Astonish Your Customer(s)

Check the box

How many dollars did you spend in the last year on activities that are merely meant to "check the box"? As in, the boss wants me to do it (e.g. social media, online ads, sponsorship) but I don't, so I'll spend just enough to keep him off my back. Or, you don't have much to spend to make a big impact but you spend it anyhow, conning yourself that it is a test.

Ever do a ROI on the check the box activities? Did any of them reap an outsized benefit or any benefit? 

Would the boss object if you used those dollars to pursue some breakthrough regarding the product? 

Dollars should be channeled into activities in which you plan to go all the way and matter most to the customer. 

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.  

Who knows you

Everyone has heard the old adage, "It's not what you know, it's who you know". Well, today, in the networked world, the old line needs to be amended: "It's not who you know, it's who knows you". 

And, being accepted as a friend on Facebook, or accepted for connection on LinkedIn or followed on Twitter seldom counts. So, how should "friends" be measured?

Who would I go out of my way for? And, who would go out of their way for me? And, the way you build that group is by going out of your way for someone else (first). 

Networking isn't about how many, but who.

O.D.O.o.O.D.B. 

(TY: Seth Godin)

How does a great boss behave

Astonish your team by reinventing the boss/subordinate relationship.

When people are asked about the most important qualities of a boss/leader, it is common for words like integrity, vision, customer-focused, motivator, decisive, intelligent and such to be used. 

Those terms are too abstract to guide me to be a better boss and leader. So, by observing, practicing and reading, I have defined a list of the most important actions & behaviors for a boss to practice – specific actions & behaviors that make for an enjoyable work environment and high productivity … for the employee, the work team and the overall organization. It's a long list.

Since no one can master a laundry list, here's what I propose. Each December, the boss meets with her team. From the list below, she asks the team to identify 7 behaviors/actions the boss needs to practice in order for the team to succeed in the coming year. In private, each person will also identify 3 more for themselves. At the end of the year, the team grades the boss on her performance against the ones selected. In addition to grading the 10, the team will also grade the boss on the following: a)  Is a better leader than her peers in the organization, b) Overall, sets an example I want to follow, c) I would encourage my best friend to work for my boss.

Each of the selected behaviors will be graded: Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Often, Always. 

My boss …

1.    Acts with integrity (honest, practices golden rule)

2.    Spends lots of time with the customer and the people who directly serve them     

3.    Can visualize and clearly describe a better future – tells a convincing story that is easy to share about how the team can make a big difference     

4.    Is a true believer in the “cause” – exudes contagious energy & total commitment

5.    Listens frequently & attentively – seeks & values my input

6.    Spends time to know my individual talents & goals so I can make a difference  

7.    Assigns work that matches my talents & strengths 

8.    Takes specific actions to improve & leverage my strengths (vs. just improve weaknesses)

9.    Inspires me to do my best work (to astonish the customer)

10.  Teaches me new things (directly or indirectly)  

11.  Treats me like an expert when discussing my area of responsibility 

12.  Makes me feel like my work is valued - shows gratitude, especially for smart failures

13.  Cultivates a “one for all & all for one” culture 

14.  Challenges and departs from the status quo/conventional wisdom

15.  Gives consistent & clear direction – defines: core customer, core strength, core score, core actions   

16.  Keeps it simple – focus on a few important things    

17.  Words & actions are consistent 

18.  Delegates smartly – may identify the objective but lets me determine the “how”

19.  Makes decisive & timely decisions

20.  Gives timely & fair feedback – praise or criticism

21.  Punishes inaction, lazy thinking & poor execution   

22.  Does not make excuses & never confuses effort with results 

23.  Pushes recognition to people/the team  

24.  Expects all team members to be leaders -  independently take initiative to drive the business

25.  Is comfortable with debate & challenges to her opinion

26.  Fights for people - e.g. rewards, resources, removes barriers & distractions, gets team’s ideas implemented

27.  Understands her weaknesses and finds productive ways to compensate

28.  Recruits and comfortably leads people who are smarter & more talented

29.  Knows and respects my work/life balance goals 

30.  Is maniacal about completely satisfying the customer – customer first at all times  

31.  Drives team and organization to create products that are absolute best in market

32.  Doesn’t settle on the important issues - a tyrant against same-old, average, mediocre, good enough

33.  Keeps eye toward big picture and future – doesn’t get bogged down in the weeds

34.  Stays the (right) course - not diverted by critics, flavor of the moment, faux crises

35.  Judgment on important issues is right more often than wrong 

36.  Delivers the right results (understands what constitutes performance in the organization)

 

A.    Is a better leader than her peers in the organization

B.    Overall, sets an example that I want to follow

C.    I would encourage my best friend to work for my boss

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.

 

 

Shortcuts

Did you take any shortcuts in the last year(s) that actually paid off in some meaningful and longlasting way, for your customer? Or, did the shortcuts backfire or fall short or just waste time and money?

O.D.O.o.O.D.B. 

The quality of excuses

I read once that no one ever compliments you on the quality of your excuses (can't remember source).

Excuses might buy a little time (maybe) but excuses never move you closer to the prize or lift the impression others have of you.

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.

Would you miss ...

From Brand Autopsy: If Costco went out of business tomorrow, would any of us care? Does Costco provide such a unique product and customer experience that we would be saddened if it didn’t exist? Does Costco treat its employees so astonishingly well that those workers would not be able to find another employer to treat them as well? Does Costco forge such unfailing emotional connections with its customers that they would fail to find another store that could forge just as strong an emotional bond?

Would customers miss your brand, or would they just seamlessly switch to another option? What would it take for customers to miss your brand, to be so upset that they write letters of protest and experience angst about its demise?

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.

Businesses I like to give my money to

Amazon, Nordstrom (men's shoes), Apple, WaWa Markets, Pennington Apothecary, NY/NJ Commuter Ferry, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Rita's Water Ice, Jim's Soft Pretzel Bakery, Southwest Airlines, Winnebago, Anthropologie, Costco, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company Magazine, Google, Seth Godin, Cool News of the Day, Aldi, Flying J Travel Plazas, Acadia National Park, Sneddon's Luncheonette, Acumen Fund, Baja Fresh, Geno's Steaks, Modest Needs, Blue Horizon Fight Club, Walmart, Voltaco's (best hoagie in Universe), Chuck's (buffalo wings), North Bowl, Bagel Train, EZ Pass.

I'll keep adding to this list.  

Some of these businesses don't do any advertising and certainly no formal marketing, unless you consider providing a great product/service marketing.

What are the common characteristics of the products/businesses that you like to give money to?

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.

Make (& keep) an audacious promise

Well, I finally took the GEICO challenge and, in 15 minutes or less (I clocked it), I saved over $400 on my car insurance.

More than a jingle, GEICO made and kept an audacious, very specific and measurable promise - the specific and measurable part are very important, as it dramatically amps up accountablility. GEICO's promise is easy to immediately see, measure and feel on your 1st encounter with the brand - immediate, measurable, 1st encounter.

Without intending to do so, I have probably told 7 friends, in the last 5 days. This is viral marketing at its best - I am talking because the product and the experience is worth talking about, not because the brand stimulated me to act with a faux or pre-fab buzz or social networking marketing campaign.

Which made GEICO a success - the product or the advertising? Which came first, the product or the advertising? What gives the advertising power? What wins the day with customers?  

O.D.O.o.O.D.B. 

The Google Paradox

Google makes, I think, all of its money selling advertising but basically doesn't advertise - not the way the typical multi-billion dollar consumer brand normally does, anyhow.

So, how do they spend all the dollars that would be routinely devoted to advertising? Google improves the product, makes it more useful, helpful, easier, insightful and, of course, Google adds new (free) products that seamlessly integrate with the existing product portfolio.

Improving the product instead of advertising - radically brilliant.    

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.

(TY: Tim Manners)

Change the product, not (just) the advertising because the product is the advertising

Nothing to add, the headline says it all.

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.

(TY: Seth Godin)