I LOVE Sage. (Note to Mother - Yes you are converting me - Note to self, I should know someone/some company is good when my mother evangelises them!)
You know, the guys who supply accounting software (have a look yourself here). On your/our own in business you need easy to use software - that should be a given.
But how about this......
Ordered the bundled software through Amazon - delivered no problem but a manual missing for the payroll module......bit like me I thought I could struggle through but when calling Sage to register the product I was prompted to say something.
Prompting is important here. I'd given all my details and was just thinking I had finished when I was asked (with proper conviction) whether there was anything else I needed or assistance that could be given.
I mentioned the manual and 'Steve' said he'd have a look to see what he could do.
Less than 48 hours later the manual (free) dropped on to my door mat. Very impressed.
What I take from this story is not how difficult it is to send the manual, and why it should be free, but that this guy wanted to do more for me. I haven't had enough dealings with Sage yet to see if this is endemic across the organisation but it reminded me of something I read in 'Small Giants' recently (got to get round to doing a review but available here on Amazon).
I can't remember the exact phrasing but they were talking about a restaurant where instead of asking 'Was everything OK?' in a hollow/scripted tone, as do most restaurants, to which we all give the reply .....'Fine thanks' these guys ask a different question. 'Is there anything we could have done differently to make the evening more perfect/better etc'.
Cut to the chase....we are looking for advice from our customers on how to do things better and how to make them happier with our service/products whatever.
AND guess what - the customers (us, specifically me in this case) are more than willing to give it PLUS they feel even better about the experience for it - A PERFECT CIRCLE.
Talk to your customers.....ask them how you can help them, ask them how you could be better......I bet you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Had a similar experience.....let me know
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I have just started to read Bright Marketing. Normally I would put a review up once I have finished but last night I read a section that made me think:
The question the author Robert Craven poses is "What is Marketing?" which he answers and then asks for further thought by asking 4 questions.
First the three definitions:
Textbook definition:
'Identifying and satisfying the customer needs profitably'
Slight better:
'Marketing is about deciding what customers' business you want to win .....against whom.....and how.'
So at its core we can say:
'Marketing is seeing your business through your customers eyes.'
This is saying that your business will be judged by your customers, through their interactions and dealings with your business - from walking through the door (or website) through to paying and, hopefully, recommending you to others.
The four questions that are then asked are (which I believe form the basis of the rest of the book):
- What problem does our product or service solve?
- Why should people buy from us?
- What benefits are we offering that our competition doesn't offer?
- If we aren't offering additional benefits then why should people buy from us at all?
I hope that here at Clark & Taylor you feel that we provide non-biased advice,support and implementation for the control and development of your business. Ultimately helping you gain the profits (monetary and otherwise) which you deserve. Oh...and speaking our minds too.....something most people refrain to do.
I'd love to hear from on how you think your customers see your business and if your dealings with us make you agree with my definition of Clark & Taylor. Mail me
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If you can't wait for the full review of the book then you can purchase at amazon here. |
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 All Marketers Are Liars - Seth Godin
All Marketers are Liars (by Seth Godin) is a title that at the very
least is intriguing and is on my current reading list. I have read
'Purple Cow' by Seth Godin and really enjoyed this....in fact writing
this review I will probably re-read next and put a post up after.
The main thrust I am taking from this book though is that 'Marketing'
has changed from traditional advertising to story telling (with the
caveat that the story must be authentic!). There are plenty of
examples of both new and old, and of the mistakes that are being made
in the authors view.
Although the book reads as though written for a B2C company most if not
all the ideas are transposable for business to business marketing.
The synopsis reads.....
"All marketers tell stories. And if they do it right, we believe them. A
good story is where genuine customer satisfaction comes from. It's the
source of growth and profit and it's the future of your organization.
This is what makes it all work: a complete dedication to and embrace of
your story. In "All Marketers are Liars", Seth Godin shows how to
discover and tell brilliant, authentic stories that will set you and
your products or service apart from the competition. What's your story?"
Overall I am glad to have read the book. There were a few too many
examples in certain areas, although the author was obviously trying to
make a point. It is a fairly easy read, many of the examples are US but
most were well known companies or small businesses that are explained.
I have definitely taken something useful from the book and reinforced
other ideas I have already read or formed.
The book is available on amazon here currently priced at £12.86 (a saving of 13p from the cover price! )
If you do get a chance to read it I would love to know what you thought....drop me a mail at
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Justin Halfpenny
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A free guide to Marketing |
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Here at C&T we feel our duty is to find, evaluate and distribute best practices. This we do through our normal paid services but through our blog we also push out a lot of free and valuable advice (and of course.....everyone loves the free part !!).
The idea of on-demand business solutions has always been a great belief of our founder, and salesforce.com was one of the first to commercialise this properly and provide a real and viable alternative to internal infrastructure and software.
salesforce.com have produced two fantastic narrated slideshows called 'Marketing in the Google Era Part I' and predictably, 'Marketing in the Google Era Part II'.
These explore, both generically and through the use of salesforce.com's own marketing strategy, how companies need (read MUST) take the web and it's audience (i.e. your customers and most importantly your potential customers !) very, very seriously.
And of course this is no gimmick. salesforce.com currently have 29,800 customers with over 646,000 individual subscribers........all with services marketed and delivered through the web.
I urge you to spend the time to watch these presentations - check the
links above (and remember when watching......what if
someone wanted to view information on my company?......do I/we have a tour
on the web?)
Justin Halfpenny
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Software as a Service or SaaS gets a thorough review in this white paper by Jason Maynard, an analyst at Credit Suiss. Click here for the white paper. It will only take about 20 minutes to read but really makes the case by breaking down the subject into five major benefits;
- Save Money
- Save Time
- Focus technology budgets on competitive advantage rather than infrastructure
- Gain immediate access to the latest innovations
- Join a community of interest
As a quick and easily understood overview this is a great starting point for why all companies should have a technology roadmap that has its roots in SaaS (software as a service) or, a term I prefer, Webware.
Justin Halfpenny
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