Lisbeth Calandrino::

“This is the start of a movement,” said Kenneth Chenault, CEO and Chairman of American Express since 2001. November 27th has been proclaimed Small Business Saturday.  ”Small Business Saturday” is being spread on Facebook and Twitter with American Express extending an offer of $25.00 card credit to the first 100,00 who sign up to to use their American Express to make a purchase.

The “Small Business Saturday” initiative was launched this week on social networking websites to help participants spread the word about the impact of local spending.  According to advocacy group The 3/50 Project, $68 of every $100 spent in small businesses remains in the community.  It is also estimated by the federal government that 2/3rds of all new American jobs over the past two decades have been created by small businesses.  The idea behind shop locally and the 3/50 Project was spearheaded by Cynda  Baxter.   Check out her blog, Always Upward.

These days the Internet makes it a lot easier to start a movement, states  Nathan McGee,  in his blog about starting a movement.  The Harvard Business Review talks about creating movements, taking charge and learning how to lead.  Here’s a download-able pdf file, from Corporate Performance Resources, that talks about leadership and responsibility. With leadership, goes responsibility and a certain amount of stress. Leadership isn’t for everyone nor is the stress that can come with leadership.  Of course, there’s good stress and bad stress.  Making something happen is definitely good stress.

As “Small Business Saturday” approaches, make the most of it for your business.  Post “Support Small Business Saturday” on your Facebook. Twitter and blog about it.    Let’s turn it into something that makes consumers pay attention.   As small business owners, this is another opportunity for us to join in and promote our “smallness” and our “uniqueness”.  It also is an opportunity to show we’re united.

Does it work for the floor covering industry?  I spoke with Joan Cocuzzo of Flooring American in Franklin, MA .  She’s all for it!

“Anything that gets the customer out is a good thing.  In my 15 years of experience, I find that customers are buying electronics and toys after Thanksgiving and not flooring. Of course we will certainly be open on Saturday supporting “Small Business Saturday” and welcoming our customers,” says Joan.

What can you do?  Join up with your business neighbors and create a cross over promotion; they say two heads are better than one.  We know that two pocketbooks are better than one.

Celebrate your business; have a birthday party for your store!

Celebrate small businesses everywhere, help customers see that you’re proud to be a small business.

Don’t forget to have special coupons or give-a-ways for the day.

Plan for special demonstrations, gift cards, bands, give away poinsettia plants  or Christmas trees.

You’ve got plenty of help with the day; remember American Express is spearheading the event and the last I looked there were almost 900 people on Facebook  ”liking”  the day.

I hope this article is timely for you; it is for me.  For many of us the  economy is still moping along and we’re trying to figure out what to do next. Consumers are changing their buying habits, myself included. Friends are downsizing their lifestyles and examining their life choices. The recession may be over, but the landscape has changed.  In many ways it’s unfamiliar; at least it is to me.   I’m in a different place too. It’s not a bad place, it’s just a different place and different doesn’t always feel right–especially in the beginning.

Change is good. Well, change is interesting but it’s more interesting if it’s happening to you rather than me. In my case, I find when it’s time  for a change I put more hours in at the health club! Somehow I know it’s a safe place for my mind and my body. I feel less stressed after my workout and  feel I’ve done something good for me.

Each of us is building new roads, repairing our highways and hopefully avoiding serious pitfalls.  I’m convinced that sharing this journey with positive friends who have good intentions will make our journey more pleasant and safe. It’s time to re-cultivate your the garden and  get rid of the weeds that might be choking you from making new decisions. Sometimes, these weeds come in surprising forms–forms we call “friends.”

Just as I’m writing this article, I received this from Kevin Clancey a Realtor in Albany, New York from his Monday Morning Mojo:

The biggest obstacle to creating a wonderful life is self-limiting beliefs. A self-limiting belief is an idea you have that you are limited in some way, in terms of time, talent, intelligence, money, ability, or opportunity. - Brian Tracy

At times we all have limiting beliefs, and there’s nothing to fear except fear itself and fear can be defined with the acronym “false evidence appearing real”. So, now what, where do you begin? It’s time for you to become your own coach, a good coach.

Speaking of coaches, one of my guests on Red Hot Customer Service Show was John Stahl from The Growth Coach of New York  serving business owners throughout the Northeast. John talks about limiting beliefs. Of course, beliefs simplify our lives but limiting beleifs dis-empower and hold us back. John talks about “getting comfortable with being uncomfortable” while making changes. If you’re talking about business challenges, Johns says the biggest challenge is between the ears of the business owner. I think this is a problem that many of us share.

Coach Vincent Lombardi once said that the difference between a good coach and a bad coach is the good coach always knew what the end would look like. If you don’t know where your want to go, how will you get there? If you get wherever “there” is, how will you know it’s the right place? In Warren Bennis’s book, “View from the Top“, he examines ninety leaders and found that one of key strategies was “attention through vision.”

What’s vision you ask? Vision can be a simple act or a thought; what do I really want out of life?

What makes me happy?

What are my dreams, my goals or my purpose? What would I like more of in my life?

I know I want more time at the lake.

Sometimes visions are statement for the future, a destination that you want to achieve. Last year I joined Toastmasters. I have competed in several events and recently joined the advanced Toastmasters Group. My goal is to continue to advance my speaking craft–I love speaking. The club gives me the opportunity to test new topics, get feedback and make changes. It’s a way to continually focus on something that’s important in my life.

Your vision may be simple. If you are invested in the outcome and feel ownership over your vision, then the happiness is in the journey– the appreciation of the uniqueness of the components it takes to get there.

I know lots of customers that would disagree with this statement. If you’ve ever had a customer complaint on line than you know what I’m talking about. I have seen some mighty disagreeable comments that wouldn’t seem to go away.

How do you counteract these things? The first thing is to have your “great” customers  post loving comments about your service, your staff and your products. This way if you have any negative comments there’s a possibility they will get lost in the good ones or the complaining person looks like a nut job to the rest of the  readers. My experience is that most businesses don’t “stack the deck” with great comments to counteract the possible nasty ones before they occur. When a nasty comment is written, it is glaring.

I found myself the target of one of these feuds. A client of mine got some bad press for posting a photo without giving credit to the photographer. The title of the blog charged the customer with something other than the above which was not only incorrect, but slandering.  I pointed out the error of the title and immediately someone else became annoyed at me. (By the way, I checked with a lawyer first about my concerns which turned out to be correct.)  The title charged the customer with a very serious crime, obviously the writer didn’t understand what he was writing.

Online remarks can get very sticky. One of our local supermarkets received an unflattering comment on Twitter which was responded to by an employee of the market. The employee was so upset he went to the commentator’s boss and suggested the person be fired! The target took his case to the local newspaper and the rest is history.

Last year I was curious about a local luggage store so I went online for testimonials. Much to my dismay, there  was more than one nasty comment. When I went to the store to have my Tumi luggage fixed, I told the manager about the comments. His reply, “I never noticed”. Needless to say they closed the following month; they had been in business for over 20 years.

Some thoughts about what to do before it happens and after:

Manage your own publicity; get your happy customers to post great comments.

Post articles of value for your customers; articles that make them smile, feel special and get valuable information.

Be aware, watch for comments, Google your business to see what’s being written about you and your business. Sign up for Google alerts.

Blog about your great customers. Interview your customers about their families and their businesses. Make your customers your business partners. Great customer service means giving your customers what they want and possible helping them to stay in business.Consider the bank or insurance company  that provides valuable workshops on marketing and sales  for their small business customers.

By the way, I couldn’t find any. But it stands to reason if your customers can’t stay in business neither will you!

It was reported that two kittens, Snowyday and Winter somehow dented the bell on a $5000.00 bass trombone.

Trouble in river city.

How did they do it? They probably used a  a chair. The owner, Anthony Giles, a professional trombone player, felt dented, just like the bell but unexpected events often lead us to new discoveries and new ideas.

Did  Edison really sit on the light bulb to create its unique shape? The best brass repair guy was called in New York City. Everyone knows  The Brasslab, Chuck Alexander, the master of Red Hot Customer Service. The “bone” was packed up for its trip to New York City.

An immediate diagnosis indicated that the bell needed to stay for  repair. This is not good. So, the trombone player, Anthony Giles went searching through through his “spare bells” and came up with a 10 year old  bell which turned out to be a better fit for his playing. I’m told that, as a musician, you’re always looking for ways to improve; By accident he had found one.

I think the kittens are not only off the hook but may be psychic and  were trombone players in one of their other lives.

So what  does this mean to the rest of us mortals? Can we possible train our mind to move from “victim” to being “proactive?” Stephen Covey in his book, Seven Habits of Highly Successful People  talks about “mindfulness.”

Make lemonade out of lemons, the obvious.

Realize that even a seemingly a  disaster can be a new path for your life.

Be always thinking and wondering.

Life and success is all about attitude; never let circumstances dictate your feelings.

Think out of the box, why do you even need a “box to think out of ?”

Did I  say, don’t leave your trombone on the floor?

Can you give it away and make more money?

The other day I took my video camera to Best Buy. I was looking for a microphone to add to it as well as a stand. By the way, I didn’t buy it at Best Buy but you can always find an associate that will help. I usually ask, “Who’s the  best electronic person in the store?” and someone comes running. Being confident is at least 1/2 the sales game. A confident and friendly sales person is what most customers are looking for when they shop. He booted up his computer to tell me that a microphone wasn’t available for my camera , but he offered to print me out the instruction book, which was, of course, long gone. I asked about my flip camera, which I carry with me all the time just in case. We talked about it’s resolution as well as the  new wireless flips. As a side note, if you’re doing a closeup interview the flip is great; it also takes still photos which are better than your phone photos. If you’re taking serious videoing, it should be  done with a high definition Camcorder. I asked if there were classes available, so people like me can learn how to use what they buy.  He said they tried. They even offered to let the customers shop before the store opened and gave them the employee discount. The problem? No one came for the classes.   I see different types of training in various Best Buy stores  but nothing live in  Crossgate Mall, in Guilderland, New York. Maybe they didn’t try it long enough or put out enough publicity?

The other night I awakened at 4am and turned on the television. I started watching the Home Channel Shopping and there was the best pitch man selling my flip camera. I got up, grabbed my camera and watched while they walked me through every phase of the camera; it was so close up I thought I was on the show. They also shot a video, played the sound and showed the final  so I could see how it sounded and looked. I actually bought my nine inch Dell mini computer during one 3AM show!  I love it and by the time I received it I knew about it’s idiosyncrasies.

When you call the Home Shopping Network they make you feel like family; they encourage calls and ask if you’re a “regular”. Now you know you’re family.

What does this mean for your business? Is there a market for the “do-it-your-selfer?” Can you show the customer how to do simple installations of your products?

If you’re selling kitchen appliances, can you hold a cooking demonstration show to sell your wares?

How about a design clinic for your floors, walls and window treatments?

Are you a mechanic? How about a clinic on “car noises”, what to look out for like the Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers?

If you’re in the floral business, how about teaching the customer to design a simple holiday wreath?

There’s an interesting concept called “Freemium”. The Freemium model works off the premise that you give a way big stuff.  To some extent, The Freemium business model goes against what many of us have been taught. We’ve been taught to give away “little stuff” in hopes that the customer will come back for the “big stuff.” (Skype) is the best example of this business model, connecting millions of us with online video telephone connections  around the world. The site also offers a “premium service” at a fairly low rate. This is truly a great service. How many people use Skype? According to WikiAnswers , there are approximately 480 million people using Skype and 42 million making daily phone calls! Skye sells video cameras, phones, computer-to-land minutes and tons of other stuff. They make a ton of profit just from offering part of their basic service for free!

If you get a minute check out the Freemium model and see if it can help your business.  Remember giving customers what they want is true red hot customer service and great customer service is how you  build your competitive advantage. Why not make money too?

Goal setting with your employees

A friend of mine, Tabby Chapman, suggested that I  map out my goals. “Oh no,” I said, “not another time management, goals setting exercise.”

“No,” she said, “Let’s try something different, you like pictures and words. Let’s see what you think.”

What is it? Mind mapping is a way to show your ideas and concepts with pictures  and words. The structure is based on not only your ideas and concepts but your values. It gives you a visual way to think, analyze and comprehend your ideas. It will also help you generate new ideas. Why is it so powerful? It’ simple.

Mind mapping is not like traditional note taking or text. From what I read it more closely resembles how your brain actually works. It’s attraction is that it is both thought provoking and artistic. You get to draw pictures as you map out your plans. It’s actually fun.  It looks messy but don’t we think that way? This will allow you to use both language and pictures to express your goals and ideas.

You can actually take notes using mind mapping; this is an interesting way to  work with your employees (you will get a much better idea of how they think and what motivates them to come to work.)

Consider a new way to plan for your business.

• Train your employees to set goals based on their values and motivations.
• Problem solve with words and pictures.
• Gain insight into complex problems; a picture is worth a thousand words.
• Get your creativity moving and have some fun.
• Think about your personal life also, wouldn’t this  be a fun exercise with your family and your loved ones?

How do you begin?

1. First you need a big piece of paper, cardboard is best because it has   stability.
2. Get crayons, magic markers or paints if you want to get fancy. Magic markers are easier to work with.
3. Start with your ideas, what do you want to develop? Check out the layout of your paper before you begin; it is suggested that you use the landscape orientation.
4. Start with your central topic and create subtopics; connect to each one of them to the center with a line.
5. Keep adding subtopic and connecting; don’t forget to use your colors and pictures if you choose. Try to be as visual as possible. Don’t worry about  drawing skills, you will be surprised at the talent in your group.
6. Make your notes short, a single word if possible this will make it more effective.
7. Change letter sizes, fonts and how everything is aligned. Remember we are creating a way for the mind to remember your thoughts.
8. I know this is just a start but if you want more you can research it online.
9. Have fun.

This makes me laugh!

I have been intrigued with “Have you ever cleaned an alpaca?” a commercial from Stanley Steamer. The two cleaning guys are in the truck and one is explaining how exciting it is to clean up after an Alpaca. It is cute, funny and definitely different. I went to Youtube to  view the video and look at the comments. The comments are interesting, what they say is ,  “I want and Alpaca, they’re so cute.” So much for Stanley Steamer, the cleaning company  being cute.

It would be interesting for the franchise people to ask their customers how they came into the store. Was it a friend’s recommendation or a past experience with the company.  They may have seen the commercial but  seeing the commercial might not be connected to their coming into the store. How many commercials have you seen, and liked, but didn’t drive you to the store or buy the product?

Maybe it would have been more relevant if they went to the local Humane Society and put their products in the animal cages or used their product to clean the cages. It would mean something to me and thousands of pet owners. As my friend Godzilla said, if you have an Alpaca in your house you have more problems than most of us that won’t be solved by either cleaning or special carpet.  It would have hit home and many of us would have gone to the shelter to adopt some pets. This is another important connection to the customer.

Another commercial similar to this was when Mohawk Carpet went to the Birmingham Zoo and featured Ricko the Black Rhinoceros as the featured mess maker to see if SmartStrand carpet with built-in stain resistance would do its job. Included in this was a Save the Rhino pairing with the Birmingham Zoo. This can be watched at

I love the Geico commercials and the latest being the “little Piggy cried all the way home.” The parody at Saturday Night Live,  are even funnier.

Remember “where’s the beef?” Did it change your mind about Burger King.

Both are darling commercials, bringing in the customer  through their love of animals as well as their carpet and carpet cleaning concerns.  Differentiation is what businesses need to build a competitive advantage but not all differentiation is considered a competitive advantage. When you have a competitive advantage it’s easy to build Red Hot Customer Service.

How do you know? You may not but you should try by asking your customers.

Ask customers about your commercial, in their mind how does it connect with their problems?  Most customers probably don’t have Rhinoceros or Alpaca stains. Does the customer get the part that both of these products will solve their most difficult problems? Does the customer think they have stains as awesome as the Alpaca? Do they think this is over kill? Do they think they need a product that will prevent staining like Ricko or do they find all of these stains disgusting?

There is a commercial for Schweppes that was a take off on the old James Bond movies. this commercial starred John Cleese. It was slapstick funny, didn’t seem to fit with Schweppes and wound up on the cutting floor. Maybe too funny or just too stupid. Frankly I didn’t really get it but love John Cleese.

Fun will sell if you use it to lighten up your customer and still use it to  reinforce your important message and  the promise to your customer.

It should be funny but not too funny so the customer forgets what you’re selling–and so do you.

Funny is a way to produce emotion in your customer and emotion is one way to build rapport. Humor is a grand way to build a connection with your customer but if it’s  so funny that you can’t connect it with your product or don’t  connect it’s a problem.

Suggestion: use humor it to add a light moment for your customer rather than an out-of-this-world funny. Save the funny for the comedians.

The key to funny, the commercial should make the product unforgettable and make the customer want to buy it.

“Because I spend my days helping consumers, I get to see all too often “bad” customer service. I may even be jaded to expect that these days. And, since I spend my days blasting companies who don’t do the right thing,  I  think it’s important to shout it from the hilltops when I see a company or person doing something right.
I was in Trader Joe’s the other day. A mom with two kids had just walked in, and her older child, maybe 4 or 5 is so cute in her little sleeveless top and shorts… but is screaming at the top of her lungs “Mommy, I’m cold– I’m cold!!!” In less than a minute, a Trader Joe’s employee came out from the back room with a Trader Joe’s sweatshirt,  and wrapped it around the little girl, talking sweetly to her and saying this sweatshirt would keep her nice and warm while she was in the store. When was the last time you saw customer service like that?!!”
Lisbeth’s friend, Godzilla

Hey they didn’t go hide like they would in most stores?
Things like this bring customer service to another level; it actually makes it Red Hot Customer Service. Because it’s kicked it up another notch anyone within shouting or seeing distance will remember it  and report it to their friends. Why, because the service is personal  and no, it doesn’t have anything to do with food; it has to do with life.
The Trader Joe’s Story

I went back to look at Trader Joe’s to see how closely it replicates the practices of other businesses. It started in the 50’s and was called Pronto Markets. In 1967 their founder, Trader Joe, changed the name of the store to his name, yep, to Trader Joe’s.
The store got bigger; cedar planks on the wall and everyone got a Hawaiian shirt to wear. More important they found ways to cut costs.
First they state, “Value” is not a gimmick, it’s something to be taken seriously. How many times do businesses speak value and don’t define it . Once you define value, you can define your competitive advantage. Value is what makes you different, different is what builds your competitive advantage and a competitive advantage gets you more customers that impact your bottom line. Value makes money.

Innovative, hard-go-find and great tasting foods are value . At Trader Joe’s, the  foods are labeled under the name of the Trader Joe’s  brand thus saving customers money. No clubs, no store cards and no hard hitting sales.
What do they say is value?

• We buy direct from suppliers whenever possible, we bargain hard to get the best price, and then pass the savings on to you. This is a good motto for any business.
• If an item doesn’t pull its weight in our stores, it goes away to gangway for something else. Why keep dead stuff?
• We buy in volume and contract early to get the best prices. I like this too. I like the “contract early.”
• Most grocers charge their suppliers fees for putting an item on the shelf. This results in higher prices… so we don’t do it. Do you charge for space? I bet you don’t so let your customers know.
• We keep our costs low — because every penny we save is a penny you save. Another great point.

An interesting note to take from this is the practice of not  charging shelf prices to their vendors. If the customer likes the product it stays, if it doesn’t sell it’s gone. Simple but smart concept.
I like Trader Joe because it’s cute and different; doesn’t have everything I need but most anything I might want.
Trader Joe’s makes the Red Hot Customer Service list for this week. Thanks Godzilla.

Without customers you are out of business, period; if you don’t market to your customers you will lose them. It all makes sense to me, or do I have it wrong?

I went to a women’s group yesterday, sort of a lunch and learn. I spoke with two new business owners who told me they didn’t have a marketing budget. When I asked why they remarked as soon as I get some business I will have money to market. Huh?

I understand that things are tough but things will doubtfully get better for you if you don’t market. Look at it this way. You get a call from a potential customer who asks to see your press kit or your brochures or your testimonials; yes they’re all part of your marketing tools. Or they ask for your business cards and yours aren’t the greatest or consistent with your brochures. Will the customer want you to work for you? I don’t really know but marketing needs to be included in your plan if your business is going to get off the ground.

Despite definitions about what it is, no business can succeed without it. It doesn’t matter where you start, how you do it, you will need relationships to succeed. Relationships with potential customers who want to know you’re professional. You can build them on or off line; it depends on you, whichever works.

Here are some not so simple tips for your marketing that will help you get started.

What do you do that makes you different? Often referred to as your competitive  advantage; according to Jack Welch, if you don’t have one you can’t compete.

This is a good place to start without it you will end up lumped in the field of sameness. Maybe you provide the same services as others; maybe you do it in a different way. That’s what makes you different. So if you’re starting with the 90 second elevator speech starts with the value and then gives your service a name and a category.  Instead of saying you’re a printer, start with the exciting things you’ve made in the past or can make and then say you’re a printer.  Also make whatever you do easy to understand.

You can’t do it all no matter what you think.

Just as customers are trying to decide if you’re the right vendor, you should decide if they’re the right customers. When people start their businesses they think that anyone who walks through the door is their customer. This is the hit or miss, throw some against the wall theory eventually you will get tired of the unprofitable customers. Why not decide upfront who’s profitable and go for them. It will save you time and money.

Select your customers carefully, look for partnerships. Customers are flattered by this approach. Create a checklist of attributes for your partners.

Word of mouth never goes away

Have you customer write why they bought from you on the back of their business card. A simple testimonial goes a long way. Call one customer a day just to keep in touch. Consider at the end of the year that’s 365 customers who have had a personal experience with you. Don’t call for anything other than to see how they are and to update your files. You “one customer” might have a referral for you. Don’t forget to ask for a testimonial while you’re service is still hot.

Use online marketing

I think that businesses are intimidated because they can’t spend money to create the best web site, the best blog, Facebook or Twitter accounts. Nonsense, this is the way you keep yourself from being successful. Start getting involved online; instead of talking to people who haven’t gotten business and think it’s a waste of time talk to those who are doing business. You can be sure your competitors will not talk to you about how much business they’re doing on line. And on line is mostly free. Start a discussion on line or post a question.

I know I’m not the best writer but I believe I have a message that is useful so I plug away at it. For years I was told I couldn’t write and so I didn’t had it edited over and over again. If you’ve got a good message, people will listen.

Quit selling and help people buy

When you truly put your customer’s interests above your own you become a team member, a consultant, a partner for your client.  Help them determine what they really need instead of trying to sell them anything. This is true customer service. Help your customer find other partners that will help them grow; in the process you will find new partners.

Shift the risk to yourself and you will profit

Give the best guarantees possible; the absolute best. Give money back warranties whenever possible.

Be as personal as possible

This is the age of transparency and being personal. Send a handwritten note, a link to your page, or give a free eBook. Why not?

Create free publicity.

Ask people to review your book and post their comments; review an article you’ve written or a fund raiser you’ve hosted! Post surveys of way your customers think about your service or a special award you’ve received. Did you just run a race for charity? You don’t have to win to post you were there supporting the cause. Write articles for magazines in your industry or in your home town. Get the word out.

Integrate your marketing message.

Even if you’re small and can’t afford much, have all your literature create the same message

Whether you are high tech or need to use the shoe leather approach to your marketing, determine the best methods for you to create prospects and build relationships on a regular basis. The main secret of successful marketing to get started , keep  doing something on a regular basis and get yourself in front of the decision makers.