Do you respond to telephone surveys, internet pop-ups and questionnaires that companies are constantly putting out there to obtain customer feedback with the premise of improving their products and services?  I do, because I’m a marketer, and I want others to answer surveys, fill out questionnaires and provide honest feedback when I’ve been asked to conduct a survey for one of my clients.

But what good is honest feedback if nothing changes?  Here is one example.  I just returned from a two-week Caribbean cruise with family members.  What we didn’t know when we booked the cruise was that it was actually two one-week trips back-to-back.  They billed it as the Collector’s Voyage.  We learned that about 10 percent of the folks were in Voyager mode each week, some on the last leg of the voyage while others had just begun. 

The cruise company, realizing that there was some overlap in the weeks’ events, wanted to ensure that the Voyager folks were being treated well and were not put off by repeated activities.  So they surveyed by questionnaires, called on the stateroom phone, visited at meal-time to ask questions face-to-face, and generally kept asking for feedback that would make our cruise more enjoyable. 

Well, when you ask a marketer for feedback, you get it!

I filled out the questionnaires, took their phone calls, and offered suggestions when they visited table-side at dinner.  But some of the very simple things I commented on during the first week, remained as frustrating and unresolved during the second week. 

On one of the phone calls to our cabin from the front desk personnel, I couldn’t help but feel the caller had been given a list of 100 or more folks to call and see how their trip  was going.  His introduction and canned, scripted questions had obviously become a tired routine week after week for that particular employee.  He seemed genuinely startled when I tried to tell him about an issue that could be improved to “make our stay more enjoyable.”  I mentioned that I had put it on the written questionnaire.  He tried to get me off the phone as quickly as possible, ensuring that if I had included it in the written survey it would be addressed.  He said he also would bring it up with his supervisor.

Again, nothing changed.

So what is the point of soliciting feedback if there is no intent to implement change?  It was evident to me that this was just a perfunctory process in the guise of creating good customer relations.  The point is, they didn’t really want the feedback.  They just wanted to be able to say they had gone through the motions of soliciting feedback from all customers in the Voyager category.

Here’s the bottom line:  the next time you ask a customer for feedback, send a questionnaire, or hear a gripe over a luncheon meeting, have a process in place to address their concerns.  Otherwise, you are communicating that you don’t really care about their business.  And most folks can readily pick up on that. 

What the cruise ship company didn’t know was that I’ve been saving my money to take a round-the-world cruise when I retire one day.  While I enjoyed this recent trip for the much-needed vacation it provided, I also was auditioning this cruise line for its amenities as a potential carrier for the world cruise.  And I won’t be traveling alone.  My recent voyages have included from 6 to 12 people.  Small things can have big implications.  Not responding to my feedback, which they solicited, likely cost them the future fares of a half-dozen round-the-world voyages.  They would have been better off to have never asked.

–Ralph Yearick

Remember as a school kid the thrill of a new Number 2 pencil?  Unsharpened.  A full eraser.  Bright yellow.

We did most all of our early learning with a pencil.  Then graduated to a ballpoint pen for spelling tests and other important works.

Today kids pound away on laptop computers and text on cellphones.  The act of writing is slowly slipping away.  Why should that matter?

According to Tom Wasylyk, president of Universal Publishing in Waymart, Pa., and a master penman who has written scores of penmanship instructional books, research shows that the act of writing stimulates the creativity portion of the brain.  However, when keystroking, that part of the brain remains quiet.  Not surprisingly, people tend to remember things they write more than things they key in.

Imagine that.  The simple act of holding a pencil or pen and dragging it over a piece of paper to create letters or symbols stimulates the creative center in the brain. 

Most who read this blog are all creative types.  We’re in professions where the daily act of being creative can make or break the business.  Whether writing advertising copy, white papers, or doing graphic design with the latest computer program, our creative ideas are what differentiate our work.

Wouldn’t you like to have an advantage over your competitors?  It might be as simple as taking a pencil or pen in hand when shaping your ideas.

I have to admit, I’m writing this blog on a computer – keystroking every word.  How much more creative could I be if I were to write it out longhand?  I’m going to try that on my next entry.

In the meantime, I’ll be passing out Number 2 pencils at our next staff meeting. 

– Ralph Yearick

As part of a managerial training session at a major corporation where I was once employed, the instructor gave each participant a short quiz of seven to nine questions and asked us how we would answer them as employees of the corporation.  The questions covered things like salary expectations, bonuses, employee rewards, etc.  We took the quiz and reviewed answers.

Then we took it again.  But this time, we were asked to consider our answers from the viewpoint of being a manager.  Wow!  The answers were complete opposites.

While employees are interested in regular raises, bonuses and appreciation for good work, managers are evaluated on boosting profits, keeping down costs, and managing a workforce that produces optimum results with the least amount of overhead.

Surveys at that same corporation showed that employees would forgo raises if they got an occasional pat on the back.  The president’s response was, “Why should I have to give them a pat on the back.  They get paychecks.  That’s their reward.”  He has since retired and new management transformed that company into a powerhouse in their field.  It was simple – in addition to a more aggressive reach in the marketplace, they demonstrated more progressive thinking about how to manage and reward people.

As a business owner, I am often reminded of that simple quiz when I’m dealing with both employee and customer issues.  I know I have to keep talented, motivated, challenged employees to satisfy the needs of our customers.  I also have to find ways to do that in a cost effective manner.

Similarly, I have to keep the perspective of a client, who wants the best quality of work at the least out-of-pocket expense. 

Good business is a balancing act between the needs of clients and the needs of employees.  A good manager has to put on hats from both sides of the table and see that each feels they are getting value for their dollar or their work.

Steven Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, addresses favorable business relationships.  The Quick MBA summarizes his point quite succinctly:  “Think Win/Win.  Seek agreements and relationships that are mutually beneficial.  In cases where a “win/win” deal cannot be achieved, accept the fact that agreeing to make “no deal” may be the best alternative.  In developing an organizational culture, be sure to reward win/win behavior among employees and avoid inadvertently rewarding win/lose behavior.”

Taking that management quiz twice so many years ago taught me the lesson of perspective.  To be successful in business, we must always be looking at our products and services through the eyes of our customers, who purchase them, and the eyes of our employees, who deliver them.

– Ralph Yearick, CEO, Yearick-Millea

At a recent staff meeting, we were talking about a client that balked at multiple quotes for their product photography.  My business partner said, “Sounds like an eastbound train.”

That referred to a line often quoted by motivational speaker Earl Nightingale about choosing the right kind of clients.

He said northbound trains are those who need and want your services, and can afford to pay for them.  Eastbound trains are those who need and want your services, but can’t necessarily afford them.  Southbound trains are those who don’t need or want your services, but can readily afford them.  And westbound trains are those who don’t need or want your services, nor can they afford them.  Nightingale’s advice is to focus only on northbound trains.  Anything less will just hamper your business.

I once called on a hospital foundation about an hour’s ride from the city.  They were interested in doing a direct mail program to solicit donations.  After meeting with the foundation director, I was turned over to a young summer intern, who gave me the parameters for quoting the job.  We submitted our proposal.  Later, I was called back to their office and given new parameters and asked to re-quote the job.  This occurred four times.  Finally, I told the young woman that our business is getting the work done — not endless quoting of projects.  She took the hint and didn’t call back.

That was clearly an eastbound train. 

While we sometimes want to take work just for the cash flow it brings, we’re really working against our long-term goals for a successful business.  We need to focus on growth more than immediate cash flow.

This was succinctly stated in a recent American Marketing Association newsletter in a quote by Barry Judge, Chief Marketing Officer at Best Buy.  He says, “Once you understand the business and how you make money, you will start to become immune from grandstanding for what Marketing just does.  You will start to label your budget and efforts around growth, and not just marketing, and work with the CEO to help drive the growth agenda.”

Whether a large business like Best Buy, or a small business like a creative agency, the principle still applies.  Successful businesses must focus on long-term growth rather than short-term sales.

Take a look at your customer base.  If you have more than a couple eastbound trains, then they are a serious drag on your business.  Leave them at the station and do whatever it takes to go book another northbound train.

I caught a couple minutes of a recent interview with Mark Zuckerberg,  co-founder of the social networking site Facebook.

One might think that Facebook’s Research and Development Department would be focused on just improving the Facebook product.  But, no, an army of bright young people are challenged to come up with new ideas for services or products with the mandate that they be profitable. 

I was intrigued when he said their strategy was to see how fast they could fail with a given pursuit.  The more failures they could rack up, the closer they were to finding a successful venture. 

This was the same theory I learned years ago while counseling job searchers in my capacity as placement chairman for the local chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.  I would recalled how a local motivational speaker/educator worked with unemployed steel workers to help them find jobs.  His pitch was to celebrate every rejection letter because the more you received, the closer you were to getting an acceptance letter.  He advocated trying everything you could to speed up the process of getting rejected.

My business partner and I were recently talking with a retired colleague about all the changes in marketing tools and practices — most attributed to the electronic revolution.  That prompted some reflection on a number of different things we had tried over the years — hiring special skill sets, strategic partnering, employee development, “golden handcuffs” for key employees, fun officers, and more. 

A lot of things just didn’t work.  But a lot did.

We’re a better company today for having tried a lot of different approaches to serving client needs and running day-to-day operations. 

That reminds me of the young reporter who chided Thomas Edison by asking if he felt like a failure in trying to invent the electric light bulb.  Edison replied, “We now know a thousand ways not to build a light bulb.”  And today we enjoy longer days because of his persistence.

So, are you trying new things in your business?  Are you experimenting with better ways to serve your clients’ needs?  Perhaps offering a new service or product?  Trying a new software approach to improve an old problem?  Hiring a new talent to cover a void in the shop?  Adding new technology?  They won’t all work, but some will. 

I certainly don’t advocate Zuckerberg’s approach to move in a thousand different directions and see how fast you can fail, just to turn up that one golden idea.  But do remember what Woody Allen said, “If you’re not failing every now and again, it’s a sign you’re not doing anything very innovative.”

A colleague and I had a meeting with a potential new client recently, where the subject of research was part of the conversation.  The marketing person readily admitted they had little information on their client base, especially how their customers felt about this professional services firm. 

From my previous posts, you know I am a firm advocate of doing research and letting it guide the marketing program.  I shared how a national trade association found some surprising information by surveying their target audience.  That information went on to drive their marketing program for several years.

But I didn’t share the outcome of a research project where the client chose to totally ignore the findings; yet, ten years later agreed the survey offered the right conclusion.

We were called in by the president of a small mid-western college that had a good regional reputation for their academic programs and even a national reputation for one sport – namely soccer.  Enrollments were down because of the general economic downturn.  One of the school’s drawbacks to recruiting was a remote geographic location. 

Our task was to boost admissions.  We analyzed their existing student body data to see from where they were drawing their applicants.  Several geographic areas were dominant.  We proposed a research project to find out why potential applicants did not even bother to fill out the paperwork.  The research results were very clear.  When students went to college fairs, they would walk up to the recruiters and ask the cost of a year on campus.  The recruiters would give the published price.  The majority of students walked away, thinking the price was too high.  What the recruiters never got the chance to convey was that only about one percent of students paid the full price.  Most students only paid about 75 percent of the “sticker price” because they had assistance, scholarships or work-study programs. 

Our conclusion and recommendation was to lower the tuition price and begin a national, pro-active public relations program on how this school was lowering costs and making higher education affordable to more young people.  At the time, the idea was just too radical for the college president.  He ranted about how they belonged to a council of small colleges, whose members felt that tuition price had no bearing on enrollments.  There was no roll-out of a national campaign heralding this small school as being on the forefront of affordable higher education.  Instead, we were paid to place some less significant stories on historical angles of the school in national magazines.

Less than twelve months later, I read several nationally reported stories about another small college that had lowered their tuition, touting the same message of offering high quality, affordable education.  The media hits were priceless.

I often wondered if the college president who had rejected our idea had any second thoughts about not going national with a tuition cut.  Over the years, numerous other educational facilities took the same tact, each getting their share of national publicity. 

Imagine my surprise when, ten years later, I picked up the newspaper and read that that same small college was lowering their tuition rate.  The article also mentioned the president’s forth-coming retirement.

I wrote to the then-current marketing director at the school and congratulated him on that great idea of lowering the tuition rate.  I told him it was a great idea when we had proposed it ten years earlier, and would he be interested in other marketing ideas to boost admissions.  Needless to say, I got no response.

The point of the story is that good research will often confirm what you already know about your clients.  But it’s the unexpected things learned from research that create new markets, suggest new products and services, and reinvigorate or provide new direction for a marketing program.

As I’ve said before, “Always trust your research.”

Imagine your worst-case scenario… you just lost your largest client; a star performer quits the staff and heads for a competitor; you were just about to close that large sale and the buyer goes with another supplier; or your product or service is quickly becoming obsolete.  What do you do?

The answer is simple:  Don’t wait until you find yourself in that situation. 

In his book, First Things First, Stephen Covey suggests that the art of time management should no longer focus on the clock, but, instead, on the compass.  He eschews daily To Do lists for a broader look at what is happening in our businesses and personal lives.  He admits the clock will help us jam all sorts of activities into the day, but by following a compass, we will look at the direction in which our life or business is moving. 

Covey asks a couple very focused questions: 

“What is the one activity that you know if you did superbly well and consistently would have significant positive results in your personal life?

“What is the one activity that you know if you did superbly well and consistently would have significant positive results in your professional or work life?

He then goes on to admonish:  “If you know these things would make such a significant difference, why are you not doing them now?”

Covey asks the reader to look at the driving factors of how we make choices.  They usually fall into two categories — urgent or important. 

Losing a large client or a star performer can certainly create a sense of urgency in our businesses.  But if we have been managing our business from the viewpoint of regularly doing the things that are important, we will naturally be building good customer relations; having a defined, repeatable new business plan; staffing and training employees to manage work-flow changes; and making sure our product and service offerings are current with the needs of the marketplace.   Then, we will be much-less affected when an apparent tragedy strikes.

So answer the question for yourself — What’s the one thing I could be doing that would significantly impact my business with positive results?  You already know the answer.  So why aren’t you doing it?

–Ralph Yearick