dinsdag 20 mei 2014

Exceptional Care for Your Valued Client ?

Today's blog is about the world of Dutch public transportation (OV)

Once upon a time... long time ago....you could buy a public transportation ticket at desk with a friendly perseon who even could tell you what time and platform your train / bus was coming. Then the fast world of technique was introduced, ticketmachines with a top-up card and with electronic check-in and check out, in train and buses.

GREAT! One card for one service for all public transportation! If you are a regular users....Well we have even a discount for you if you register your profile. It even would help to gain insights about travel behavior and therefor the PT is able to get more or less buses and trains on certain line. Also a marketing plan was launched  to get the people back in to public transportation so that the car is less used.

Exceptional Care for Your Valued Client. A company was founded to get this OV Card as its called up-and-running. The big sign says: Together we create one OV Card

At train/metro stations these check-in/check out's were installed (pic ANP) Many compaints about failing technique, bad readble screens and a lot of people forgot to check out.

"Dont forget to check out" is in Dutch: Vergeet niet uit te checken .... How little do they know about the brain if you call 2 action: "don't forget...."




One day....our public trasportation, in line with EU regulations was opend for compition and new companies arrived to the market...and created their own check-in/check out's.

On one journey check in/check out ...and check in/check out with the other company....

Exceptional care?......Ahum...What was the purpose of this card again?.......









Hurrayyyyy another company came to public transportation....Even more check in and check out's...All with the same messege....DONT FORGET to Check out!

Guess what the biggest problem is? People queuing up...have no clue if they are check in or out, getting fined because they travel with out a check in.....

If you presented the card..you have to wait 3 minutes before can present the card gain...now that's great during rush hour.....and you want to catch your train....



As part of their "excellent" service...they forced the customers to use the OV Chip card by simple accepting ONLY the OV Card, NO other options to buy a ticket...Welcome to the Netherlands!

More and more complaints came in about people forgetting to check out. An unregistered card will cost you € 7,50 a full profile card will cost you nothing. Unregistered have no options to get the money back in case of failure with the check out as they are unable to trace it..... and still they are thinking why people having trouble accepting this card....


So what do you do about these "stupid customers" who forget to check out all the time? You launch another marketing campaign with the same message...but with a small addition:

Big print: "Hopefully you forgot this by tomorrow".... and in the small print...."But don't forget to check in/out with your card"
According to google the number of complaints are still rising...wonder why ;-)





 Do they nothing for their Valued Clients?... Ofcourse they do, they start a new campaign about the check out problems, they make a new department to handle all the complaints. (now thats a real additional business cost for what?) Its easy solved this sigh says...trust me, even for a Dutchie is hard to understand.







RTI trained people instantly would investigate the source of all the trouble but top-down-thinkers create a solution for the symptom...We already know how this will end right? ;-)


But Cornelis...You always talk about customers...where are they?...Well here they are with a huge sign "Stop the Chaos" and the small print: " I want 1 desk for all my complaints" now you have to go to all the public transportation companies in case of check out failure because nobody can see where it went wrong.... A very very clear sign of the customers I would say!

Actually the client us saying: I want trouble free public transportation!




Solutions? YES ofcourse there are! Get it done by the source! Make one clear sign like this pic....100% RTI proof message!

OV Chip Card
Check ALWAYS IN and OUT!

In black and white...no fancy colors..just do it one time right....there is no other option....



Above example is one of the book "How to be very successful in failing" or it could be from the book: "Help! I got a customer!"

UPDATE: May 21
The public Transportation companies announced today that they have decide that there is no paper ticket available anymore from July 2014, if you are tourist or want to travel without OV Card you can purchase a PAPER Ticket with an additional cost of 1 euro and you have to check in and out with the paper OV ticket. .....Left or right...you want our service.....

Exceptional Care for Your Valued client is more then forcing a service you have designed to make a profit....its an business attitude and a mindset to strive for the best experience for your clients. More sales, more service experience, more repeat business, happy clients!

As always, I hope this inspires you to think about your Exceptional Care and how you could improve it.  Leave your message below if you want a slogan, part of text re-written and get it RTI Proof! Free of Charge!

Have a great day!
Cornelis

PS: We start a new RTI course on June 3, sign up at our facebook page! 3 coaches, 3 books and all the help you can get for just $ 249 and with a monthly payment plant $ 3x 100

maandag 12 mei 2014

RTI Cursus

In samenwerking met Bob Nicoll, Fred Rutgers en ondergetekende hebben we net de laatste hand gelegd aan de nieuwe Remember-The-Ice / Exceptional Care for Your Valued Client #2 cursus.

13 weken lang, 3 coaches die het eerste en het tweede boek stap voor stap doorlopen en samen gaan inpassen in de bestaande verkoopprocessen.

Zaken die onder handen worden genomen:
* Mail ik altijd met de bedoeling om te verkopen?
* Hoe neem ik de telefoon op en is alles gericht in mijn gesprek om tot verkoop te komen?
* Is mijn winkel wel op orde en hoe controleer ik dat?
* Is mijn staff nog wel zo klantvriendelijk en hoe weet ik dat het zo is?
* Worden afspraken, zowel intern als extern, nagekomen?
* Zijn alle marketing materialen en uitingen nog wel op orde?
* Mystery visit van Fred Rutgers en/of door mij voor de helft van de normale prijs.
* Wat vertel ik m'n klanten als ik iets niet weet maar ze wel iets wil verkopen?
* Hoe word de after sales ervaren?
* Welke kansen creeer ik als ondernemer voor een vervolg aankoop?
* Maak ik optimaal gebruik van alle marketing kanalen?
* De lijst is lang maar zeer werkbaar en op een gegeven moment gaan zaken ook vanzelf naar mate de kennis inklinkt bij de deelnemer.

In deze 13 weken gaan we op pad en aan de slag, ieder van uit zijn eigen specialisme een compleet beeld bij je onderneming.

Inbegrepen:
* 1x per week een 3/4 uur Skype sessie waar we van elkaar kunnen leren en inspireren.
* (E)-Boek Remember The Ice.
* (E)-Boek Exceptional Care for Your Valued Client.
* E-Book 6 BIG KILLING SALES Mistakes
* 3 ervaren (sales/commerciele) coaches die met je meedenken in oplossingen en voor resultaat gaan!
* Na de 13 weken een netwerk event voor alle deelnemers zodat we elkaar nog beter leren kennen en mogelijk elkaar kunnen helpen met het ondernemen.

Prijs is € 299  voor 13 weken cursus (3 termijnen van 2x € 100 en 1x € 99) betaal je in 1 keer dan is de prijs slechts € 250,- exclusief de geldende 21% btw. Betalingen kunnen zowel via de bank als via Paypal.

AANBIEDING:
Breng je nu zelf 3 deelnemers aan dan is de cursus voor jou GRATIS!

Hartelijke groet,
Bob, (www.remembertheice.com) Fred (www.fredrutgers.com) en Cornelis (www.datgaanwedoen.com)

zaterdag 3 mei 2014

Business Attidue!

I need a hair cut and I need it now!

 So I went out, in my place we have a few hair dressers who have no appointment system so you can walk in as it suits you, trouble can be a long waiting time.

I remember a new place, opened a few months ago and it looks clean and brite so I thought: Go to that place, lets find out.

On the sidewalk a very good and clear sign, including prices and what to expect: Great! I come in at 10:50. There is no customer in the place and 4 employees are sitting on the chairs.
A girl stands up and asks: Yes sir what can I do for you? I want to get my hair cut, is it possible that it can be done now or do I need to make an appointment?

She looks in the computer and says: Let me look...Yes we have place at 11:00  O'Clock.

Now I start to wonder: Everybody is sitting on their behinds, eating and drinking, looking at me if I am a alien...and let me wait for 10 minutes...OK I put up my most "stupid funny face" if its the normal thing to let customers wait while your doing nothing

OK, its sunny so I say: OK I wait outside for 8 minutes...Its a beautiful day.... after 6 minutes I go inside again. This same girl is getting up: Do you want coffee? Yes please! (Its unclear to me why nothing is offerd to me while waiting outside)


OK I sit down in the couch, nip a few times...one of the hair dressers stand up and says: Follow me please to the station. I take my coffee with me...No side table to put my coffee down. He pulls up a trolly full with small hairs, so I ask do you have a tissue to whip that off please because my coffee is on top of it I want to get my coffee hair free with a big smile, so he does with a really strange face.

He started to talking as hair dressers do and one point I ask him: You recently opened up, how is your business doing? Are you busy?...Yes! Its was very very busy..all day long many customers....I was there by now 20 minutes..still the only customer...No phone calls to make appointments....
Hmmmm interesting (hmmmm "fake it untill you make it" syndrom?)


"On the signs I see your very active with social media: How does it help your business?" I ask him. He said: "I dont know" (lazy language) know exactly but I like to play with the social media in general and keeps his friends updated...... Interesting answer for an entrepreneur......
Are they also client of yours? "NO" he said, "most live in a other part of town".
Very very interesting answer: your own friends, just 10 minutes away who are taking their business elsewhere....Just think about that from a perspective of Remember-TheIce and Exceptional Care for Your Valued Client!

In the meantime as I look in the mirror and see in the background - still I am the only customer - 3 people eating and drinking, watching their smart phones, playing at the computer and do nothing with a facial expression of real boredom.


My thoughts are: "Why they are sitting and doing nothing instead of cleaning the place?" (more items in the shop with full with hairs and dust in the corners) any way......I really feel like I am in a kind of hostile place...really strange to experience this while the signs says: Feel at home, be yourself, be welcome.

Yes, definitely that this business owner could benefit from: "Client Experience Improved program" by simply seeing and experiencing what I did...Like Tabatha does in her TV programs..Where are you Tabatha? ;-)


Tip of the day:
Make sure that you sit down from time to time in the customers seat, evaluate and do everything to improve, if you are unsure about what, simply get help, its affordable and it will get your more turn over and profit so it has a very good return on investment.

As always here to help you to clarify your message in sales, presentations, brochures, letters and other (non verbale) communications.

NLP for Business Words!
Cornelis



vrijdag 2 mei 2014

Guest blog by William Buist


Marketing to Sales - Whoops, dropped the ball...

Marketing is designed to bring our products and services to the attention of potential customers. When it does this well we need to be skilled at recognising the right moment to make the transition from marketing to our potential customers and into the sales process.

There is a risk here, in moving the potential customer into a sales process before they are ready to do the transaction, that we will lose the sale. In order to ensure that we maximise the possibility of making an appropriate sale to an ideal customer it's important for us to identify the signals, messages, and language that a typical prospect will give at this transition point.

For example, if you're selling a product that meets specific needs that your prospect has identified from your marketing then they are likely to use language that includes statements similar to “I’ve been looking for something like this for a while".  It's worth spending time to identify phrases and actions that could be noticed, and that indicate that it's sensible to seek to conclude a deal. If they are absent then you carry on marketing until they are present.

Another example, If you are selling a product which resolves a complex business issue through a mixture of appropriate products, consultancy and project management to implement the solution then it is unlikely that the process to a conclusion of the sale will be a short one. There will be a number of stages. The marketing efforts of the business will have positioned the solution as an appropriate one for the potential client. It won't have positioned it as the solution that they will buy, At least not yet. It is therefore likely that your sales process will include a period of fact-finding, and relationship development with the prospect. Your purpose is to demonstrate to them that the solution is a good fit and that you are suitably skilled and competent to deliver it.

In this case it's important to spend time understanding the triggers to move from one stage of the sales process to another, and to identify what those stages are. They may include some formal triggers such as an RFP or Tender. More likely, it's a question of identifying when you have demonstrated sufficient competence in the solution to be able to move to the next level of decision-making, be that financial, or a board presentation etc.

The goal of both marketing and sales is to attract and win new prospects. The skills needed to move people through sales process aren't the same as those required to build attention; brand awareness; and product awareness. Making the transition from one to the other needs to be handled with care and at the right time.

There's no point in being mediocre at supporting your potential customers as they learn about how you could support and help them with your products and services. If you think about all the transition points and triggers that enable you to demonstrate that you always understand your potential customers needs, before they are customers, then they are much more likely to recognise that you will do that when they are customers and beyond.

That will make your business truly remarkable.

William Buist
Abelard
Chenies, Coleford Road,
Woodcroft,
Chepstow,NP16 7HY - UK
//www.abelard-uk.com/
Phone : +44 (0)1291 622598
Mobile : + 44 (0)7880 794127

donderdag 1 mei 2014

Make them smile

Fun and humor works as we all know, a eye-catcher on the sidewalk to stand out of the competition. Here some great examples to get inspired.


Very clear. EAT!















UK humor at work



















Coffee or Wine ? Both!



















Go with the flow!



















Playing with BIG and small print


















Right call to action flow chart!



















What strikes me is that only bars and restaurants have fun and humor on their sidewalk boards to attract customers. As I am sure that these pics made you laugh I am wondering why other business hardly use humor on their boards. Do you got any idea why?

As always here to help you to clarify your message in sales, presentations, brochures, letters and other communications.

Cornelis