What Happens if You Don’t Value Your Fans

What Happens if You Don’t Value Your Fans

Friday I read Seth Godin’s post reflecting on the move of the NFL team,  the Oakland Raiders to Vegas.

It’s eye opening and worth sharing, that’s one reason I’m sharing it today.  It’s also a subject I’ll talk about more in an upcoming podcast and post on this website.

For now, I challenge you to read Seth’s words and apply them to your business:

Merely transactional

“We owe you nothing.”

This week, all but one NFL owner voted to let the Raiders leave Oakland for Las Vegas (I’m not a football fan, but bear with me).

A nearly perfect example of how one version of capitalism corrupts our culture.

The season ticket holder bought a ticket and got his games. Even steven. We owe you nothing.

The dedicated fan sat through endless losing games. Even steven. Ticket purchased, game delivered. We owe you nothing.

The problem with ‘even steven’ is that it turns trust and connection and emotions into nothing but a number. Revenue on a P&L. It ignores the long-term in exchange for a relentless focus on today. Only today.

There’s an alternative view of capitalism. Modern capitalism. Capitalism for the long-term.  In this view, the purpose of an enterprise is to make things better. To minimize negative externalities and create value. Value for the owners, sure, but also for the workers, the customers and the bystanders. 

“We owe you everything.”

You trusted us. You showed up. You tolerated our impact on your world, even when you didn’t invite us in.

It’ll never be even steven, but we can try to repay you. Thank you for the opportunity.

I think this is what sports fans signed up for when they were first offered the chance to support a team. Maybe your customers feel the same way.

17 Ways To Increase Your Business Profitability

I could write a separate article on each of these, but for now I just want to give you a list of 17 ways to increase your business profitability this year. 17

1. Raise Your Prices.

2. Offer Additional Services.

3. Offer Additional Products

4. Reduce the Number of Products and/or Services you sell.

5. Develop a Marketing Plan That Makes Sense.

6. Promote Employees To The Level Of Their Competency.

7. Train, Move, or Fire Employees That Are Hurting Your Company.

8. Get Out Of Your Business and Into Your Community More.

9. Spend More Time In Your Business.

10. Ask For Help.

11. Help Others.

12. Empower Your Employees To Take Care Of Customers.

13.  Don’t Fall For Advertising Gimmicks to Build Your Business.

14. Be Willing to Try Something Different.

15. Be Honest and Truthful

16. Provide Value

17. Ask Happy Customers to Tell Others About You.

 

Now you can apply all of these, or some of these, it’s up to you.  Some may sound like they are opposites, but they really aren’t.

All of these tidbits (and others) are what I have told other business owners in the past 6 months and I’ll gladly sit down with you to explore what will work for you.  Contact me.

What Do People Say About You?

Your reputation matters.  It always has.  Even before social media and the entire web.

People will talk about you, good or bad. Look at this survey:

Verint-Consumer-Response-Positive-Customer-Experience-Oct2015
This world wide survey shows that if you and your company provide a good job, more than half will tell friends and family about you. Less than 20% would share it on social media. (I don’t have the data but when someone screws up, people can get very vocal on social media.)

Just because you don’t hear about it directly (21% in the above chart), people are talking about you.  We call it Word Of Mouth when it’s good.  And when they are talking bad about you, we call that your worst marketing nightmare.

Give this some thoughtful consideration and if you need help, reach out to me.

3 Word of Mouth Tips for Retailers

Today I’m wrapping up my week of articles from the ScLoHo 2008 archives with an email I received from GasPedal.com.  I have no idea if the company that owns this domain is the same that owned it 7 years ago, so I’m just going to keep all the legal stuff in at the bottom.

Word of Mouth for Retailers

Three great ways to get people to talk about your stuff:

1> Give them something to walk away with
2> Use a multiplier
3> Don’t forget to ask

1> Give them something to walk away with

Put something in their hands that will start a conversation–something they’ll literally hand to the next person they see. Think about the matchbooks that every restaurant used to give away. Put your name and logo on something for your customers to take and pass along.

2> Use a multiplier

Make it easy for your customers to talk to more than one person about you. Instead of giving them one sample or coupon–give them five. If you give someone five samples, they’ll look for five people to give them to.

3> Don’t forget to ask

Sometimes all you need to do is ask nicely. Tell your staff to end each sale by saying “Thank you – don’t forget to tell a friend!” or “we’d appreciate a review!” Do the same in your emailed receipts. You’ve got a ton of happy customers who would love to support you–they just need to be reminded (and know that you appreciate it).

Contact GasPedal
312-932-9000
news@gaspedal.com
http://www.gaspedal.com/
333 W. North Avenue, #500, Chicago, IL 60610

Give us your feedback!
Send us your best ideas. Or insults. Either way, we’re listening. http://www.gaspedal.com/feedback

Forward it, quote it, blog about it–whatever makes you happy! But please don’t change it and do give us credit.

© Copyright 2008 GasPedal. GasPedal is a registered trademark.yoursigncw

Can Bad Public Relations Kill Your Business?

The month of March has been an interesting one in Indiana in a surprising way.ScloHobook1

I’m not referring to March Madness, the N.C.A.A. basketball tournament that saw several Indiana college basketball teams rise and fall.

Bad Public Relations sort of snuck up on a lot of Hoosiers when the state government overwhelmingly passed their version of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and our Governor signed the bill.  It will be the law of the land beginning in July.  Unless it is upheld in the courts.

The Bad Public Relations part of this stems from the press coverage that opponents have generated that has been picked up by not only local media but the national press.

The opponents to this bill/law say it means Indiana will now discriminate against people because of their sexual orientation.  Those in favor of this bill/law say it means the state and local governments can not force anyone to do business with someone else if it violates or compromises their religious beliefs or values.

I’m not going to dig into who is right and who is wrong.  But clearly this is a public relations nightmare that the elected Indiana government leaders were not prepared for.

Angie’s List, and Salesforce are two companies that have declared that they are changing their business practices or plans because of this. Possible lost jobs and a bad public image was not what the elected leaders where trying to accomplish.

We will see how this shakes out.  In the long run, I predict it will be a hiccup in the continued growth in Indiana.

In the meantime, my question to you is what kind of bad public relations nightmare is lurking in the background or the future for you or your business?

I have seen numerous times where an editor or reporter presented a story that was either one sided, biased, or simply edited to fit time and space constraints that the result was not positive for the business.  Whether or not they had “an agenda”, the story hit the papers, or the internet and spread.

Most of these are harmless, but if it goes viral, what next?

I want to leave you with an example of what to do.  Scott Wise is the owner of several Indiana eating and drinking establishments.  Last week he sent an email with a link to his website.  

Here’s what he says,

MY OPINION ON SB101

OfbI have been asked my opinion about the “Religious Freedom Bill” SB 101 (https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2015/bills/senate/101) and I thought to myself, “I am the last person that should be giving their opinion about governmental politics, I mean, have you seen the stuff I tweet after 8 pm?”  And, then I thought about it more and I thought, “You know what, I’m exactly the person that should give my personal opinion about this topic.”

I’m a business owner.  I’m a role model for 4 children, many of my employees and I hope for even some in the Indiana community.  I love God and Jesus and am a born again, 3 years removed, baptized Christian.

I employ over 1300 people in the state of Indiana. Several of my employees are openly gay, proud and happy which include hourly, employees, management and corporate executives.  Most importantly, I consider all of them my colleagues and even more so, my friends.

I have no idea how many other people I employ are gay and I don’t really care.  On the flipside, I also have no idea how many are straight.  Why should I?  I have no idea how many of my guests are gay, or Jewish, or Indian, or any other descriptive demographic status that is utterly unimportant in running a business, nor any of my personal business.  I am trying to teach my team to simply give excellent customer service to a guest that pays our wages and allows us to have a job.  The ONLY thing I would ever ask from our guest is that they treat our restaurants and our staff with the same respect, politeness, courtesy, etiquette and manners that we should all hold each other accountable to as human beings, not just restaurant employees and guests.

I’m definitely not perfect.  God knows I’m full of flaws and life mistakes.  I’m not a scientist or a theologian or a chemist or a doctor.  I guess, at the end of the day, I’m just a boy that had 2 parents that loved him very much and raised him to love others with his full heart.  Treat others with respect.  Treat them as you would want to be treated.  (“Do unto others as you’d have done to you.”)  And, who are any of us to be judge and jury about someone else?  That position is held by one person, our Heavenly Father.

Isn’t the skin around our bodies simply the beautiful wrapping paper that hides all the stuff that looks the same in each one of us?  Blood, bones, muscles, brains and DNA that shapes whom we are…  I believe this “Love Has No Labels” video says it all perfectly:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnDgZuGIhHs

Loeve5

I hope that our Indiana politicians will reconsider their stance on SB 101.  I have built many friendships and relationships from our Gen Con gamers that have tweeted me asking, “Scotty, what is your position on SB 101 – we are developing a list of places that we will support WHILE the conference is still in Indiana.  We hope your politicians make the right decision to overturn SB 101.”  I do too, friends.  I do too.

Last week I was a guy tweeting about farting in public.  Today, I’m a father, a Christian, a businessman, a role model, and a human being telling YOU, my guest, I will always respect your choices and will never ask you to leave my restaurant because of your race, religion or sexual orientation.

 

God bless Indiana,

Swise

 

As I completed typing this, I just read a news release from the IBJ saying that Governor Pence has just signed SB 101 into law.  I sure hope that fellow business owners understand that just because they “CAN” doesn’t mean they “SHOULD.”  And, I hope that the Gen Con organizers and others around the U.S. understand that this policy will never sway the business owners in the city of Indianapolis from continuing to offer genuine Hoosier Hospitality to everyone that enters our businesses, equally, fairly, justly and lovingly.  Please don’t let our politicians affect your decision to support our state, community and small business owners, like myself.