The Marketing Outsider

2011-09-08T08:37:00.001-07:00

According to Roy H. Williams, "rich people get rich because they think further ahead than the rest of us". Most people are sitting (figuratively) and waiting for the nxt thing to happen. It's a behavior you sometimes see in dogs: "throw the ball, throw the ball, throw the ball." Instead of waiting for something to happen, we need to be making things happen. That's right, MAKING things happen. And the first step of that, as in everything, is figuring out what you want. Really want. Then, work backwards, to where you are now. Map out the steps that will get you to that goal. Then the hard part. Figure out HOW. The hows are probably the hardest thing of all, so I tend to fall back on what I consider to be one of the best things I've ever said (which, I admit, I probably didn't think of first:"The best way to be in the right place at the right time is to be in lots of places"In other words, try lost of things. You will fail. Often. The interesting thing is, the more you fail, you will surely succeed. Paitence is more than a virtue; it's a necessity. So is persistence. Most people, if they fail, they stop. Listen: If you stop, you fail. The trick is not stopping. Are there times when you need to "get realistic" and go do something else? Of course. But not nearly as often as you might think. Now go do something. Robert B. Wallis

2011-08-12T08:05:00.001-07:00

There has never, in all of human history, been even one human being who succeeded without screwing up first.

2011-07-25T07:18:00.001-07:00

"Your ad will be just one of 5,000 sneaky little messages that will try to break into the customer’s consciousness today..." http://bit.ly/pSiW63

2011-07-12T10:04:00.001-07:00

Scott Ginsberg on What to do when you feel like you don't matter.Read:

2011-07-01T10:25:00.001-07:00

"Remember – the reason the Native American Rain Dance always works is because they never stop dancing until it rains." -Bert LordTo your success, Robert B. WallisMarketing OutsiderThe Wallis Group

Nothing can affect your business more...

2010-12-22T07:28:00.000-08:00

Nothing can affect your business more than a good (or bad) customer experience. Think back on places you've been that you told your friends about. Chances are that you either had something MAGICAL happen, or something HORRIBLE happen. Either way it gets talked about. What was your most memorable customer experience?

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Rob Wallis is The Marketing Outsider, a speaker, author, and consultant who helps business owners increase their profitability by improving their visibility. Contact him at The Wallis Group

Saying Goodbye to a Customer

2010-12-21T14:16:00.000-08:00

We work so hard to get new customers, but what about the ones who have to leave?
Larry Streeter has some interesting thoughts on the Service Untitled Blog

What do you think? Do we do enough for those who leave us?
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Rob Wallis is The Marketing Outsider, a speaker, author, and consultant who helps business owners increase their profitability by improving their visibility. Contact him at The Wallis Group

The most interesting thing about Black Friday was...

2010-11-29T07:31:00.000-08:00

The most interesting thing about Black Friday was that it was so darn nice.

Granted, we only went to a couple of stores, but the ones we did visit the staff was courteous and helpful, everything was well-stocked (as much as it could be on the Biggest Shopping Day of the Year), and the customers were not pushy and cranky. I'm not sure the reason, but in the past it has been very different.

According to a National Retail Federation (NRF) survey, 212 million people shopped on Friday, that's more than half the country! USA! USA! Do we know how to spend or what? Better than any stimulus package, that's for sure.

And ahead of us is Cyber Monday, which is both the biggest day for online sales and the least productive day of the year for workers. Well, as long as they can pay their credit card bills, who's complaining?
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Rob Wallis is The Marketing Outsider, a speaker, author, and consultant who helps business owners increase their profitability by improving their visibility. Contact him at The Wallis Group

What does it mean to be different?

2010-11-08T12:00:00.003-08:00

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Rob Wallis is The Marketing Outsider, a speaker, author, and consultant who helps business owners increase their profitability by improving their visibility. Contact him at The Wallis Group

There's Got to Be a Better Way

2010-10-04T12:06:00.000-07:00

Any time you can make a process easier for a customer, they are more likely to buy from you in the future. Take for example the episode of "Undercover Boss" about Great Wolf Lodge, the CEO of the company got to experience firsthand the checkin process, complete with long lines of cranky kids and parents.

Then she said those words that consultants (OK, at least me) love to hear:
"There's got to be a better way."

Oh yes there has. And that better way will definitely help the bottom line. For example, I'm sure that once a family gets to the check in desk, there are some upsell options, perhaps a dining plan if they didn't opt for one, extra activities, etc. Would you be willing to purchase an add-on that was offered to you if you just spent three hours in line with hot, hungry, tired kids? Probably not. The better your experience, the more likely you are to keep saying "yes."

What are you doing to keep your clients saying yes? Please comment and let me know.

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Rob Wallis is The Marketing Outsider, a speaker, author, and consultant who helps business owners increase their profitability by improving their visibility. Contact him at The Wallis Group

2010-10-01T15:45:00.001-07:00

As Consumer Spend Less, They Expect More: http://bit.ly/9NdZd4

Can You Break the Tie?

2010-09-30T15:50:00.000-07:00

Joe Calloway calls them Tiebreakers.

Say I am looking for a plumber. I leave message for two of them, and only one of them calls me back. It's sad, but it is a tiebreaker. Right there I've made my decision, or at least narrowed it down.

Now say that I call a third plumber, and he (or his office) answers right away. EVEN BETTER. He immediately goes to the top of the short list. If it's something I need done quickly, and he can come out right away, EVEN BETTER AGAIN.

Recap: Plumber #2 did something just a little bit better than Plumber #1, he called me back. shouldn't be a big deal, but it seems that's the way it is.

Plumber #3 did something just a little bit better than #1 or #2, he answered the phone. And then to top it off he could come out right away. All other things being equal, it would be an easy choice.

What are you doing to break the tie? Comment here please!

How to Conquer Marketing & Make A Living With Your Art

2010-09-30T12:13:00.000-07:00

Want to make your art pay? Don't think about it, go here and buy this book. Now.

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Rob Wallis is The Marketing Outsider, a speaker, author, and consultant who helps business owners increase their profitability by improving their visibility. Contact him at The Wallis Group

Subway Breakfast: Just Not Distinctive Enough

2010-09-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

Subway breakfast is going to fail. No, I have not had breakfast there yet, but the not-so-glowing reviews I've seen so far (pre-made egg disks?) lead me to believe they are not trying THAT hard.

There was a time when Subway was THE the sandwich shop chain: the first in my neck of the woods, anyway. It was quite the anomaly of fast food: your sandwich was made fresh, right in front of you, could have it any way you wanted (except hot), and, was pretty darn good. Not as good as the Mom & Pop's, but for the price, not bad.

Then, like so many good businesses, they felt the need to expand, to compete. The mad kind of copybranding that makes Wal-Mart start selling groceries. "hey, all of the other fast-food chains are selling breakfast! Can we do that?" well, of course you can, but can you do it well? More importantly, Can you do it better?

The thing is, maybe they are doing it better. What's interesting is that since the announcement in March, all Subway seems to be able to say, is that they serve breakfast, but they don't say much about why I should eat it. Are they just another breakfast sandwich? What's so special about it? Is there some reason I should eat at Subway rather than the place I go to now?

It's been kind of quiet after the debut. Maybe they don't tout it much because the reviews have not been all that hot. Of course, that hasn't prevented Quizno's from getting into the act, albeit only in their convenience store locations.

All in all, Subway breakfast is going to fail. They just aren't distinct enough. And that's what it takes to succeed, surrounded by competition.Agree? Disagree? Please comment!

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Rob Wallis is The Marketing Outsider, a speaker, author, and consultant who helps business owners increase their profitability by improving their visibility and helping them stand out in the marketplace. Contact him at The Wallis Group

Welcome!

2010-09-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

photo by ell brown

Do you welcome your customers? Do they feel welcome in your store? Or are you one of those owners who sits behind the register and waits for somebody to buy something?

The fact is, you need to greet your customers, or even your potential customers. Everyone needs to feel like you are happy that you are there, giving you a chance to sell them whatever it is that you sell.

You can even draw people into your store this way. I passed a shop in San Francisco that had a sign outside that said, "Free chocolate! come inside and watch it being made!"

Now how can you pass up that? Honestly, who would not want to go inside and at least see what it was that was being made? Then, when they get in the door, give them a sample (see LAW OF RECIPROCITY) and start asking questions.

You may have seen a sign in windows stating, "Browsers welcome, customers, more so." How about turning it around? "Customers welcome, browsers even more so?" Let them know you are willing to let them come in, look around, maybe even ask questions. After all, every customer you ever had probably started out as a looky-loo.

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Rob Wallis is The Marketing Outsider, a speaker, author, and consultant who helps business owners increase their profitability by improving their visibility. Contact him at The Wallis Group

Lessons Learned from Undercover Boss

2010-08-30T11:56:00.000-07:00

Another great episode of Undercover Boss last night. This one really exampled the importance of the customer experience, and the fact that CEO's have no idea what their own staff does to create that experience. I challenge every manager to get out of the office and see what great things your staff are doing!

The Anthropologie Card - Improving the Loyalty Card

2010-08-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

It's probably been around for a while, but The Outsider just heard about quirky women's clothing store Anthropologie's version of the loyalty card.

What makes it different? Well, the first thing that jumped out was "receipt-free returns" That's right, if you bought something (and, presumably, used the card at the time), you can return the item without the receipt. To anyone who has tried to return an item, especially clothing, this is HUGE. Take that privacy freaks!

As well as the convenience factor, you of course get the obligatory newsletters, catalogs, etc. But you also get a nifty bag to put it in, as well as a handmade-looking booklet that reinforces the brand.

While neither The Outsider nor his wife are a fan of the store, He has to give a thumbs-up to their marketing department for coming up with an extension of the loyalty card idea. --------------------------------------------------
Rob Wallis is The Marketing Outsider, a speaker, author, and consultant who helps business owners increase their profitability by improving their visibility. Contact him at The Wallis Group

Do we Still Need Websites?

2010-08-16T11:51:00.000-07:00

We have Twitter, Facebook, and all of the other tools that have now been tweaked for marketing. So do you still need your own website? Comments, please.
http://adage.com/cmostrategy/article?article_id=145351

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Bob Wallis is a speaker, author, and consultant who helps business owners increase their profitability by improving their visibility. Contact him at The Wallis Group

Marketing for Hairstylists: The Way to Do It

2010-08-13T12:23:00.000-07:00

My wife received an email from her hair stylist yesterday. She thought it was different, so she showed it to me, and, having my marketing goggles on, I agreed.

Here’s what I noticed:
1.    She got an EMAIL from her HAIR STYLIST. (!)
2.    The stylist made a couple of great offers; the first was for regular customers who prebook regular appointments, After two cuts, you get the third one free. Then you get one more free cut in that year. For $100 a year, not a bad deal.
3.    The second offer was about referrals. Everyone you refer to the stylist gets their first service half price. If you refer three people, YOU get a free haircut. Once again, a great deal.

What was so different about this email?

Keep in Touch With Your Current Customers
I have to tell you she (and I) have been to many a hair stylist, and none of them ever sent an email. In fact, I don’t think any of them even asked for our email. Not to mention any kind of serious deal for repeat customers. Which brings me to the second point:

Keep Your Current Customers Coming Back
Ten percent off is one thing, but using our favorite four-letter word (f-r-e-e) is something pretty much unheard of, especially a $50 or $100 value. Also, the prebooking works in a way to get them to come back for the value. And…

Bring In More of the Same
Referrals, referrals. Service businesses are highly referral-run. As many marketing gurus have stated, if you’re not asking every single customer for referrals every single time, you are leaving a ton of money on the table. This strategy goes one step further, by rewarding the referrer for multiple referrals. Everybody wins.

These strategies are not exclusive to the hairstyling market, or even service businesses. But they are valuable lessons for those of us wondering why the phone isn’t ringing, or customers aren’t walking in the door. This is the type of go-getum approach that all service providers need to take, especially in a down economy.
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Bob Wallis is a speaker, author, and consultant who helps business owners increase their profitability by improving their visibility. Contact him at The Wallis Group

Are You Experienced?

2010-08-13T10:19:00.000-07:00

When it comes to a live performance/concert/gallery show, one thing will make you stand out: The Experience. In This blog post, Bob Baker links to a video clip of live music producer Tom Jackson. Tom is a guy who truly knows what he's talking about. If you're an artist, you can't just stand by the wall and say, "thanks for coming." If you're a musician, you can't just get up and sing songs.

What you'll be remembered for is how you made them feel.

Good advice, now go do it.
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Bob Wallis is a speaker, author, and consultant who helps business owners increase their profitability by improving their visibility. Contact him at The Wallis Group

If They Knew You...

2010-08-09T10:42:00.000-07:00

Has anybody heard of you? Probably not. Think about a stranger you pass on the street or in front of you at the grocery store. Do you think, if you knew that person, if you knew their backstory, where they came from, what their life story was, how they got to where they are now, would you buy from them?

If you knew that person started with a little sidewalk cart, moved up into a hole in the wall cafe, and eventually turned the business into a thriving franchise, would you be more likely to buy from them?

Most people would. People like to buy from people they know, or at least think they know.

Also, people like to tell their friends stories...the story of the woman on the corner who has the best pastry shop in the world, and she started in her mother's kitchen making cupcakes that she now sells to world famous celebrities, and you know what? You can buy them too!

Ever heard the story of how eBay got started? Or Hewlett Packard? Or Microsoft? Those stories may or may not be true - some of them have been complete fabrications, but the point is, it's the story that sells. The story you tell, to help them to get to know you.

Because they won't buy from a stranger. But once they get to know you, you aren't a stranger anymore.

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Bob Wallis is a speaker, author, and consultant who helps business owners increase their profitability by improving their visibility. Contact him at The Wallis Group

The Lesser of Two Evils

2010-07-20T12:24:00.001-07:00

In these economic times, managers are finding new and interesting ways to torture their employees. Not literally, of course, but it sure feels like it.

When money gets tight, managers are tasked with looking for ways to save money for the company. Being who they are, often the solutions involve cutting hours, pushing for sales, or being nitpicky about things like breaks, lunches and overtime. Granted, it is important to be on time, etc., but with staffers seeing layoffs and cutbacks going on all around them (although often not in management staff), the sudden leap on small savings can appear petty.

Case in point, a major department store chain that is losing sales has determined their sales force would do better if they interacted with the public more, getting out from behind the counter and greeting customers as they walk by. I know it can be difficult to find help when you need it (see Alan Weiss’s post on Saks), but I am not more likely to buy if they are accosting me at every turn, and following me around like a lost puppy.

Another story from the world of retail involves the employee who worked into her scheduled lunch break to help a customer. When she returned from her allotted time, she was rewarded with a reprimand for coming back from lunch late. No explanation, of course, would satisfy the manager in this case, so the employee got written up. This appears to teach employees that, if you are with a customer, keep an eye on the clock, because if your lunchtime comes up, you will either have to, a) drop the potential sale like a hot potato to adhere to the inanely rigid rules, or b) work into your lunch period, possibly setting up your employer for a lawsuit (In California, at least, there are legally mandated break periods).

I wonder which option managers would prefer?

2010-07-12T12:48:00.001-07:00

New report: Americans will pay more for excellent service: http://ping.fm/s0mdm

2010-06-28T14:30:00.001-07:00

Scott Ginsberg calls it the "Front Porch." I call it the Front Door.

The principle is the same, you need to be inviting people (i.e. customers or customers-to-be) in.

Retail businesses will sometimes put out a sandwich board to announce their existence; most do not. In a crowded marketplace, that is a recipe for failure.

You need to draw them in, to tempt their curiosity with something akin to the "free prize inside."

Or you at least need to be welcoming, with an open door or signage of some kind. So many businesses I pass have tinted windows. Good for keeping cool, bad for business.

You may not have a choice of tinting your windows, but you do have a choice on what you put OUTSIDE your business to bring people INSIDE your business.

Find out more at thewallisgroup.com

2010-06-18T15:58:00.000-07:00

“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”

-- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

What do you know, that you are not doing?

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Robert B. Wallis is a speaker, author, and consultant who helps business owners increase their profitability by improving their visibility. Contact him at The Wallis Group

Should You Choose...

2010-04-14T14:57:00.001-07:00

"Should you choose to go, do, and be, at the end of your life, shocked and dismayed, you'll likely exclaim that because of all the uncanny events, wild timing, weird coincidences, and sheer chance encounters, all of your life's good fortune must have been your destiny.

Or, should you choose to wait, wish, and hope, at the end of your life, shocked and dismayed, you'll likely exclaim that because of all the uncanny events, wild timing, weird coincidences, and sheer chance encounters, all of your life's bad luck must have been your destiny."

-- Mike Dooley, www.tut.com

How to Market yourself as an Artist, Musician, Performer

2010-04-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

Are you an artist, Musician or performer? Would you like to know how to better market yourself? Tell me your biggest questions about marketing, and I'll send you my FREE book.

No obligation, and, of course, no spam allowed!

How to Market Yourself as an Artist
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Bob Wallis is a speaker, author, and consultant who helps business owners increase their profitability by improving the customer experience. Contact him at The Wallis Group

How to Improve Your Restaurant Customer Service

2010-04-06T15:27:00.000-07:00

The best book on the subject of Restaurant customer service is Right Here

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Bob Wallis is a speaker, author, and consultant who helps business owners increase their profitability by improving the customer experience. Contact him at The Wallis Group

Guest Post from Richard Saporito

2010-03-31T15:25:00.000-07:00

Service Equals Performance Equals Service
by Richard Saporito

Service can be described as a “performance” of some kind involving two parties, whereby one party is the benefactor and the other party is the performing party receiving some type of monetary payment. The value of the Service depends on the personal experience of the benefactor. When I looked it up in Webster’s, there it was at #11 out of 31 definitions. The payment part was not included, but the key word mentioned was “performance.”

As I relate this to restaurants, it’s so easy to see why dining room service is excellent training for actors, since they’re performing all of the time. There might be days when their energy level is low, yet they are still expected to perform in the show on stage at night. It is not much different for dining room service staff whose livelihood depends quite a bit on how they look and act before many people on any night. The word “performance” makes a lot of sense when relating it to other Service fields such as medical, legal, financial, and armed; even in religion they have prayer services.

With increased human knowledge and modern inventions, the term “Customer Service” has evolved over time. Whenever a new technology is invented, an array of “services” develops making it accessible to the general public. Its success depends upon product “performance” and the product-related “Services performance.” Whether it is a bulb to make a room bright or a flying machine that sends people around the world faster, the need for developed services attached to new technologies does create jobs.

Even at the computer we dial up our Internet “Service” Provider to gain access to the information highway. The instantaneous delivery of sorted out information within seconds is now the norm. Proper navigation “performance” (that word again) allow us to surf the World Wide Web, streamlining information at our fingertips. ” With improved search engine technology, the return of consumer searches has become more categorically specific, proving that better performance results in better Service.

Take a look around and you will notice Service performances touch every part of our daily lives - many of which are taken for granted.

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About the author: Richard Saporito is a NYC Restaurant Insider with more than 30 years experience. He is currently the President of Topserve Restaurant Consulting, Inc. and the author of "How To Improve Dining Room Service." Discover how to improve your restaurant's dining room service and dramatically increase your profits here: How To Improve Dining Room Service and Increase Profits
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Rob Wallis works with entrepreneurs who want to become known in their community and in the world. Contact him at The Wallis Group

How consumers killed customer service

2009-12-22T11:03:00.001-08:00

How consumers killed customer service: http://bit.ly/5Pztba

Keep ‘em Coming Back!

2009-12-14T15:56:00.000-08:00

Oftentimes, when I talk to business owners, I will ask them, “why do you think your loyal customers stay loyal to you?” The interesting thing is that their answers are usually way off the mark. They will say, “it’s because of our great service”, or “ we have the best prices in town.”

Actually customers go back to a store because they feel like they are wanted there. When you make a customer feel important to you, when you let them know that their coming and shopping at your business matters, then they will come back.

How many times have you heard the phrase, “your call is important to us”? Do you believe it? Of course not!
Because after you hear that, you usually are connected to someone who acts like you are not just a nobody, but a nobody that they are incentivized to get off the phone as quickly as possible. How could my call be important? Especially if the person I’m assigned to is reading from a script and has no real idea of what it’s like to be on the other end of the phone.

When my wife and I were looking for a house, we realized that there would always be another house to look at. This drove Realtors crazy, simply because we refused to fall in love with something. Granted, we are a tough couple, but none of the Realtors we dealt with (and we spoke to over 20), ever made us feel like we were important enough to spend any time getting to know well enough to figure out what we really wanted.

But I digress. The facts are these, there will always be lower prices, there will always be better service out there. But if you can make your customers feel like family (well, not my family), and always keep listening to what they want, and not what you want, you will keep ‘em coming back.

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Rob Wallis is a speaker, author, and consultant who helps business owners increase their profitability by improving the customer experience. Contact him at TheWallisGroup.com

Learn Customer Service Principles from the Ritz

2007-08-28T19:30:00.001-07:00

Great Article Here about what every company needs to know about customer service. And judging from the fantastic service we received recently at the Ritz in San Francisco, this writer knows what he's talking about.

How does your company measure up?

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Rob Wallis works with entrepreneurs who want to become known in their community and in the world. Contact him at The Wallis Group

What Can You Learn From the Best?

2007-08-28T10:46:00.000-07:00

John Jantsch at Duct Tape Marketing has a great post on things the best retailers do to market themselves. These are things that anyone can do, and should. Great stuff as usual!!
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Rob Wallis works with entrepreneurs who want to become known in their community and in the world. Contact him at The Wallis Group

A Solution For Better Service?

2007-05-23T19:01:00.000-07:00

Maria Palma on Her Blog talks about a possible solution to better service. Would a reward system work in most businesses?

I commented that Macy's had an interesting reward policy, in that they had staff members write their names on the bottom of the receipt, so you could go to a website and rate their service. The trouble was most of the staffers scribbled their name so illegibly, I couldn't have raved about them if I wanted to.

What's your take?
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Rob Wallis works with entrepreneurs who want to become known in their community and in the world. Contact him at The Wallis Group