John Graham

The missing wow factor in even the best customer service

August 30th, 2010

Most consumers approach a customer service situation with a certain amount of dread – and for good reason. That’s the way I felt when I called Amazon.com about a broken button on my Kindle.

By the time I located the 800-phone number for customer service, it was 5:15 pm ET. To my surprise, a service rep answered in less than 60 seconds and expressed interest in my problem. When I explained that the Controller button had cracked, she said, “That’s awful. You can’t use your Kindle, can you?” Then, she added, “Give me a minute or two and I’ll be back.” She also took my phone number in case we were disconnected.

Back on the line, the woman said, “We’re sending you a new Kindle. It will go out today and you will have it tomorrow.” It arrived the next morning as promised.

My last question was about the 29 archived books on my Kindle. “Don’t worry, you’ll find them on the new Kindle,” she said. And they were, including the exact page where I stopped reading!

Although the service itself was extraordinary, the experience went a big step further. The service rep was empathetic. She let me know she understood how I felt being without my Kindle.

If you’ve wondered about wow, it came with the Kindle.

Tags: Amazon, Amazon.com, Customer service, Kindle
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

So you want to be a sales pro

August 9th, 2010

Who doesn’t! Well, you ought to get acquainted with with a guy I’ve worked with for about 20 years. He’s moved from one company to another as might be expected. He worked for others, but mostly in his own business. Just like the rest of us, there have been ups and down, high points and crises. On a couple of occasions he has had the rug pulled out from under him. The usual stuff that anyone in sales can relate to. He’s also still works customers who have been with him all that time.

That’s the back story; now for the good stuff:

Not once have I ever heard him complain about anything, including customers.
He does what needs to be done for customers, no matter what it is. Nothing is beneath him.
He doesn’t get upset (outwardly, at least) when something doesn’t go smoothly or an problem arises. He recognizes that stuff happens and the job is to deal with it.
He’s a regular at industry trade shows, but he never has a booth takes a booth for his own business. It’s not that he’s cheap. He devotes his time to working along side his customers.

If you met him, you would be surprised to learn that he’s a salesperson, let alone a real pro. He’s quiet, unassuming, patient, calm and appreciative and, believe me, a person of his word. It’s never, ever about him.

If you want to meet a sales pro, look no further than Ed Testa (he never goes by Edward) of Champion Capital, an equipment leasing company.

Posted in customer service, sales, sales management | 1 Comment »

Marketing Mayhem

August 6th, 2010

Unequivocally, marketing has been in near total disarray for at least the five years, exacerbated, of course, by an unrelenting recession. Trying to find the most effective ways to reach customers and prospects since the coming of age of the Internet a few years ago, one by one the old faithful strategies have been displaced.

The gurus of yesteryear have been superseded by a growing cadre of solution solicitors who are reminiscent of the hordes of website wizards who came bearing answers to questions we had never asked. Because they had all the right jargon (that we didn’t understand at the time), we moved blindly into the new world of the Web. Later, we were able to sort it out and came to see those “experts” for what they were, the dispensers of the latest problem-solving tonic.

If you haven’t become more than a little bored with the 140 word messages about where someone went last night, what they’re doing this weekend or what they had for breakfast this morning, that would be a bit surprising. Having 6,569 “followers” is somewhat useless, if you’re not going anywhere.

Even so, the opportunities to communicate are becoming more exciting by the day, along with the technology for delivering them. But it’s easy to be dazzled by all this and to want to try it all out–just as we did with websites.

What we are experiencing might be akin to what we might call “marketing mayhem,” the relentless–and seemingly never ending–assault of electronic communication techniques.

Even if one wanted to jump on a bandwagon, the chances are that the choice would not take us where we want to go, something we might find out quickly, but too late.

The task of marketing today is a matter of acquitting ourselves proud at a convention cocktail party.

In a word or two, marketing isn’t about how to reach customers; it’s all about how they want to be reached.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Dread of flying may be keeping ticket prices low

July 22nd, 2010

Talk to just about anyone who flies for business or pleasure and almost to a person, they say, “I hate flying!” And then they usually launch into a laundry list of complaints.

And it doesn’t seem to be getting better, either. A recent news photo showed a couple that had just deplaned. Both were wearing facemasks to protect themselves from possible germ contamination. Not a pretty picture in more ways than one.

Sure, there’s Southwest Airline and Jet Blue, the low cost carriers. And that’s what makes this so interesting. Is it any accident that customers opt for the lowest possible price? Of course not. Why would anyone want to pay anything but a rock bottom price for flying when they hate the experience?

All this came to mind while reading a recent WSJ article, “The Golden Age of Flight,” which recalled earlier days when the service was impeccable and the planes were loud and less refined than they are today. Yet, people loved flying, even though it was pricey.

And that’s the point one airline consultant Stanley Plog makes about flying. He has conducted studies of airline comfort, and comments in the article, “I love to fly. But today I avoid it when I can.”

The message applies in many other sales situations. No one wants to pay for pain. Some customers order from Amazon.com, even if the price is higher than others. As one person said, “Yes, I paid more, but I know they will take care of me.”

Posted in Jet Blue, Southwest Airlines, WSJ, airlines, flying, hate flying, sales, sales management | No Comments »

Central Valley Business Times Interviews John Graham

July 21st, 2010

John Graham, president of Graham Communications was recently interviewed by Central Valley Business Times on how sales people can turn the tide in their favor by following a few strategies to reinforce current customer relationships and garner the attention of new prospects.

Listen to the full interview: How to turn the sales tide in your favor

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Business today is a “no waiting” zone

July 12th, 2010

Increased customer expectations require real-time responses. Seemingly innocent comments can send the wrong message. For example, “I’ll get that for you when I get back to the office” can make sales reps look like they’re out of sync with the times. Whatever else is happening, business today is a “no waiting zone.”

Although apparently surprising to some, the iPad’s appeal to the business community seems rather obvious as it provides continuous connectivity and its touch screen makes it seamless extension of the person using it. It keeps the attention focused on the person using it rather than on a piece of equipment, such as a laptop. And unlike a laptop, the iPad is uniquely designed for sharing. Whether these distinctions are actual or perceived makes no difference; the results are what count and that’s real-time responses.

An excerpt from Turning the Tide in Your Favor. (Click to view the full article.)

Posted in communicate, customer expectations, iPad, laptop, sales | No Comments »

The iPhone phenomenon

July 7th, 2010

As everyone knows, the sales figures on the iPhone 4 are beyond imagination, as they are for all Apple products. Mac sales for Q1 of this year exceeded total sales in 2004. And for a gadget that many said would die a quick death, you can’t find an Apple store with one to sell. A total of 3 million sold in two months.

While the sales figures are staggering, it’s only exceeded by what we might call “The Apple Phenomenon.” Perhaps, it’s so complex that it defies description. Yet, at the heart, it seems to be that Apple products deliver life unifying simplicity when everyone is complaining (and rightly so) about a growing burden of complexity.

Beyond that, the products are participatory. The users define the use! Each iPhone is as unique as its owner and the technology never, ever gets in the way. It’s transparent. In the end, it’s the experience that’s so compelling, so exciting.

And the Apple stock ain’t so bad, either!

Posted in Apple, iPhone | 2 Comments »

Things must be getting boring at GM

July 7th, 2010

Or, at least that’s the way it seems, although it’s difficult to understand why it should be that way. The company is still a bit shaky, not to speak of the fact that all us good taxpayers own 61% of the carmaker. Yet, only bored folks would dream up a plan to eradicate one of the most beloved nicknames in the history of the American automobile. One that’s as American as apple pie.

It’s not as bad as it may seem. Only GM employees are no longer allowed to call their most popular car a “Chevy.” According to the company’s brain cleansing program, everyone must use the full name, “Chevrolet.” That’s a bummer, at best.

Why spend valuable dollars policing a proud name of a product with a wonderful history. And who in the world thinks they can get millions of us to dump a word that’s part of our DNA? What’s coming next? An ultimatum will come down from the GM C-suite that referring to a Cadillac as a “Caddy” demeans the brand. Tell that to a Texan!

Posted in Buick, Chevrolet, Chevy, GM, General Motors | 2 Comments »

Frontier Airlines gets customer service right

April 12th, 2010

It was with some trepidation that I dialed the 800 number for Frontier Airlines. When asked if I wanted to speak to an agent, I said yes and two rings later, there was a helpful fellow on the line. It quickly became clear that he was not authorized to do what I requested so he willingly transferred me to Mike, his supervisor, clearly a bright, customer-oriented professional. When I explained my problem, Mike said he would take care of it––even though it went against their system. It all took less than five minutes.

Unfortunately, this was an unexpected experience––and clearly the exception. I was ready to do battle, but these two guys took the bluster out of my sails! It was a wonderful not feeling it was necessary to go to the mat to get someone to listen to your story––and to get something done. They listened and they responded by taking care of the customer. The big airlines might learn a lot from tiny Frontier. They deserve to succeed.

Posted in consumer mindset, customer service | No Comments »

Watch out what you say or how to lose the sale

February 11th, 2010

The radio ad rep sent an email stating that her station would be “a perfect fit” for one of our clients. “We have so many amazing opportunities” for them.

I responded by asking who she thought was this client’s target customer, including age group, that made her station such “a perfect fit. Her reply pointed out adults in a particular age range, a minimum income level and mostly families with children who own their own home. She wasn’t at all close. I then described the target customer, pointing out that based on her description, the station would not be “a good fit.” Then, came her final comment, “I still beg to differ.”

The ad rep failed to engage me and presumed to know the solution before asking questions. It might have been more successful if she had said something like, “Our station covers your client’s market area, but before going any further, I want to be sure there’s a good fit. Would you mind answering a couple of questions for me?”

With the basic information in hand, she might have identified programming that was a good fit or she could have come back with, “Thanks for the information. Frankly, I don’t think we’re the right station for your client.” If that had happened, I would have been impressed with her honesty and the next time she called, I would have confidence in her recommendations.

Tags: honesty, radio sales, sales
Posted in losing the sale, sales, sales management | No Comments »