Please Join Me!
I'm hosting a Webinar on Jan 28 with DAC Group and special guest...Forrester, Inc.
It's called Off-Target: Why Companies Understand Customers Less Than Ever, and What to Do About It.
We'll cover the reasons audience targeting has gotten so bad, and how to use location to massively improve your marketing and customer experience. Plus, all registrants will get a copy of a fantastic research report on this topic.
If you do any online advertising at all, please be there for this one.
33 People Entrepreneurs Must Follow
Thanks for putting me on this list, compiled by University of Utah Eccles School of Business. Some old friends on the list too, like Gary Vee and Greg Head. Salud!
I Reject Your Excuses for Ignoring Customers
When you try to reach out to a business, no response IS a response, isn't it?
No response is a response that says "We care so little about you and your needs that we refuse to even acknowledge them."
But ignoring customers comes with a price.
As my buddy Shep Hyken says in his books and on-stage "A customer you ignore is a customer you're preparing to lose."
And that's doubly true if you're not even a customer YET!
Hello? Is It Me You're Looking For?
As I mentioned last issue, I bought a home in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We're a couple editions of The Baer Facts away from getting keys, but being a hyper-organized control freak I want to get things squared away, especially with it being in a different country.
So, I did a ton of research and found three property managers with good reviews. In Vallarta, property managers not only handle renting homes and condos but also handle maintenance, utilities, supplies, etc. Exactly what I need being a remote owner.
I'm not in a huge hurry, but want to get the ball rolling. I filled out the contact us forms these businesses created - presumably for just this situation.
And of the three, I heard NOTHING from two of them. And the third, whom I'm sure I'll work with, reached out the next day with a great FAQ and advice.
Cover Your Buts
I told this story on stage last week, and an attendee told me, "but Jay, sometimes we just don't have time to answer inbound inquiries."
Once I regained consciousness, I explained that if that were truly the case, the business should stop leading prospects to believe they could become customers. Like when your dentist stops accepting new patients.
"Oh no. We still WANT new customers," he said. "We just don't always have time to talk to them."
I'd Prefer a Robot to a Ghost
And that's the disconnect.
When someone fills out a contact us form on your website, it doesn't inexorably mean that you have to DROP EVERYTHING and call them. They don't (usually) expect that. Or even want it.
All they need at that point is some confirmation that they are ON YOUR RADAR and that you will follow up at some point.
On the same day as the property manager hunt, my wife scared the bezeejus out of me with an article about tea bags and microplastics ingestion.
I had to switch to loose leaf to calm my nerves and save Earth. I found this great infuser/insulated mug from Mosi (see below).
I made the purchase online.
MOMENTS later, I got an email from Paul, the Mosi Tea founder, with a video thanking me by name and asking me if I have any questions.
This was created automagically with AI and marketing software, and it's incredible. I got a little backstory on the company. Saw and heard the founder. Learned about some other products. And got an easy way to get answers.
Did Paul write and send this? No.
Did anyone at the company write and send this? No.
Did it take ANY time or effort to communicate with me? No, not after they built the initial system.
If a small tea company can do this, you can do this. Looking for a way or a reason to use AI in your business? That's a good one.
No more excuses. Answer EVERY customer.
The Books Report
Dan Heath is one of my favorite business thinkers (and podcasters). His new book - out today - is Reset: How to Change What's Not Working.
It's an operating system for making changes in your life and your business, with an emphasis on how to break through the demoralizing middle when you think "is this even worth it?'
Great read for anyone who leads change, or wants to do so.
Jay's Faves
As described above, here's the nifty Mosi tea infuser/insulated mug.
You add tea to the silicone basket, fill with hot water, turn it upside down (make sure lid is tight!) let it steep, flip it back up....done.
Super handy. Dishwasher safe, too. $45.
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