Buzz Builder

Why Enthusiasm Is the Killer App

From the July 2011 edition of my Buzz Bulletin eNewsletter (subscribe for free here and get monthly stories, tips and strategies for building your business with word of mouth marketing):

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

It's a sad reality that many frontline employees go through the motions of serving customers with no real passion or pride for what they do.

Lackluster performance has serious business ramifications. Most industries are so competitive that consumers have multiple options before making a buying decision. People need to be absolutely delighted to ensure that they'll come back and refer their friends.

Recently, I've had experiences that are worth sharing because they offer useful lessons for businesses seeking to leverage the power of employee enthusiasm.

Vitamix

As far as top quality blenders are concerned, there are really only two good choices: Vitamix or Blendtec. The most popular models of both blenders cost around $400, enough to inspire me to do online research before buying. Both companies have vocal online proponents who extol the virtues of one company's product line over the other in online blender communities (yes, they exist), written reviews, and side-by-side "blend offs" on You Tube which have received hundreds of thousands of views collectively.

Yet it wasn't an online video that convinced me to choose Vitamix over Blendtec. In fact, the videos made me favorably disposed towards both companies and I was unable to choose between the two. It took a simple conversation with an enthusiastic Vitamix employee to sway me into his camp.

When I called the 800 number at Vitamix, a friendly customer service representative answered my product questions. He explained that the company offered a comprehensive seven-year warranty on all its products, which was clearly superior to Blendtec's three-year warranty. More importantly, the Vitamix employee won me over with his enthusiasm. He told me that he used the blender daily and that he felt healthier than ever. In fact, Vitamix had been such a life changer for him that he bought three other blenders to give away to family and friends.

I can't remember having spoken with a customer service representative who was such a true believer. If more companies found amazing customer evangelists to talk with prospects, they would see dramatic increases in sales.

Frontline employees who are true believers are your best salespeople. What are you doing to find and train enthusiastic employees who make the first impressions?

Southwest Airlines

I used to love to fly. Now, TSA lines, flight delays, baggage charges, and so many other inconveniences have dimmed the luster of air travel. Fortunately, there are a few things about flying that I still love. One of them is Southwest Airlines which consistently outperforms the competition thanks in large part to its employees.

Southwest flight attendants impress me with their use of humor, one of the most effective yet least utilized behaviors. In fact, there are websites devoted to the funny things that Southwest Airlines flight attendants say. One of my favorite quips came after a very hard landing: "Wow, that was quite a bump, and I know what y'all are thinking. I'm here to tell you it wasn't the airline's fault, it wasn't the pilot's fault, it wasn't the flight attendant's fault, it was the asphalt."

On my last Southwest flight, I observed a pilot flying as a passenger who saw a woman struggling to fold a stroller with one hand while juggling her infant with the other. While he graciously broke the stroller down, he shared the frustrations that he and his wife had with baby paraphernalia which put a smile on the woman's face. Then, without being asked, he carried the stroller down the ramp and helped mother and baby get settled into their seats.

Humor and small acts of kindness delivered with enthusiasm leave a lasting impression that make people want to come back and refer friends. How do you encourage such employee behavior?

My Local Gas Station

Gas is the ultimate commodity yet I go out of my way to frequent one family-run gas station. Why? The owner and his employees always have smiles on their faces. They chat with customers cheerfully as they gas up cars (Oregon being one of only two states that don't let consumers fill up their own gas tanks) and say good-bye with a heartfelt thank you.

Enthusiasm doesn't add any extra cost to doing business yet it builds tremendous customer loyalty. How are you building a "culture of enthusiasm"?

Assemble a team that serves customers with enthusiasm and you will enjoy greater prosperity and a happier workplace while giving customers a reason to come back and refer their friends. 

I would love to hear how you leverage the power enthusiasm in your business so I can share your story with others.

Netflix Price Increase: An Unnecessary PR Fiasco

I always enjoy reading David Pogue's technology columns in The New York Times. His recent piece weighing in on Netflix's 60% price increase for its "unlimited online streaming + one DVD out at a time" package prolvided a balanced perspective in a week of tough PR for Netflix. The blogosphere and mainstream media have been dominated with disgruntled Netflix customers saying that they couldn't believe the company had jacked up prices so quickly and that they would cancel their subscriptions.

While a 60% price increase sounds large, the new charge for the unlimited online streaming + one DVD is still a bargain at $16/month when compared to other services (check out this PC World post comparing Netflix to its competitors).

What really hurt Netflix wasn't so much the price increase but how it was presented to the public. Its PR chief did such a poor job justifying the sudden price increase to Pogue that I read the column a couple of times and still couldn't understand the reason behind the sudden change. Perhaps the Netflix official that Pogue interviewed did a poor job, I thought. Nope. After reading articles about the price increase in a variety of respected publications, I became even more confused about the rationale. My conclusion: Netflix's PR people simply didn't have adequate information to explain the price increase to consumers.

I've been a satisfied Netflix customer for almost ten years, and I will continue with the service since it remains a relative bargain. But, I'm not so sanguine about what other Netflix customers will do. In February 2011, the results of Brand Keys' annual survey of customer loyalty were released and in its first year of inclusion, Netflix came out on top of the list of all 528 brands, beating out reigning champ Apple. I'll be very curious to see how Netflix fares in the 2012 survey. I'm guessing that they'll drop in rank. In short, it's a lot easier to lose loyalty than build it in the first place.

Vitamix vs. Blendtec: The Winner Goes to the Best Warranty and Customer Service Enthusiasm

I've been thinking about cleaning up my food act over the past couple of months. The film Fat Sick and Nearly Dead, an Australian's tale of the benefits of green fruit/vegetable smoothies and his pilgrimage across the USA trying to win converts to his newfound healthy lifestyle, set me off on the search for a perfect blender. I not only wound up with a blender but a great word of mouth marketing lesson on the power of customer evangelism.

When it comes to top quality blenders, there are really only two good choices: Vitamix or Blendtec. The most popular models of both blenders cost around $400 which was enough to get me to do online research before buying. Both companies have vocal online proponents who extol the virtues of one product line over another in written reviews and side-by-side demonstrations on You Tube which have received hundreds of thousands of views collectively.

Interestingly, it wasn't a high-tech online video that convinced me to choose Vitamix over Blendtec. In fact, the videos made me favorabley disposed towards both companies and their products. Rather, it was a low-tech conversation with a Vitamix true believer that swayed me.

When I called the 800 number at Vitamix, a friendly customer service representative answered all my product questions. And, he was quite clear in describing the comprehensive seven-year warranty on all the company's products which was clearly superior to the three-year warranty Blendtec offered on a product similar to the Vitamix blender I was considering. More importantly, the customer service representative won me over with enthusiasm by telling me how he used his Vitamix blender daily and that he felt healthier than ever. He said that Vitamix had been such a life changer that he bought three others to give away to family and friends. 

I can't remember having called a toll-free number and talking with such a true believer like the Vitamix employee. If more companies found customer evangelists to talk with prospects, they would see dramatic increases in sales.

How to Get Favorable National Television Coverage on CNBC and Other Networks

In mid-June, I was involved in a CNBC Television story that provides valuable lessons for businesses interested in landing favorable press coverage.

A CNBC Television producer contacted me asking whether I knew a business owner in the Portland, Oregon area who was feeling the effects of inflation. I passed the lead to Wade Clowes who chairs a successful Vistage group in Portland that I spoke to recently on "Galvanizing Your Business with Word of Mouth Marketing." Wade emailed the PR opportunity to members of his group. 

One Vistage member, Ryan Moor, the founder and CEO of Ryonet (the country's largest screen print supplier), responded immediately with bulleted points on how his company is feeling the effects of inflation and what it is doing to ease the pain of its customers. It was easy for me to turn around and share this information with the CNBC producer. 

Ryan also boosted his chances of being included in the story by providing from his employee ranks something the producer was struggling to find: a family coping with the effects of inflation. Not surprisingly, Ryan's company was selected for the story since he responded quickly with appropriate and detailed information that addressed the specific needs of the producer.

Ryan also took the time to do a media training session with me. Preparing for an interview is something that too many business leaders ignore causing them to miss out on maximizing the value of press coverage. They forget that getting an interview is only half the battle. The other half is turning it into something that benefits the busines (Note: I explain how to prepare for a successful interview here). With adequate preparation, Ryan and his company received favorable coverage as you'll see in the CNBC television story with Jane Wells.

I am also impressed that Ryan has leveraged the story by posting it to his company blog, Facebook page, and Twitter feed. He understands that the real advantage of positive press is how you use it over time. A good way to do this involves sharing the news with your customers and prospects through your online press room and via social media.