love Norman!

...just not in a creepy way!

I love you, please take my schwag, now get the hell away from me!

My brain is always working....and the three things I am always thinking of are Customer Service, Marketing Experiences and of course, making out with girls.

This post is about an embarrassing example of Customer Service (and the next one is a great example of a superior experience) that I was a part of just the other day. I was in Boston earlier this week attending the How Design Conference and while this isn't a recap of the conference I do want to share something that happened.

Like most conferences there was a large amount of company schwag, in fact this event had more schwag then I had seen anywhere else. One booth was giving away pretty cool t-shirts and I went over to check them out...and in the interest of "painting a picture" I should tell you that the exhibit floor was packed. At the booth a lady in the booth asked what size shirt I wanted and I told her. I then asked her to tell me about her product because I feel if I am going to take something free from them the least I could do is sit through their pitch.

What happened next is still shocking to me...after asking for this person to pitch me I was told that she wished she could but the booth is busy and they have a lot of shirts to hand out.

The strange thing about this experience is that I was so shocked at how I was treated that I didn't even take note of the company name or anything about them. I didn't want the shirt anymore, even if it was the perfect shade of green, and proceeded to give it to a security guard standing around.

Now you are probably expecting me to point out some lesson here but I think you guys are too smart for me to need to point out the obvious.

Ever had such a bad experience with something that you could not wait to blog about it?

Now before I get into what happened to me this afternoon I would like to point out that I don't think I have ever bashed a company on my site before (and I am not really going to do it know) and while I plan on handling this report with class and dignity I was moved by the horribleness of the situation to drop my thoughts here.

So here I go.

If you were following my twitter posts this you would already know that I did a slew of errands and juggled some things just so I could sneak away and see the Iron Man movie.

What you may not know is that I LOVE MOVIES! Going to movies is my great escape and I cherish the few opportunities to get to go see film in the theater. With kids and work and other obligations I just don't get to the theater that much...I see a bunch of movies at home and dig that but the experience of losing yourself in the darkness of a big theater is one of my favorite things.

So that brings me to to this afternoon.

I got to the theater at 4:15 for a 4:10 showing of Iron Man. Racing into the theater I was surprised that the movie hadn't started (not even the commercials or the coming attractions). I didn't think much of it and was pretty jazzed by it because I would be able to soak in the whole experience...because for me, experience is the only reason to go to out to see movies and not watch them at home.

After starting 20 minutes late (not a big deal) a weird thing happened. About 40 minutes into the film the lights came up and the film stopped(this was a big deal). 30 more minutes passed before anyone from the theater came in to say anything and all they did say was they think this is a technical glitch and it should be fixed soon. Iron Man started again and I am not sure how much more time passed but the same thing happened again (15 minute wait this time to get it started again) and finally the movie stopped a third time. I actually walked out when the film stopped a third time because I had been in the theater for 3+ hours to see a 2 hour movie. I also left because my cell phone was ringing off the hook asking where I was since dinner was on the table etc.

I understand that technical glitches happen and that is not what bothered me the most....well it did bother me because I was really looking forward to seeing Iron Man and I still don't know how it ends but the thing that surprised me most was that several people walked out with me and were told by the Manager that there would be no refunds or compensation of any kind since they did have the opportunity to see the entire "performance" if they just went back in and sat through the glitches.

This really bothered me and I know why.

I didn't care about getting my money back and I wasn't looking for or expected anything but being told that the theater had somehow lived up to their obligation to us ticket holders because they planned on showing the rest of the film even if it takes 4 1/2 hours to do it was full of arrogance and boggles my mind that this was their idea of an acceptable plan to make this better.

A big part of my job is to make the fantastic people who use our product feel special. I love my job and am always thinking of new ways to do it better. Because of this I was amazed by the shortsighted view of this manager and it left me with such a negative feeling that I couldn't help but share the story.

I didn't stick around to see how this ended up but if the manager does read this I hope he know knows that a negative experience is twice as likely to wind up in blog somewhere than a positive one and he or she (trying to preserve the identity) should really learn some people skills if they are going to deal with people.

....and if anyone can tell me what happens once Pepper Potts downloads all those files to the flash drive I would appriciate if you could drop me an email letting me know!

Bring back Customer Experience to shopping and you will bring back shoppers!

If I believed in luck I would say I have been a pretty lucky guy....but since I think luck is nothing more then probability made personal I will go on record and say that I have had some great opportunities present themselves because of this blog.

One such opportunity came a few months back based on a post I made about department stores and how to make them fun again.. Someone at a super fancy retailer read my ideas and invited me to come in and pitch some fun ideas to them.

All my ideas revolved around creating a "destination" by adding super customer experience.

My ideas were not well received since they lived outside of the comfort zone of these guys and would require a leap of faith and at the end of the pitch the execs asked me if there was anything I like about department stores and I unleashed on a friendly rant about how I love department stores and as a kid thought Macy's in NYC was as close to heaven on earth but nowadays the large store experience is bland and customer service is nothing more then a memory.

The reason I am talking about this now is because I got an email from the exec today asking me to suggest stores that "get" customer experience since they want to learn from it.

The store I told them to study was GoodFoot. I know I slurp shoe companies a lot on this blog and I know this post lacks the punch it could have if I had pictures to accompany it but as someone who loves to shop and pays attention to what people do with their marketing I think GoodFoot is the best there is at Customer Experience.

Walking into the store is a new experience every time because they change the look of the place monthly....and by change the look I am not talking about just the window dressing but they change the place inside and out (including the wallpaper) on a monthly basis.....and by wallpaper I am talking about fully custom graphic walls that are closer to a "wrapped" car then a store wall.

This is a store that knows the product is top notch but it there is a bunch of competition so instead of competing on price and product they are setting themselves apart by creating a destination store that people will come to check out and talk about even if they are not shopping......just like I am now.

-saul