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Month: December 2016

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I’m always interested in seeing how successful businesses market themselves to see if there’s any lessons to be learned. I’ve usually found that the larger the organisation, the worse the marketing and customer experience. However, a while ago I found an exception.

I went to the Yucatan Peninsular in Mexico for two weeks, staying at a fairly large RIU hotel. I have to say, I was very impressed with this hotel chain and how even the little things that affect customer satisfaction are not left to chance.

So let me relate just four of the ‘lessons’ I learned.

Firstly, I was amazed at the All-Inclusive restaurant. No queues. No waiting for drinks. Everything running smoothly. How could this be, I wondered?

So I took the free ‘Kitchen Tour’ on Sunday at 12pm. Now this really should be called ‘The Free Marketing, Advertising and Branding Tour’ because that’s really what it was. It’s purpose was to show us exactly how RIU have the customers' experience in mind. The end result was to change or improve our perception of the RIU brand (which of course is all in OUR minds). Hopefully we’d choose RIU next time.

The tour was carefully choreographed. They saw exactly what they wanted us to see in the order in which they wanted us to see it. But a key word that was repeatedly used was “Organisation” (in FIVE different languages!). It couldn’t be stressed enough. They wanted us to see that customers were happy, not by chance but because they had systems in place that ensured it. I was really impressed. I had no idea. Everything done at a set time and in a set way.

It was explained that they cater for a possibility of 600 hungry guests at 1pm every day. And that one hour later a further few hundred could arrive. And all had to be seated, drinks ordered and delivered and food cooked, ready and waiting immediately. And this they did!

Later, I joined the tour of the next door RIU hotel. This time one that is referred to as a ‘Palace.’ The reality was that it was hoped the next time we would ‘upgrade’ to this hotel. What better way than showing it to us? Again, everything choreographed.

So…the lessons?

Lesson 1: Your customers don’t know what you do unless you tell them. I had no idea that everything behind the scenes was so organised. Nothing left to chance. Customer satisfaction an absolute priority. My view of this large hotel chain has been positively changed.

Now…do your customers know exactly what it is that you do that other cleaners don’t do? Do they know why you vacuum the carpet before you clean them, something that most of your competitors don’t do? Are they aware of how much training you’ve undertaken? Do they know that you are National Carpet Cleaners Association (NCCA in the UK) members and why it’s important?

Lesson 2: The importance of a set way of doing EVERY activity in your business. In other words, to quote Michael Gerber of ‘The E-Myth’ “this is how we do it here.” The customer gets the best experience possible because we’ve worked out what that is and then written it down in our Operations Manual. It’s done that way every time.

Lesson 3: Always up-sell. And demonstrate if possible. What better way to show how carpet protector works than to SHOW it? If you added protector to only 30 percent of jobs… well maybe you could go to the Yucatan Peninsula next year.

Lesson 4: Remember, everything you do affects your BRAND, an over-used buzz word today. But put simply, a brand is a collection of perceptions in the mind of the consumer. So even being just systematic and organised can increase your ‘brand value’ in their minds. In real terms, they are more likely to use you again and refer you!

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I wrote recently about my visit to a local travel agent. It was a lesson in how NOT to sell a holiday. You may recall, amongst other things, the advisor assumed I wouldn’t pay the quoted price and so I was immediately offered a discounted price WITHOUT even asking.

If anyone’s been to Egypt, one thing you can say for sure is that although you may be hassled in the shops, they certainly know how to SELL.

I remember going on a Nile cruise a few years ago and amongst the ‘trips’ was a visit to a perfume factory. By the way, there was no choice about this. It was part of our visit to Karnak temple. There I witnessed a masterclass in selling. Again, there are some good lessons for us as carpet cleaners. Now, this was not just an education in perfume…it was a SALES meeting. Here are four lessons I learned.

1. Use Joint Ventures

Firstly, how did we just happen to end up at the perfume factory? Well, no doubt this was a ‘Joint Venture’. The tour guide would have made an arrangement to ‘deliver’ a coach load of prospective customers to the factory door. And no doubt taken a share of the profits. This is an excellent low cost, no-risk way of getting customers for the factory. There’s no expensive advertising, in fact no work at all other than divvying up the profits at the end. Even if the factory paid as much as 50% of the profit – it’s 50% for them that they wouldn’t have had. And a tremendous incentive for the tour guide! A win-win.

Now, who could give YOU access to their customers for a share of the profits (that they wouldn’t have had!). Ask yourself: Who services the same type of customers as you do? Could you give these customers a preferential offer that would induce them to use you for the first time? Even if you paid a high percentage of the sale to the other business, you would have gained a new customer and made a small profit on the first sale. When they use you again or refer you…there’s a much greater profit.

2. Use a Structured Approach

Nothing was left to chance…an initial ‘trust and rapport’ building cup of herbal tea, passing out order forms at the beginning to ‘assume’ the sale and demonstrations of the products were all clearly scripted.

Are your in-home quotes fully scripted? (I like to use the term ‘choreographed’ – like actors on a stage, nothing happens by chance). For example, are you demonstrating how protector works (tissue in a glass?) not just explaining it? Could you even clean a very small area to show just how soiled the carpet is?

3. Use Education Based Marketing

This is often a very under-used method of persuasion. I was thoroughly educated in the process of perfume making. By the time they had finished, I trusted that they knew what they were doing. I also knew about the ‘extravagant’ mark-up by the well known brands.

Do you educate your customers? You know, the ones who think that all carpet cleaning is the same? For example, do you tell them about the importance of vacuuming first because 79% of soil in a carpet is ‘dry’ and will vacuum out. Educate them as to why this and every other part of your process is so important.

4. Packaging

Yes, they offered three packages (4 bottles in a pack vs 6 vs 8 in a ‘fancy’ box), even throwing in a ‘bonus’ on the most expensive package.

Do you have different packages? If not, at least put together a high-priced top quality package and offer both. There are some customers who just want the BEST and are prepared to pay for it.

Many of my fellow travellers left the factory with boxes of perfume. A testament to a highly efficient, structured, educational, choreographed SALES meeting.