Negative Feedback. Groan.
Negative feedback. It’s part of life. Negative feedback bears no bias. No matter if you are B2B or B2C, Non Profit, Healthcare, Banking, Retail, etc. at some point , the inevitable happens and you upset your clients.
The Talmud says “Who is a smart man? He who can see the future” You don’t actually need to be a visionary, but being well prepared is what makes a marketer, a smart marketer. Negative feedback is an opportunity to further engage. Engaging, is what keeps us in a relationship with our clientele.
Some points to ponder about responding to negative feedback:
Don’t dawdle. The more rapidly you resolve this situation, the more likely you are to convert a disgruntled customer to raving fan.
Combine your professionalism with humanity. Most errors are made by people. Relate. Admit the mistake. Avoid the legalese, to the best of your ability. Show compassion. Ask how you can right the situation. Listen actively. Do whatever is within your power to make that happen. I’ve received “we’ve screwed up” coupons via email from corporate America. They speak to me.
Act as if… . Speak carefully. Assume that your words will be published somewhere and have the potential to go viral.
I welcome your feedback and input,
Chana
You can always find me by responding to this post or by email: chana@riptidems.com
Progressive Data Driven Marketing
A multi-function, lead-capture, and “if-then-else” automated follow-through nurturing system that creates 1:1 communication and enhances connectivity. In a previous post, we discussed how the use of current electronic resources can create a “Marketing CRM” system and design an automated response trigger mechanism – a.k.a. Boolean-based Marketing. When actualized and aligned with an upgraded marketing website, what evolves is a marketing CRM data mechanism that is completely capable of customer-of-one follow-through and quantifiable sequential nurturing.
The requirements:
1. A website that is functional as a “lead capturing” resource:
~ tracks visitors
~ captures basic contact info
~ offers information, specials, or whitepapers (opportunities for further engagement). In short, a marketing ecosystem, capable of increasing the number of instances of bona-fide marketing hits, driven from all media platforms, that plays the role of 24/7 rainmaker.
2. A comprehension of the organization’s selling sequence and cycle. This is necessary to build up the automated response mechanisms that engender the drive to conversion and further engagement in the relationship.
3. Documents and emails that allow for a system to point and release information appropriate to the discussion underway.
4. A tracking sequence – view the progress to date, as well as the critical points where it is effective to move from passive engagement (nurturing) to active engagement (selling).
The building of this program can be done fairly simply once you understand the components and how they interconnect. A typical process map of “If-Then-Else” looks like this:
To learn more about this automated sequence marketing, reach out to me. The essentials exist for small organizations as well as for large corporations – the common thread is a long sales development cycle.
~ Chana
Advantages of Social Media Mix Today
We exist in a world of multi-media A large percentage of consumers will use Social Media channels to assist in their decisions to purchase, select professional services or to appropriate their charitable contributions.
The responsibility of marketing in a health-care organization requires that you wear many hats and familiarize yourself with the many means of communication. In a multi-media world, most media formats are capable of increasing traffic to your website or landing page and provide a method to “track and record” what is being said about your organization in these new media formats.
Moreover, regardless of the communications point of origination, the ease of making landing pages “campaign specific” is as easy as icing on a cake. The beauty of “campaign specific” landing pages is that they can also be “voice-of-donor” or “voice-of-patient” interactive – meaning you can capture the changing needs, preferences and experiences of your donors, and the experience or comments of your patient and their family.
Using Social Media to engage “Donors” is one important use that is frequently overlooked. From a functional point of view, your website and “campaign specific” landing pages can perform as a lead capture system inclusive of a social media “catch bin” and a voice-of-donor data collection point. Furthermore, aligned to your website and landing pages is a marketing CRM (“customer” relationship management) data mechanism that is fully capable of donor-of-one follow-through and Boolean-based nurturing that’s scalable. We’ll discuss Boolean-based nurturing in our next blog.
-Chana
Pin the Tail on the Donkey
No marketing strategy? Pin the tail on the donkey.
The opportunities presented by social media are potentially limitless. The sole limitation we have experienced has been lack of strategy. Withholding adequate strategy creates many challenges which hamper the marketing team’s success rate. Some of the challenges we have encountered with organizations that have launched Social Media Marketing plans without the strategy include:
- lack of or inadequate development process
- lack of or inadequate content plans
- lack of or inadequate priorities or sequence
- lack of cross platform integration
- web developers & support teams that don’t have adequate info.
- lack of follow up plan
- cross platform integration that won’t integrate.
- inadequate maintenance of social media sites.
- stagnant information
An effective marketing strategy is the initial step in creating & deploying a successful social media marketing plan.
The strategy would include an in-depth knowledge of the how the organization runs. It’s critical to know the objectives of the organization, including: area of expertise, target markets, message strategy, content plan, governance requirements and audience acquisition strategy.
The technological workflow is also essential: metrics and conversions, conversation lifestreams, content distribution management and website optimization.
What about the marketing logistics? Who is managing conversations, generating & nurturing leads, deploying content and distributing leads? Also necessary: marketing maintenance. What do the welcome cycles look like? Retention & loyalty rates? Analysis, conversion workflow & refining the strategy.
A marketing director that doesn’t have access to this pertinent organizational information is a director that’s working while blindfolded. Blindfolds work well at birthday parties, while pinning the tail on the donkey. Blindfolds do not work well in any business setting, more so when embarking on a new project.
Some of our clients have expressed concern about the commitment to a large scale marketing plan. Actualizing a marketing strategy does not stipulate a full blown marketing campaign. To put it simply, it’s removing the blindfold.
The steps you take moving forward can be baby steps or giant leap frogs. Some organizations run pilot programs, while some venture out in full force.
If you need assistance in removing the blindfold or gathering the information necessary to generate a great strategy, contact me – chana @riptidems.com or find me at riptidems.com.
Content Marketing
Wikipedia: Content marketing is an umbrella term encompassing all marketing formats that involve the creation or sharing of content for the purpose of engaging current and potential consumer bases. Content marketing subscribes to the notion that delivering high-quality, relevant and valuable information to prospects and customers drives profitable consumer action. Content marketing has benefits in terms of retaining reader attention and improving brand loyalty
Thanks Wikipedia. Couldn’t have said it better myself.
To create an effective marketing campaign, multiple content resources are necessary. There is no one marketing content resource that can fit all marketing needs.
Investing in a single golden egg seems attractive to those new to the world of content marketing. Hire a copywriter. Plug in as much information as possible – success stories, case studies, methodologies, etc. To be honest, I can see how it might seem efficient, but it just doesn’t work.
Having a single marketing content resource is akin to “one-size-fits-all”. In short, it doesn’t really fit. While there may be something everyone, it’s too much information for anyone. Too much information, even relevant, optimal content, at the end of the day, is still TMI.
Excessive content does not attract. It also hampers the marketing team’s ability to nurture their leads. Varied content is necessary to keep those leads warm and moving in the direction from prospect to consumer.
For further discussion on the many facets of content marketing, sign up for our feeds or send me an email at chana@riptidems.com.
Treat Your Patients Like They Were Your Customers
A friend invited me to attend her birth yesterday at a NYC hospital. While waiting in the triage area, two L&D nurses were having a heated conversation that sounded like this.
Nurse 1: “We need to treat the patients like customers. The customer is always right. The patient is always right.”
Nurse 2: “That’s not what my supervisor told me. She said we need to make sure patients comply.”
Nurse 1: “It’s a new program. Because another NYC hospital is now distributing designer label baby clothes, we need to work on our customer service.
Nurse 2: “My supervisor is not gonna’ like this.”
Judging from yesterday’s hospital experience, it’s the policy of Nurse 2′s supervisor that’s directing the nurse/patient relationship. For the most part, the communications directed at the patient were disrespectful. My friend declined some standard intervention and was reprimanded by her nurse. When she questioned a different procedure, the nurse berated her for questioning hospital policy. My friend experienced emotional manipulation, intimidation and coercion.
I’m wondering how that would work if converted to a retail market case scenario. Imagine that I go to the store to purchase an item that will be customized for me. I choose a standard base product and customize certain elements. The salesperson threatens me for choosing elements for my product that differ from his perception of appropriate.
Healthcare is a service, similar to that of a web designer or a spa therapist. Healthcare is a product, like an oven or a car. The patient is a customer and the patient gets to choose.
We live in a world where the customer has control – including where they go to for their healthcare needs. When a customer is happy we like to hear from them, when they are unhappy we need to hear from them. Today’s technologies allow for Voice of Customer. This interaction provides valuable feedback for the institution, allows for personal communication and increases the probability of strengthening the relationship as it pinpoints opportunities for change. Utilizing VOC technologies lends itself to Customer of One initiatives. When you consider those voices, when their experience matters, when they feel validated, the bond increases as does the brand loyalty.
What happens when we bolster that relationship, when our clients or patients feel like they belong? They become our fans, our marketers, our foot soldiers. Mom blogs, tweets, facebook posts, word of mouth recommendations. Additionally, we have the opportunity to cross sell services. Baby needs a pediatrician, grandma needs a hip replacement, etc. etc. – a personal relationship has a domino effect. Recognize that your customer is not just your patient.
Does your organization welcome patient feedback? Is there a process in place that solicits information about patient experience? Are the leaders of your organization listening to those messages? What happens with that information? Is it analyzed? Interpreted? What happens when patients’ experiences don’t meet the vision and objectives of the organization? Is there a strategy in place that develops & executes goals to optimize patient experience?
What about the new mom that doesn’t provide feedback? Is she invited to a hospital sponsored breastfeeding class? Parenting support group? Does she get reminders about well visits for her baby? Is she encouraged to return for postpartum care?
What Voice of Customer strategies are you using to enhance your relationships? What methods of Service Cross Selling do you find beneficial? Which marketing initiatives do you find easily incorporated to enhance an already established marketing strategy?
To continue this dialogue, leave a comment or email me at chana@riptidems.com.
Riptide Blog Welcome
Welcome to the Riptide blog. The best of our marketing and consulting team have come together to share best practices, insights and strategies to keep you, our blog readers, way ahead of the curve.
The great plan is to cover a broad array of topics relating to
- Lead Generation
- Mobile Marketing
- Brand Identity
- Market Segmentation
- Customer Centric Marketing
- SEO
- Leapfrogging
- Click Triggers
- QR Codes
- Lead Nurturing
- Social Media
- and many more.
Why are we doing this? For one thing, we’d like to practice what we preach. We’re always telling you to blog… Another strong point – giving is getting. When we give you valuable content that is absolutely utilizable, you improve your business practices and we feel gratified. Finally, it’s our way of thanking you for joining us on this rapidly evolving journey of social media and marketing.
~Chana
PS You can always reach me through this site or email me – chana@riptidems.com