IN THIS ISSUE
QUICK LINKS
UPCOMING SEMINARS
& CONFERENCES
Annual conference of the
Marketing Research Association
June 3-5
Chicago, IL
visit www.mra-net.org
International Research
conference by CASRO
June 18 & 19
Washington, DC
www.casro.org
"Voice of The Customer" Summit
June 22-24
Chicago, IL
sponsored by I IR
www.iirusa.com/voc
"Creating Innovative Experiences
Driven by Shopper Behavior"
a Shopper Insights in
Action conference
July 14-17, Chicago, IL
Register at
www.shopperinsightsevent.com
"Serenity in the Storm - How
Researchers are Achieving
Deeper Insight in Spite of
the Chaos" is available on
MarketTools webcast for free
To view, visit
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Service Creates Loyal Customers
In the current economic environment, it is more important than ever
to keep customers happy and coming back. An article in News and Food
Report recommends these seven ways to keep your customers happy.
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Solicit complaints. For every person who complains, 26 who feel
they have been mistreated do not. Make it convenient for customers
to complain and treat them with respect when they do. You can win
back most of them by resolving their complaints and, in some cases,
make them more loyal.
-
Indoctrinate all service employees, not just managers. Supervisors
need training but so do the lower-level employees who provide customer
service face to face.
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Hire people who don't feel that service is servile and whose values
and personalities make them want to provide friendly, helpful service.
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Commit the company to customer service by word and deed. Regularly
remind employees of the value of good customer relations -- and
reward them when they carry through. Evaluate managers on their
ability to achieve customer service objectives that are part of
their overall job objectives.
-
Educate employees to provide customer service. Employees aren't
born with the required skills and attitudes. If left alone, chances
are they will be oblivious, overbearing and unwilling to give good
service.
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Use simple, inexpensive, entertaining training media. Video is
an effective communication tool for the TV generation. Written materials
must be simple, clear and concise.
-
Treat employees like worthwhile, sensitive, deserving human beings
-- just as you expect them to treat your customers. People will
behave as they are treated.
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Leading in a Recession
Leadership makes a difference. In these challenging times, the right
leadership behaviors not only make a difference in your sales results,
they also allow you to prove yourself as a manager. So what are the
"right" leadership behaviors for these turbulent times? Last year, Forum
Corp. researched management in a recession, looking at the things leaders
can do to improve performance in a downturn. Kerry Johnson, executive
consultant to Forum, says the research found four recurring themes.
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Positive outlook and engaging climate. Climate refers to
our perception of the work environment and what it feels like to
be in a place. Managers represent 70 percent of the variance in
the climate, which means a great climate is essentially the result
of great management. To get there, leaders today must create a climate
that engages their team and keeps their focus on the things they
can control.
-
Narrow the focus. These days, it can be tempting to tackle
a multitude of projects, but that approach dilutes focus. Rather
than trying to solve all your problems at once, select a few key
issues and pour your efforts into those. You'll have more success,
more quickly, by narrowing the focus this way than by trying to
fix everything. Not sure where to start? Talk to your customers.
"Re-examine how you create customer value and what your customers
find valuable right now," says Johnson. "Getting honest feedback
helps you know where to focus."
-
Bring people together. When times get tough, people tend
to go into survival mode, protecting their turf, engaging in negative
politics, and putting their own interests ahead of the organization.
Yet tough times are when cooperative behavior is most needed. Right
now, great leaders are dissolving boundaries and building relationships
between internal departments. "Tap into the collective expertise
of all employees rather than just a few at the top," advises Johnson.
This is easier said than done because you first need to create an
atmosphere that makes employees feel safe in raising questions and
ideas.
-
Manage the temperature. This element of leadership has largely
to do with authentic communication and the importance of involving
others in decision making. Don't try to be the hero by shouldering
the entire load of problems in your department. Instead, involve
your team by communicating regularly and openly about what's going
on in the company, in the market, challenges your organization is
facing, and so on. Seek their input and ideas and then show them
how their contributions are making a difference, both in the organization
and personally. Your candor and openness puts you in a position
of strength, not weakness, says Johnson. And besides, he adds, "In
the absence of candor, people will make things up."
According to Forum's research, leaders who take these key actions during
economic downturns settle their organizations, keep them headed in the
right direction, and ultimately, emerge on top.
For more information, visit www.forum.com
*From Selling Power newsletter
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