Are you effectively communicating your value in your uniqueness
30 June 2010
Sales Tip 30th June 2010
Are you effectively communicating your value in your uniqueness?
Time to read this section about 90 seconds, time well spent
I was reading an article from Donald Cooper's June E-newsletter, which struck accord with me about how as New Zealanders we really don't like to make a song and dance about our successes. However as he so rightly points out in the business world, if you're great at something, then let people know! I've asked Donald if I can share his expertise and experience with you, however first I'll quickly introduce Donald Cooper...I met Donald years ago in Gisborne on one of his many visits to NZ. As an International Business Speaker, Donald Cooper's powerful insights of HUMAN MARKETING© have helped thousands of businesses throughout the world to add more value to their customer's lives...and more dollars to their bottom lines!
Here's the article I mentioned at the start...
"It's amazing how many businesses do all the hard work to create "amazing" value and customer experiences...and then fail to communicate that effectively. This is just nuts. Here's an example. A few weeks ago we stayed at a charming boutique hotel on La Rambla, Barcelona's famous tree-lined walking street. After two days at this hotel, I accidently discovered a most beautiful lounge hidden on the second floor and an extraordinary roof-top terrace with views of the city's ancient and intriguing Gothic Quarter. I also discovered, accidently, that this beautiful hotel had originally been built in the early 1800s as a palace for a prominent Barcelona family. This is all great stuff, but it was never even mentioned during our front desk greeting, in-room briefing or in any "About our Hotel" literature left in our room. A great example of keeping all your good stuff a secret.
Here's another example. Baristas from Café Artigiano in Vancouver, British Columbia, have won the Canadian National Barista Championship every year for the past 6 years. That's an amazing story that, if properly communicated, creates celebrity status and adds tremendous emotional value to the Artigiano coffee experience. But they practically keep it a secret. It's mentioned on a small plaque, on the wall, hidden behind a vase of dead flowers. There are no pictures of the actual winners and none of the baristas on duty have any message on their apron or anywhere else indicating that they are one of the "champions". What a missed opportunity.
Some businesses do get it, bless them. Chef Alain and wife Robbie Irvine, at North Restaurant and Lounge in Gravenhurst, Ontario have created a wonderful dining experience and they do an excellent job of communicating that. They send out regular E-Newsletters that are a masterpiece of communication and relationship building. Then, this past May, they mailed out beautiful invitations, you know, the kind we never seem to get any more, inviting prominent local residents (their target market) to a special complimentary evening at which they revealed and sampled their new Summer Menu. They partnered with a few top wine merchants to offer free wine pairing as part of the event and it was a huge success. Of course, the secret to being able to do this is that they started building a customer database from day one so that they can communicate regularly with their customers to nurture the relationship and drive the business."
So, what are you doing that's extraordinary...and are you effectively communicating that?
Does your business have a great story to tell...and are you telling it to the right people?
If not, why not...and what will you do to fix that?
For more from Donald Cooper, I encourage you to visit his website www.donaldcooper.com, he has a great range of articles, DVD's, keynote speeches, workshops and management boot camps to help with business management, marketing and sales.
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