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Friday, July 17, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Psst! Don’t Tell Anyone About My Best Kept Secret!
The other day I happened to be reading my local newspaper when I came across an ad with the tag, “This region’s best kept secret”. I got to thinking about the use of secrets’ as an advertising tool. A well-known personal hygiene product carries the brand name “Secret”. We have common phrases such as “Top Secret”, “Highly Confidential” that are used to attribute value and credibility.
It carries the idea of exclusivity and desirability, right? Wrong! Not when no one knows you or your products/services!
It is your customers that turn you into a “Best Kept Secret”. When a customer has a great experience with your company, product or service, they are going to talk. They will talk about their experience with you to their friends, family, neighbours, co-workers, or while making small talk standing in line waiting for whatever. If you do a great job at customer service, your customers are going to do a great job giving you referrals. Give those referrals a great experience, and well, you will soon master the fundamentals of viral marketing at its most basic form. Your referrals will take a life of it’s own.
So how can you turn your business into a Best Kept Secret?
Remember that the definition of a secret is that no one or very few know what it is. In business, this is a death sentence. But the idea of a Best Kept Secret is that only the select know about it. It doesn't matter how many are select! So here are three easy tips to follow that will give you your "secret" weapon.
#1: You must always advertise to get some customers in. If you want them to talk about you, you first have to let them know you are ready for their business. Sales literature, networking, email and mail campaigns, cold calls and ads (TV, Radio, internet, newspaper), website, blogging and face-to-face meetings all drive business to you. Use as many channels as possible, but make sure each has a purpose and a target. It will help you monitor the productivity and effectiveness of your efforts and message.
#2. Make sure you have your customer service as a number one priority. Treat every client the way you would want to be treated. Take a course or workshop on customer service and ensure all employees know what the company policy is.
#3. Let your customers know that you would like their referrals. Reward them for doing you this favour. It will be the best and most cost-efficient method of advertising, so consider any cost of reward as an investment. The most personal thing you can do to reward your customer is to mail them a handwritten (more importantly, legible) thank you note. Who doesn’t like receiving a thank you note in the mail? In this day of information technology, traditional methods still stand out as unique.
Make the effort to practice these three steps and you will find that eventually referrals will make your advertising even more effective. Your customers will be happily spreading the word about you, giving you more recognition when your prospects see your ads.
Psst! Don't forget to tell your associates where you saw these tips!
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