Brainy Tidbits - Issue #35: Identifying Customers

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MarketingIdeaShop BRAINY Tidbits

The ezine with brainy ideas & resources
for marketers & small businesses


This newsletter brought to you each Tuesday by
Lois Carter Fay& Marketing Idea Shop


Issue 35 - January 27, 2004
Reading time: 10 minutes

Circulation:  1,373


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PLEASE FORWARD ~~~ WITHOUT CUTTING ~~~
to anyone who can use a few timely marketing
and creativity tips to improve their business.


Welcome to all our new subscribers!


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IN THIS ISSUE

1.   Different Strokes for Different Folks
2.   Quote of the Week
3.   Resources for Entrepreneurs and Marketers
4.   A Little Marketing Fun
5.   Smell the Coffee
6.   Marketing Tools of the Week


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1. Different Strokes for Different Folks
by Donald S. Crawford, P.E., Sales and Marketing Manager
Shickel Corp., http://www.shickel.com


If you're in sales or a small business owner, I'll bet you
thought there were only two kinds of people...customers and
non-customers. But thinking of your customers and prospects
like that won't help you make a sale.

I'd like you to think about your "sales world" as one that
is made up of four kinds of customers--Loyal, Fickle,
Renewing and New. And the strategies you use to convert
them to customers is different for each.

Let me explain...

--> Customer #1: THE LOYAL CUSTOMER

LOYAL CUSTOMERS are those who will always invite you to
work with them to solve a problem and will negotiate with
you to provide the products and services they need. They
continue to do business with you day after day because they
appreciate the unique skills or products you have and you
add value to their business.

The selling strategy for LOYAL CUSTOMERS is simple:

*** Continue offering them high value products and services
that add value to their business.

*** Communicate often with them to evaluate your
effectiveness and their opinion of you.

*** When "moments of misery" happen, immediately commit all
necessary resources to fixing the problem.


--> Customer #2: THE FICKLE CUSTOMER

Many people try to avoid FICKLE CUSTOMERS because they can
be the most difficult to work with. They usually ask for a
price on a project but will then shop around for the "best
deal." They may actually be Loyal customers of one of your
competitors and only be looking to "keep the other guy
honest." Or they may work for a company with a policy
requiring multiple bids on projects. Either way, they can
waste your time.

Yet, FICKLE CUSTOMERS are potential Loyal Customers. Even
those "three bid" customers can be converted to Loyal
Customers. Here's how:

*** First, you need to identify what they like about their
current preferred vendor and what they don't like about
that vendor.

*** Then create a plan that will gain their trust and
loyalty. In a positive way, show how you are better than
their current vendor. Consider using testimonials from
current clients to help push the scales your way. 

*** Be sure to explain this strategy to all those involved
in making this FICKLE CUSTOMER into a Loyal one.


--> Customer #3: THE RENEWING CUSTOMER

RENEWING CUSTOMERS are those that used to do a significant
business with you but have for some reason slipped away.
You can define these customers as companies who have done
less than 25% of their historic business with you in the
past year and have the potential to return to previous
levels.

RENEWING CUSTOMERS require a similar strategy to both
Fickle and New. Here's how you sign them up:

*** First, identify the root cause of their drifting away
to the competition.

*** Then determine whether you can earn their loyalty
again.

*** Next, make and execute a plan that will regain their
confidence in you.

*** Finally, you'll need to explain the what, how and why
to everyone on your "customer recovery team."


--> Customer #3: THE NEW CUSTOMER

NEW CUSTOMERS are companies you have identified as having a
great potential and for which you have a competitive
advantage. These target companies look and act like your
best Loyal Customers. They usually have many similarities,
including industry type, size, location, market served, and
so on. The more you know about these NEW CUSTOMERS, the
better chance you have to sign them up.


NEW CUSTOMERS need a bit more work to bring them into the
fold:

*** To add a New Customer, the first step is to identify
those companies and contacts that fit the profile of good
business partners.

*** Then you'll need to qualify each of them to validate
your assumptions about their business and
responsibilities.

*** Next you'll have to inform them of your capabilities
and persuade them to offer you business.

*** After that you'll need to nurture them into becoming
loyal customers by providing the very best service and
products that exceed their expectations.


Remember that a "customer" is an individual decision maker
or influencer at a company. So there can be both Loyal and
New Customers at a company or Loyal and Fickle Customers,
or any combination of customer types. Therefore, to be
successful in your sales effort, you will need to plan
strategies around the individual you are trying to convince
rather than the company as a whole.

No matter which kind of customer you are working with,
follow-up and follow-through are very important. Make every
contact with your customers a "moment of magic" instead of
a "moment of misery." Then you'll be well on your way to
earning and keeping good customers.




If you're like me, you are always looking for new sales
ideas to help you increase your sales. Marketing Idea
Shop's ebook, 52 READY-TO-GO SALES MEETINGS, is filled with
strategies and techniques to making that happen, whether
you are a salesperson or the sales manager. Read more about
what you'll learn, or buy the ebook and you can be reading
it in just minutes. To find out more, visit:
52RTGSalesMeetings.htm




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2.  Quote of the Week

My attitude about life is the lens through which I see and
am seen.



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*~*~*~*~*Marketing Tool for You*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to beat the pants off your competitors? Sign up,
gratis, for What's Next Online, B.L. Ochman's  fluff-free,
bi-weekly Internet marketing tactics newsletter.

Subscribe:
http://www.whatsnextonline.com/?AffiliateID=2003055525 or
http://tinyurl.com/3ypcn

Also read B.L.'s blog
http://www.whatsnextblog.com/?AffiliateID=2003055525 or
http://tinyurl.com/2k5v6


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3.  Resources for Entrepreneurs and Marketers

--> MarketingSherpa has a new article available on the
CAN-SPAM law. You can read it here:

http://www.marketingsherpa.com/sample.cfm?contentID=2576



--> Ever need a good quote for a newsletter, paper or
speech? Here's where you can find one:

http://www.brainyquote.com



--> Would you like to be able to get rid of all the hidden
formatting in a document so that you can use the document
in another program without glitches? There's a cool program
called "Text Cleanup" that is f*ree to try and just $25 to
keep. You can get it here:

http://www.download.com



--> If you are like me, you do about a *million* things
every day and you have a hard time remembering exactly what
you did. That can really affect your billings if you bill
projects by the hour. Responsive Time Logger is an
inexpensive program that can help you keep track of your
time so you can bill it properly. Find out more here:

http://www.ResponsiveSoftware.com




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4.  A Little Marketing Fun

Computer viruses and worms are a real problem for those of
us who need a computer to do our business. I do hope you
have a virus protection program actively working on your
computer.

But even the most advanced programs from Norton or McAfee
cannot take care of this "virus," which appears to affect
those who were born prior to 1960.

Symptoms:

1. Causes you to send the same email twice.

2. Causes you to send a blank email.

3. Causes you to send email to the wrong person.

4. Causes you to send it back to the person who sent it to
you.

5. Causes you to forget to attach the attachment.

6. Causes you to hit "SEND" before you've finished.

7. Causes you to hit "DELETE" instead of "SEND."

8. Causes you to hit "SEND" when you should "DELETE."


IT IS CALLED THE "C-NILE VIRUS."


Thanks to Cameron Foster at Rowena's --
http://www.rowenas.com -- for sending this to me.



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5.  Smell the Coffee...

We're again snowed in on the mountain. Last week it looked
like spring was right around the corner and today we have
snow and ice everywhere. The kids are enjoying their time
off from school, and I am busy working, just like always.
That's the "advantage" of having an office in the home...I
have no excuse for skipping work. That is, unless the
electricity goes off.

But I could use the weather to get PR for my company.
That's exactly what the executive director of one of New
Century Technology Council in Roanoke, Virginia, Gordie
Zeigler, did. Zeigler got several paragraphs at the
beginning of a story about telecommuting in the Roanoke
Times. When the weather or another breaking story happens,
what do you do? Do you have your pitch ready? Do you know
your local reporters? See #6 below for ideas.


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6.  Marketing Tools of the Week


--> Want to get yourself or your company on TV? Here's the
perfect plan. In a recent teleseminar, Joan Stewart, the
Publicity Hound, interviewed Shawne Duperon, a former TV
news reporter, who shared the inside secrets of how to
identify great story ideas, pitch perfectly, and end up on
the air. Learn the best way to communicate with TV news
people, the one person in the newsroom who will welcome
your pitch with open arms, how to use food as a bribe, and
much more, all for $29.95 plus shipping.

This recorded teleseminar comes in CD or audio cassette
tape. Read more about it here:
http://www.marketerschoice.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=81064&u=publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-tapes/getinthenews.htm


Or if the link is broken, use this:
http://tinyurl.com/3y6ga



--> Want to not only get on TV, but get in magazines,
newspapers, newsletters, on the Net, and everywhere else?
In the ebook, "How to Be a Kick-Butt Publicity Hound!",
Joan Stewart and media magnet Tom Antion reveal all the
little-known secrets of generating millions of dollars in
free publicity that can propel you and your business to
Superstardom! Downloadable, so you can be reading it in
minutes.

Read more about it or buy it here:
http://www.marketerschoice.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=81064&u=publicityhound.com/publicity/publicityhound.htm

or if the link is broken, use this:
http://tinyurl.com/2oq6a



--> There's still time to learn how to make big money
sitting on your butt in front of the computer, just like
Tom Antion. His "Electronic Marketing Butt Camp" is a
one-day Internet marketing seminar that is scheduled just 3
times in the first quarter. Tom's one of the few out there
making a bundle on the Net and considered by many to be an
Internet guru. I've seen his checking account statement,
and he's the real thing. And you have the opportunity to
get in on it. I attended Tom's three-day Internet Marketing
Retreat and it's the best investment I've ever made in my
business. This program is MUCH LESS expensive and less
time-intensive, so go for it!

Read more about the program and sign up here: 
http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?AFID=97748&u=antion.com/buttcamp.htm

Or if the link is broken, use this:
http://tinyurl.com/27p2k



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MORE PRODUCTS

I encourage you to visit the Marketing Idea Shop website
for lots more information. Plus, you'll find a lovely
picture of me there! Remember, we are constantly adding new
products to our store. Visit our Marketplace.



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THE FINE PRINT

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Published by:
Lois Carter Fay, APR
Founder, Marketing Idea Shop
and President, Strategic Business Partners

Lois Carter Fay is a writing and marketing expert with a
bunch of gray hairs (no, not from worrying...it's just what
comes with experience). Strategic Business Partners is a
marketing consulting firm with ideas and strategies to grow
your business. Marketing Idea Shop is an online resource
for marketers and small businesses with lots of brainy
marketing ideas for you.

411 Rainier Road, Massanutten, VA  USA 22840
Voice 540.289.3840 or 800.203.8660
lcf@marketingideashop.com
http://www.marketingideashop.com

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