Instituting change in your company is not an easy thing. It takes time, strategy and a commitment from all involved. It especially takes discipline from the top leaders to keep everyone focused.

In many cases, changes happen quickly. Owners or department heads read a new book, or attends a seminar or conference and they come back loaded down with new ideas.

All of a sudden, change is thrust upon everyone without any thought as to how it will affect what is currently in place.

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Reviews are creeping up everywhere

I was checking in online the other day for my trip to Digital Marketing Strategies conference and Continental had placed the following set of tabs at the bottom of my boarding pass.

Here were their suggestions for restaurants, nightlife and things to do. I am not sure how these got loaded in but the fact that these businesses have a review gathering process helps.

I would think your business could benefit from this type of exposure. [read more...]

As I travel and speak to business owners and industry people I have been asked if I could simplify how this “new” customer is shopping. How it affects their interaction and what can they do to improve their sales.

Let me begin by saying that just because I am in digital media, I do not feel how you have been using traditional media in marketing your business in the past is wrong.  What I want you to understand is what that media is doing for you and how you may have to change some of your budget in the future.

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As we continue our conversation about Zero Moment of Truth, where customers research you and your products online, let’s not forget what the First Moment of Truth is: When people contact your business.

I want to focus on what happens when customers get on site and how what happens can affect the sale. To explain my point, at a recent workshop I posed this question to attendees: “ What are some things that customers saw upon coming to a business that negatively affected their willingness to buy?”

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I was sitting in a meeting when my cell phone rang. I did not recognize the number so I let it go to voicemail. On my drive home I listened to the message. “This message is for Mr. and Mrs. Pasch. This is Amica Insurance…” I perked up and wondered, what is wrong, is my coverage changed, but to my surprise the message continued. “We at Amica would just like to thank you for your business. We appreciate that you have chosen us and just wanted to reach out and thank you. “

That made me smile. In a business where I teach customer service and how to improve their online reputation and get customers to be brand advocates, this stood out and I had to write about it.

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