July 12, 2009
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Social media is rarely the work of only one person, especially when it comes to implementations done by organizations. Today however, I wanted to talk about the difference that one person made in each of three companies - even though they worked in concert with a team that supported them.
My first example is part of an interview I did recently with Frank Eliason who works at Comcast - a company we’re all keeping in our sights. Would it be fair to say that many customers are still on the fence about the cable giant? Frank started dealing with and handling customer issues using Twitter.
The one thing: what Frank has done for the company is showing the public that they can and want to solve customer problems. He’s not just talked about how sorry he is when someone’s service is down, he’s actually gone ahead and helped his team identify the root cause and take action.
The second example is the work my friend Scott Monty has been doing at Ford, a US automaker where the cars only a few months ago were considered a bad investment. Scott posted about the company’s vision first on his blog, then contributed to pointing to the site where it was posted.
The one thing: people listened because he was putting actual execution beyond his words and cars in their hands to test drive so they can see for themselves what is real. The company implemented not just an aggressive marketing communications program, it’s also putting its own business behind it.
The third example is a classic, we spoke about it here a couple of years ago, probably for the first time. Richard Binhammer is the communicator who was at the forefront of social media conversations in the digital team at Dell.
The one thing: if you want to know what makes Richard and the whole Dell team real is their ability to represent the organization in social media. In March, the team unveiled a new laptop at SxSW while they were launching it concurrently in traditional media. I was there that day by virtue of being present, and not because this was an event with exclusive invitation.
What these three professionals have in common is their desire to actually execute and implement in the business what they - and their organizations - communicate to the world. And actions do speak louder than words.
Social media is not just a set of new channels for marketing messages. It’s an opportunity for organizations to align with the marketplace and start delivering on behalf of customers.
Valeria Maltoni | Conversation Agent
http://www.conversationagent.com
http://Twitter.com/ConversationAge
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July 5, 2009
09:12 pm | 0 recommendations | 1 comment
We spend so much time talking about how to improve customer service that I thought one post on how to improve customer attitude would be time well spent. If you think about it, we call a customer support line only when we have a problem - rarely if never to proactively say how much we love a product or a service.
Why are we so ready to give feedback when we have a bad experience and yet so harried and thoughtless when we have a great experience? Probably because we’re busy telling all our friends and do not think the company that gave us that experience might care.
Our tolerance threshold has gotten much smaller. However, do we stop and consider that those people at the other end of the phone or side of the counter are working under as stressful if not more stressful circumstances than we operate in?
There are fewer people answering the phone, fewer staff at check out registers, fewer employees carrying the workload of a fully staffed organization. Turning the tables for a moment, have you ever wondered what it means to be a good customer?
Perhaps innovative ways for organizations to show they’re being responsive are:
- having the CEO answer the phone every now and then
- getting senior management to pitch in on busy seasons
- sharing stories of compassion and kindness to inspire the team
- encouraging staff to become point people for customers (some customer service reps already do this - they provide a direct number and line to their desk for follow up)
- giving permission or taking the time to reach out to customers proactively and developing those relationships beyond the sales pitch
Does being a good customer mean becoming more tolerant? Perhaps we could be better at:
- explaining what went wrong from the top
- feeling compassion and empathy for the person on the receiving end
- calling the rep’s boss when the service is terrific to give kudos
- listening without interrupting
- being more patient
It means talking “with” instead of talking AT on both sides of the conversation.
Yahoo provided me with the first email account. I’ve been using it for almost nine years. The other day I thought I could not log in without providing another email account and a telephone number. It would be unfortunate if Yahoo decided that the only way I can continue to use that account is to be marketed at by the company in addition to the marketing already existing in the email account.
I noticed the move because during all those years I used Yahoo only for the one email account, so there is no relationship with the company. In fact, the only Yahoo people I ever met where the ones who had been laid off after the fact. My compassion and empathy went to them.
It turns out that how to get the most out of any situation is to be more human. Can organizations - and people - relearn the art of conversation?
Valeria Maltoni | Conversation Agent
http://www.conversationagent.com
http://Twitter.com/ConversationAge
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June 28, 2009
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Quite a few years ago, Jan Carlzon wrote a book titled Moments of Truth. At the time, Calzon was the CEO of Scandinavian Airlines Systems and had helped the company reorient itself to become customer-driven. In his own words, a company that recognizes that its only true assets are satisfied customers, all of whom expect to be treated as individuals and who won’t select them as their airline unless they did just that.
I love the story that opens the book. Rudy Peterson, a business man, had forgotten his ticket and was able to fly all the same thanks to the promptness of one of the airline’s ticket agents. How many times have I heard from a friend who had not had such luck and had to fork more funds to buy another ticket instead!
The moment of truth for Carlzon was every opportunity to make a difference when in contact with customers, by and large on the front lines. Is your organization actively engaged on the front lines? Are you actively involved in satisfying customers?
The example of the airline hits it home for me as nowadays there are more occasions when airline travel is more than challenging for all involved. It seems that the employees on the front lines often are power-less. In Carlzon’s words, "An individual without information cannot take responsibility; an individual who is given information cannot help but take responsibility."
It seems to me that social media tools can help achieve even greater information sharing inside organizations. That employees in the front lines should be able to have all of the collective power of the organization to put at the service of customers today.
Customer-engagement is critical for the success of an organization and in a knowledg-driven economy, the power of information cannot be underestimated. And with instant messaging and mobile applications look for that expectation of fast response to be increasing.
Why not arm your colleagues on the front lines with every bit of intelligence you can gather on that customer right in front of them? Why not align the whole organization to reach out and help? There are many defining moments in a business. Few of them would qualify as moments of truth if they don’t involve knowing and even anticipating what a customer wants and needs.
In a customer-driven company, the distribution of roles is radically different. The organization is decentralized and the responsibility rests upon the people on the front lines. The extensive changes in this flatter organization need to start at C-level. As Machiavelli wisely wrote, "There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things."
What’s your moment of truth?
Valeria Maltoni | Conversation Agent
www.conversationagent.com
http://Twitter.com/ConversationAge
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June 21, 2009
09:10 pm | 0 recommendations | 1 comment
TaxAlmanac is a free resource for tax professionals, a wiki created by Intuit to help them stay current. In return the company gets free tips and advice from a roster of tax specialists that help improve its products for customers.
The wiki includes:
- a discussion forum
- research resources
- a community portal
- current events
- recent changes
And several other resources courtesy of the sponsoring company. Intuit run a
list of top contributors to the wiki back in 2007. It would be interesting to see what that list looks like today.
This is and example of new marketing thinking.
The company is also
working on several new applications as a result of input from users and is working on a series of innovations that will benefit entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Valeria Maltoni |
Conversation Agent
www.conversationagent.com
http://Twitter.com/ConversationAge
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June 14, 2009
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Smart companies have learned that often the best users of their products know as much or much more than their employees. Adobe is one such company. They are the creators of design and desktop publishing tools for communications and the company’s mission is to revolutionize how the world engages with ideas and information.
One of the ways in which they engage with their customers is to bookmark all the best Illustrator, Flash, Photoshop, etc. tutorials on Delicious. By doing so, they drive traffic from their 2,700 fans (and their networks) to those content creators while maintaining a master list of the best “how-to” information on their products.
This is a smart move on their part for many reasons that yield nice outcomes through conversation:
- higher engagement from and with peers
- greater customer satisfaction
- more learning opportunities for Adobe developers
- better product/market fit
I put this kind of example in the value creation category, which is the one that will create a sustainable business long term. In this case by involving the community of its users in the creation of content and thus value for each other as well as the company.
Valeria Maltoni |
Conversation Agent
www.conversationagent.com
http://Twitter.com/ConversationAge
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June 6, 2009
05:45 pm | 0 recommendations | 5 comments
In an interview with Francois Gossieaux of BeeLine Labs, Barry Judge says "to the extent that we can basically be human with what we know, and share it as freely as we possibly can, I think we'll go a long way towards gaining a higher or stronger level of trust with the consumers."
That is the crux of the concept of transparency and authenticity that organizations need to have in this day and age of rising competition for attention and time and commoditization for products and services.
In a recent post at his blog (do read the comments, there are excellent suggestions there), Judge quotes Robert Stephens, the founder of Geek Squad, saying "the easier you make it for customers to complain, the better your product will become." Socialize what you do and you will indeed improve how you interact with customers. That is what was behind Best Buy IdeaXchange.
What are they doing that is worthy of notice?
- allow people to complain
- make themselves accessible
- believe that good ideas come from anywhere
- stay open to suggestions
- understand collaboration and transparency
And it shows. If you take a look at his blog, you see that there are comments in every single post, and in some cases many, which is a sign that readers and customers are engaged, even when they post a customer service complain.
Social networks and digital media now play a greater role in influencing customer purchasing decisions than floor employees and so does trust in a brand when it's more human. With social media we have the ability to ask more questions, get faster answers, make comments and suggestions, and interact with other people. Now we can. Can your company work with that?
Valeria Maltoni | Conversation Agent
www.conversationagent.com
http://Twitter.com/ConversationAge
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May 31, 2009
12:32 pm | 0 recommendations | 2 comments
This is not the kind of library that just sits on the shelf. It’s a very active and dynamic way of offering information, tutorials, FAQs answering most asked questions, and special announcements for your customers.
Why does video work?
- Lower time commitment
- More personal experience
- Higher emotional connection
Now that you’ve considered the pluses of having videos on your site, how do you go about developing the content for them? First off, you should consider mapping to the customer preferences. Their online body language will tell you already what they look at or read most on your site.
Script
Start there by developing stripped down and conversational versions of that content. Having a script will allow you to be more creative at the time of taping. If you know exactly what you’re going to say, you can rehearse a couple of different ways of saying it.
It’s a good idea to include facts as well as stories. When you edit the video, you may show the facts or statistics by embedding charts or the numbers as a fade in during the narration.
The other piece of content that is very good to include is a story. Nothing says I understand what’s going on like using an example. And stories captivate us especially. The best stories include some color with them - think about what would hold the attention of your customers, probably a situation just like the one they may be facing.
Preparation
Being prepared on your subject matter is important. However, you don’t want to look like you’re reading from a TelePrompTer - that would look a bit inauthentic. It’s very similar to having a script for a play, or a movie. You won’t be reading it when you act it out, but you will have rehearsed it enough to be able to improvise your tone and expression.
Rehearsing out loud is very helpful. If it’s difficult for you to speak to yourself, you might consider doing a dry run in front of a few colleagues. And if you know that you draw energy from a crowd, you might consider taping in in front of people.
Delivery
Once you’re taping, try to think about your delivery as a part of a two way conversation. Something that will allow you to become intimate with the audience who will be watching the video.
That will go a long way to bringing the content to life.
Do you have recurring customer questions, issues, or content requests? Those are all excellent candidates for a video. Remember to keep things conversational and easy to digest, and you will find that the videos will go a long way to making your site more engaging and in some cases a destination.
Valeria Maltoni |
Conversation Agent
www.conversationagent.com
http://Twitter.com/ConversationAge
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May 17, 2009
07:20 pm | 0 recommendations | 1 comment
You probably already know that Forrester’s social technographics profile can help you analyze the social profile of your customer base. As authors Josh Bernoff and Charlene Li explain in the book Groundswell, people increasingly use technology to get what they need from each other, instead of relying on companies and businesses.
This is a social trend accelerated by technology, not the other way around.
Companies are more stretched than ever on staff that delivers products and services, as well as support for them. At the same time, due to the fragmentation of media and customer interests, their marketing dollars are not going as far as they used to when broadcasting was considered the way to go.
The good news is that businesses can reach customers where they are, and take advantage of the very same tools to not only satisfy their requests, but to gain insights about their buying habits - something that in the past could be done only with expensive research.
In other words, the return on your investment in time and attention, can pay measurable returns not just in research through listening, but also in marketing through talking, product development through embracing what you hear and sales through energizing your customers, in addition to customer support.
You can do that by assessing:
People - your customers’ social activities
Objectives - deciding what you want to accomplish
Strategy - planning how the relationship with your customers will change
Technology - deciding which tools to use
There is more. If you set aside inactives on the technographics profile, and focus your online activities towards the rest - spectators, joiners, collectors, critics, and creators - you will be able to map to the social media engagement profile of each group.
For this kind of discussion I will reference the work of experience architect Leigh Duncan-Durst at LivePath. Leigh too the technographics profile definitions one step further and described the categories a bit differently:
Scouting - these joiners are dipping their toes into social media. They are out there, but just testing some of the tools. They are learning from reading, and less from doing. Which is the reason why they may not engage with you online, but they will read what others are saying about you.
That’s one of the reasons why it’s a good idea to engage with customers online.
Active - may be collectors, critics or creators or a mix of those. These customers may being to form or join networks around a product or service they are passionate about beyond learning more - they want to have a voice and say. Find ways to listen, share and involve them.
Chances are your first encounter with them will be through a site like Get Satisfaction, a people-powered customer service tool we learned about just as it was launching.
Immersed - the mix is the same as with actives, the intensity and volume probably much greater. If your customers are highly active in social media, chances are they are contributors and actively engaged in discussions and their profile will be prominent on a number of networks and - most importantly - on Google search.
In fact, they may have a stronger presence on many tools than your business does. If they shared a story about your service, would that be a good one or a not so good?
Aside from being diligent in monitoring their conversations, you may consider hiring or training people in your organization who can immerse in their environment. A company that adds customer reviews to their site with BazaarVoice, for example, may increase sales and decrease returns.
Influential - they tend to be more the creator type. Those people who have aptitude and interest for initiating something new. Their expertise in a specific domain is often the reason why they have a very good reputation - and following - among their peers. They know how to apply these tools to achieve results and they will apply what they know to shape how they work, live and interact with brands.
As customers, they may want to be more involved with how your product or service is delivered. Chances are they will also lead conversations about what you need to improve. Some companies are taking customer service all the way to customers. For example, Nike allows people to build and order custom shoes on their site.
Think about the power of a group of customers and fans who post pictures of themselves wearing your company’s outfits. Where would you get more inspiration as a customer, from a carefully designed and shot catalogue or from people just like them?
A word of advice to marketers who may try to do too much with some of these online tools - stay focused on the customers and you will keep doing business with you easy. Remember that it’s not about you, it’s about them.
Valeria Maltoni | Conversation Agent
www.conversationagent.com
http://Twitter.com/ConversationAge
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May 10, 2009
03:53 pm | 0 recommendations | 11 comments
It seems that if there are many ways to listen in the social Web, there are also many reasons with the ways to answer. Tom Asacker puts it well, we define ourselves both according to what we identify with and what we reject, and given the abundance of marketplace choice, we now choose interactions which we feel will produce the best story possible.
With that in mind, when customers interact with us, we have an opportunity to help enhance their stories. The social Web is but a tool that allows us to do that in many more ways, depending on where our customers are.
Even with the best tools, the first step is to know what you’re listening for, to be attuned to what your customers may be saying both with what they are explicit about and what they are not saying. For example, if nobody is paying you compliments, well you should think about that.
As well, complaints may be the indication that something is not going well in the relationship - they’re not necessarily an indication that there is anything specifically wrong with the product. On the other hand, a problem needs to be fixed before it becomes an emergency or a crisis.
How do you know which one is which? And how do you answer the social phone?
It all starts with your ability to determine how customers are talking about your content and your brand. Do they speak with passion about it? You will know if you pay attention to the count of positive testimonials and posts in a given period of time
Another way of finding out if you’re making headway is by identifying the volume of conversations aligned with an idea you might have shared. Or you could literally measure the number of links your content receives. On Twitter you could watch the times your content is retweeted.
To determine what needs most attention then you could compare the types of sentiments contained in the posts or conversations about your company or brand. For example, take the number of referrals and compare that to the number of complaints or talks about seeking support and not receiving it.
It’s a good idea to also determine which conversations about products and solutions like the ones you offer lead to conversions - actual sales or inquiries that could lead to a sale.
If you’re monitoring online conversations you should also capture the relative direction of inbound and outbound links, or look at patterns with retweets of our content.
Marketers will tend to notice new sources because they traditionally spend more time on finding prospective customers. That’s why you also need those who are focused on existing customers to be part of the process.
There is tremendous value in growing your share of the conversation. Seen in this light with Marcel LeBrun of Radian6, a company that is learning more every day about the data they’re helping you measure, the word starts to take on a whole new meaning, I bet.
By far the best problem to have with your customers is that of a high level of engagement. You’ll know that you have it when all of a sudden you find yourself involved in answering comments and those comments become lengthy. If they didn’t care about your company or product, they would not take the time.
Many companies today have begun monitoring what is being said about them. The social Web is mature enough that it’s time to get off the sidelines and start responding to customers online.
Valeria Maltoni | Conversation Agent
www.conversationagent.com
http://Twitter.com/ConversationAge
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May 3, 2009
06:07 pm | 0 recommendations | 1 comment
Direct conversations with customers allow organizations to become public resources on areas of expertise. This happens in at least two ways: (1) through engagement, or social components, and (2) with valuable content, which is where I see a future for marketing.
Today every company has the opportunity to extend the reach of its social responsibility involvement by going social - on the Web or off line, as needed. Imagine for example a health care organization whose mission is to make a difference in its community and what it could accomplish by allowing its non profit beneficiary participating clinics to open support pages for patients and from patients.
There is a case study about CarePages in Groundswell that illustrates this point very well. This is a specialized blogging system designed for patients so that they can receive communications from family and friends and post updates of the clinical condition of their dear ones.
Plus, enabling this kind of customer conversation through your system decreases your support costs. An average call to a company’s call center costs $6/7, technical support calls cost $10-20 (source: Elizabeth Herrell, Forrester’s expert on contact centers).
Companies that have provided self-service information and outsourced their call centers saved money in the short term and decreased customer interest and engagement in the long term.
The other way customer conversation can lead to conversion is through valuable content. A company that provides a lot of well-researched data and information, as well as shares great information from the industry, can easily become a hub, a destination.
This is where marketing switches from mere pollution of your attention waves to organic contributor - would it be fair to say carbon neutral?
An example is Johnson & Johnson family health institute in China. The site helps educate mothers about family health, and funding schooling for nurses. No doubt, it also helps form a connection with customers, the outcome of which is brand loyalty.
Customer conversation can be the keystone of your marketing through engagement and content. There are multiple ways to do that, depending on who your customers are and what business you’re in. It begins with the willingness of an organization to become a public resource on areas of expertise.
Valeria Maltoni | Conversation Agent
www.conversationagent.com
http://Twitter.com/ConversationAge
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