WALK before you RUN ... STOP before you POST ... SLOW DOWN before you LAUNCH


"Feedback is the Breakfast of Champions"
~Ken Blanchard


There is an increasing alarming trend of social media enthusiasts launching displeasure at their nemesis via Social Media.  Which brings to mind the Blog Title:  "WALK before you RUN (i.e. install new programs) ... STOP before you POST (think of the ramifications of what your brand is doing) .... SLOW DOWN before you LAUNCH (do a careful analysis of how you will manage Social Media before you simply launch your brand).  Airlines seem to be the highest target of displeasure these days, I would imagine with all the weather challenges causing travel mayhem over the holiday travel season. 



Just by performing a Google search "travel displeasure expressed" I was able to find plenty. 

  1.  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/USAirways/posts/10151562598183473
  2.  New York Times:  http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/14/business/southwest-flight-to-missouri-lands-at-the-wrong-airport.html?_r=0
  3.  Linked In:  http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20121014052901-204274949-no-airline-bashing-from-me?trk=vsrp_influencer_content_res_name&trkInfo=VSRPsearchId%3A701314631389748985907%2CVSRPtargetId%3A5084%2CVSRPcmpt%3Aprimary
So much so that even Trip Advisor has launched their Airline Review feature (story by NextWeb).

Having become such a topical subject, even USA Today posted how to write an effective complaint to an airline.

What surprised me what wasn't being said:  how negative social media feedback has the airlines scrambling to recoup and recover.  It is impacting dozens of other brands.  This creates ample opportunity for Social Media advisors to flourish!

NOTE:  This is not solely an airline dilemma but only used based on very recent developments.  I had my own soap opera with an airline after I went online to express my own displeasure on service by a particular airline on a recent trip to Mexico with my sister.  Here are some of my observations:

  1. Organizations are asking for consumers to resort to online ordering, booking, etc. which obviously decreases human capital;
  2. They are asking for online feedback or bookings but not drawing out a full organizational plan on how communications/feedback is going to be handled, how, by whom and when? 
  3. The same websites that are promoting feedback, online bookings are not making sure that recent developments are being updated or communicated  across channels to those interacting with customers directly(i.e.  a special seat selection feature was not posted nor communicated when a 1-800 was called)
  4. Everyone seems to have recognized that "be there or be square" is a necessity for social media but it hasn't been prioritized or effectively organized before it has been launched.  Results:  Knee jerk reaction instead of carefully crafted planning.




 
Another personal example that prompted me to write was after purchasing a Christmas present for a beauty service for my sister using my credit card, when trying to telephone to book an appointment over the telephone I got a broadcast message, they didn't answer and referred to their website to book online.   Unfortunately, the website would only allow the booking to be made if you provided a credit card, which I didn't want to do since the service had already been paid for ... nor was it updated to allow entering the most recent promotion.  I would have really have liked to emphasized with them that whenever a customer is willing to speak to you personally,  you shouldn't take away this opportunity to learn what they want, what inspired them to call.  It strongly communicates complacency and lack of care .... quite the opposite of savvy or hip thinking they're ahead of the curve.

Peter (Petra) isn't talking to Paul (Paula) in organizations apparently.  Managing your online data, website, social media is imploding at an alarming rate -- the same rate as Social Media panic adoption is unfolding.   Unfortunately, it is seemingly being used as a Marketing Tool to promote (or what I sometimes call SPAM)  nice stories, or brilliantly leverage viral messaging i.e.  West Jet's Christmas miracle.  Let's be honest:  this is not "engaging" with your customers, it is broadcasting, self promotion (aka SPAM) and dictating what you want them to believe.

 



What seems sad is that when opinions don't agree with the masses (often employees or related advocates) they aren't improving matters.  Defending by bullying is not positive, but fighting fire with fire, or adding fuel to an ember.  I wondered out loud if savvy social media campaigns that go viral are not simply leveraged advertising campaigns that are significant.  At least Old Spice is open and honest that their viral campaigns ARE advertising campaigns and are even tied in with television commercials.  Beware, if you are going to express your opinion, you had better be prepared for open attack.  Thankfully, Mike Lehr, @MikeLehrOZA an Intuition Expert and Author, defended the writer's opinion and things quietened down:

  •  First, this is an advertisement. Second, it is heart warming; the volunteers should be commended. The comment by +BLOCKED OUT  is unscrupulous.
  • Let's remember that good people are often used to serve purposes we don't like. I know I have been used in such a manner. However, let's not confuse criticism for the effort as criticism for the people involved and for their efforts
  • The best example is war. Good men and women, with very good intentions, are sometimes sent to fight for questionable purposes determined by others. There is a difference between criticizing the war and criticizing the soldiers. One does not mean you are also criticizing the other. In Vietnam, we treated the soldiers badly for a war we did not like. This was wrong. An overwhelming number of these soldiers, including my deceased cousin, were good people not baby killers. In Iraq and Afghanistan, while most do not like the war, this time we realize that the vast majority of soldiers are good people working hard and we are treating them far better.
  • Returning to Jeannette's point at hand, she is criticizing the war, not the soldiers. However, it's easy for those who support the war to discredit critics by trying to say criticism for the war is also criticism for the soldiers. This is an unscrupulous tactic.
  • If there are problems with Jeannette's facts about the circumstances surrounding the advertisement, let's hear it. However, unless I misread something, I don't believe Jeannette attacked any volunteer or their efforts.
  • Let's also face it that often companies with a troubling image pay a lot of money to revamp it. WalMart changed it's logo to add a yellow, friendly sun. BP after the Gulf disaster spent much on an advertising campaign highlighting its environmental efforts. It's not inconceivable that West Jet is doing the same. That is what I believe Jeannette is calling into question
Feedback is good for me and I learn a great deal from both the positive and negative sides:  it helps me to define, improve, or expand on messages, posts, content.  Sadly, this same advice could be applied by the many brands, industries, companies that are bulldozing their way on to the Social Media scene without much forethought.  What the above was a brilliant opportunity to turn controversy and feedback into more positive wins. 



I get the impression that there are so many ways that Social Media is being misunderstood and/or mismanaged.  My suggestion:  instead of marketing, IT and webmaster battling for control, organizations start thinking of a new title:  Chief Messaging Officer.  This person would be an insider who could objectively look at, monitor, and author messaging from the organization to ensure that it is all seamless and connected across all fronts rather than the often fragmented methodology. 



Draw out a Feedback chart for heavens sake.  Draw the lines on who responds to what, with it tied in with Social Media.  Organizations are taking the time to promote the brand, pay for agencies by the boatload of money but not really protecting their feedback channels.  Consider the old adage that good news travels fast, but negative faster.  Like the Facebook post example, you can't manage or control what users do or what platform they use to express their displeasure, but you can sure be more proactive in managing the feedback by turning the adversaries into advocates (Previous Blog Post:  Turn Adversaries into Advocates ) or a great recent post by one of my favorite writers from Forbes, TJ McCue "How to get more positive reviews!

So ... like I said, WALK before you RUN with it, STOP before you POST a response, and SLOW DOWN before you LAUNCH your social media program -- start identifying and placing more importance on feedback, looping website/promotions to social media messaging, be responsive and embrace feedback for what it is worth:  a way to uncover opportunities to make improvements.






"All the adversities I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles have strengthened me .... you may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth  may be the best thing in the world for you."


~Walt Disney


Do you agree with my comments?  Have any suggestions on how companies can handle their social media better?  Do you also think that disgruntled customers are going to get louder and louder?  I'd love to hear from you! 

In the meantime, make 2014 your best year ever!



 




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Turn Adversaries Into Advocates

"Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity."

~Aristotle

 

One of the best advice ever received while in sales was when I was distraught by negative feedback while subjected to customer escalation after they experienced below performance by me, my team and my company.  Virginia was an excellent leader whom I am always graciously thankful that she took me under her wings and made me a protégé.  She taught me lots!  What mattered, was at the threashhold of an exploding career, she advised me:  "People don't evaluate you based on the negative experience, they gauge your response to a negative situation and how you react to make it better."
 
 
Yes, I took/take negative feedback to heart and took it personally.  No, I didn't spin around and point the finger.  It all came down to moi, me, it, she, the person being at fault for letting the customer down on an important project, document, promise for quality and deadline.
 
Spiral forward today.  It makes perfect business sense that no person, department or company is perfect.   Those wise words jump out to emphasize that what sets all of us apart is how we handle adversity. 
 
Call it a good characteristic or bad, but I always care.  I have always wanted to give customers the best experience, deliver on my promises (which 9 out of 10 times had operations endorse and support in advance or be savvy enough to know our capabilities so that I wouldn't want to set up our organization for failure) so that they would continue to buy from us, and even better if they would recommend and send out accolades on not where we fell short, but how we stepped up to the challenge to make amends for our mistakes.
 
Regardless of who you are, the team that supports you, or the company you represent ... mistakes DO happen.  I can chuckle at my earliest naïve junior experiences where I wanted to control everyone and everything to guarantee that what I promised to the customer would be carried out.  Maturity and experience today underlines how unrealistic that is.  Bottom line, you can't do everything thus You have to TRUST your TEAM.  You don't or won't have a team to support you if you throw them under the bus when matters go askew. 
 
Yes, those projects,  performances or promises fall on your shoulders.  Regardless of how high you sit, from the executive suite, to the middle on sales or customer service shoulders, lower to the personnel responsible to make it happen ... you CANNOT make your problem your customer's problem!
 
I shudder recalling an executive telling me we lost their business, not because we were priced so high per se, but because our competitors proved that we were complacent and were not proving value for what they were paying that was wisely proven by a competitor.  Yes, I was exuberant when I won business from a competitor because we showed more value!  Yet I never forgot the corporate executive who had enough to show me that we had let them down.  No, it wasn't about price.  Yes, price made it enough of a factor for them to pay attention when the service fell.
 
My goodness, how I remember being held accountable for my team when a customer told me that it wasn't their job to train my people.  Lack of CRM (Customer Service Management) system to streamline transactions  or avoid gaps amongst those interacting with a customer was one area that could have improved matters.  Preventing turnover is certainly a no-brainer!
 
Soooooo .. what do you do when you fail?  Do you offer a discount, refund or gesture of goodwill that more often than not represents a complete redo, re-engagement for free?  That is often the dilemma that falls on the shoulders of those wiping up the mistakes and trying to restore goodwill.  Whatever you do, don't send in your most aggressive barracuda to match wits with the customer and out aggressive the customer so that they back down on expressing their disappointment.
 
At minimum you should review projects, promises and performance after each single transaction!  There is something to be learned, improved upon each and every time.  Mandate debriefs with your team, your client every single important transaction.  At least it would show you are not complacent or take your customers for granted.  Don't wait for them to complain or demand retribution/refund/replacement.  Be proactive for heavens sake!
 
When a customer complains, they are actually handing you an opportunity to make improvements on a golden platter.  Pay attention.  Mandate that any online or otherwise feedback be communicated upstream not just to management but to the executives as well.  Don't have your CSRs tell a customer that it has been taken care of and communicated to management.  If that is all you do, there falls the lack of accountability.  Unfortunately, if management knows that executives will be informed they just may pay attention.
 
Pay attention to customer feedback.  Document it, incorporate actionable improvements, communicate it to executives so the entire organization can debrief and formulate a proactive plan.  HR has enough on its plate to make it their mandate, examine training, communications scripts, and get everyone involved. 
 
You can turn an adversary, complaint,  into an advocacy.  It IS within your control.  If you just channel the communications or put it on yourself to contradict the customer, you are not turning them into advocates, you are championing the spread of their discontent.  In today's world of social media, discontent or controversy spreads faster than good news.  Be proactive in your good news.  Remember, we all mistakes, nobody is perfect ... but how you handle adversity totally reflects on how important it is for you to turn it into making those people advocates based on how you handle it.
 

"There is no better than adversity.  Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time."

~Malcolm X

 
 




 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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SOLUTIONS = Problem + Solved

"Never be afraid to do something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the titanic."
Anonymous
 
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If there isn't enough sales jargon and terminology out there already there appears to be enough jargon and unique dialect with way too many acronyms, don't you wish that they'd just speak plain English?

Perhaps you are a recruiter and have been asked to search for a top sales professional for your organization.  Fair enough.  That is pretty basic.  Just as you're all set to click send, the requestor has specified they want someone who is a "consultative" sales person competent in "solutions" sales.



Huh?  What's the diff you say?  Aren't they all just sales reps?  That would be like saying all Olympians are the same.  Hardly.

Consultative sales is a sales approach from professionals who have the knack of assembling participation from the customer by involving them and their team to get at the heart of their biggest issues that are preventing them from being more effective and/or efficient.

Consultative Selling: is a sales process by which the customer's end users, managers, executives are interviewed and provide information on matters affecting them.

Solution Selling:  Is a form of sales whereby you are solving those same problems.

This form of sales is usually employed when their is a high value investment in the sale or service that is stake. 

A consultative sales professional is adept at researching for opportunities in the name of prospects by being an authority on not just their product or service, but also how that same product or service solves problems.

Very few organizations wait until an object breaks down, or its service warranty expires before it begins to investigate what is the best new item available out there that they can buy.  Typically, they have a budget set aside and start out by looking to find what can fit into this budget.

There are sales reps or organizations who don't demand much from their reps or can be snowed that activity classifies as results. Then there are sales consultants.  You call them and ask them to give them a price for this widget or that service.  But hold on here, instead you got yourself a sales consultant.  This person is asking a number of questions that are irritating enough because you don't have even half of the answers.

Dutifully, you go back to the Boss with the list of questions, thinking they'll be on your side, and be more effective at blowing off this rep with a smoother "just gimme the price" rebuff.   Instead, they scratch their heads a bit and admit that there are a few items that weren't considered so let's schedule a meeting and see if that will help get the answer quicker.




D-Day arrives.  You escort the poor sales rep to the board room where the chopping block is hidden from view.  You can't wait to see mince meat made outta the soul who questions your boss.

Very few niceties exchanged about the weather, the sports team, but the consultative sales person is calm and you sense confidence that you wouldn't have thought to be there.

Calmly the consultative sales professionals shares some of the research on the organization and asks for confirmation or expansion on those facts.  You have a hard time believing it but your Boss isn't his gruff self, but is pulling up his chair to the table a little bit closer and paying attention.



“Coming together is a beginning;
keeping together is progress;
working together is success.”
                          ~Henry Ford


 

You blink a few times in wonder.  The consultative sales professional is asking questions that have nothing to do with the widget that they're being asked to price on.  Questions like what will it be used for?  What has been used in its place until now?  How has that worked?  What would you change if you could?  What problems does it cause you when the widget breaks down?  Who is impacted by this?  How long are you out of operation for?  How long does it take for the widget to be fixed?  Who fixes it?  Do you have a warranty or any SLA (Service Level Agreement) in place with the widget seller that promises it would be fixed in the evening or on weekends?

Your boss is smiling, being agreeable.  What the heck?  I'm confused while they're both relaxed and even appear to be on the same page.

The consultative sales professional asks the boss if they would be allow to do a bit more digging to find out some of these answer for them.   That ought to be the catch, I smell ka-ching.  But no, the consultant says that in order to make the right recommendation and ensure the right widget is chosen, they would like to speak to some of the end users (huh? why the heck ....) on how they use the widget, when they use it, what happens when it breaks down, and what they would wish for in a new widget.

Man oh Man.  Not one word on price .... yet!  What's that?  Did I just hear that right?  The Widget Man (aka sales consultant) has just had the Boss agree to allow the Widget Man to meet with key people on his staff to interview them and ask the same questions themselves.

Oh oh, the Boss slowly turns his eyes to zero on me.  What did I do?  I'm writing notes I indicate by motioning to my pad and pen.  I'm asked to schedule these meetings for Widget Man with IT, Finance, and Mr. so on and Ms. so forth ... the folks that use the widget we're replacing.

Scrambling for my Day Timer, I lift my eyes that are almost popping out of my head to see what the Boss'll say to that:  the Widget Man just asked the Boss to send out an email or memo to the same folk he calls "end users" stating that Widget Man will be meeting them to ask them questions on their use of Widget that they are considering replacing.





The Boss is smiling agreeably when the Widget Man says they will meet to review the results and come up with a plan "together".

Huh? No price, no proposal was even discussed. 

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"The secret of success is to do the common things uncommonly well."
~John D. Rockefeller


 



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