| p>As a business owner, you are intimately familiar | | | | Now sit in your car for a moment and look--really |
| with your company--from the perspective of an | | | | look--at your company's entrance. Is there trash |
| insider with a passionate interest in the service | | | | in the parking lot? Does the entrance need to be |
| and a personal need for the venture to succeed. | | | | painted? Are there weeds around the bushes? |
| But have you ever wondered how your | | | | How about your signage--is it freshly painted and |
| customers see your company--and what you | | | | well lit? Does the overall impression say thriving |
| could learn if you could see through their eyes? | | | | business--or barely scraping by? |
| Good marketing is more than fancy literature and | | | | Try to buy your own product. If you sell a |
| memorable ads. Every action is a form of | | | | product that is sometimes purchased over the |
| communication, every verbal interaction is a type | | | | phone, call in like a regular customer and try to |
| of advertisement, and every visual impression is a | | | | buy one. Is the salesperson knowledgeable and |
| billboard. Do you know what you are | | | | helpful? Does he or she offer suggestions of |
| communicating--and how it leads your customers | | | | complementary products or additions? Are you |
| to think of your business? Here are five tips to | | | | informed about sales and specials? Must you be |
| see your company through your customers' eyes. | | | | put on hold? If you have multiple locations and |
| Call your public phone number. How often do you | | | | counter staff who may not recognize you, stroll in |
| dial in to the number your customers call? Or to | | | | one day and be a customer. See how long you |
| your 800 line? If your company has more than | | | | wait for service, and how friendly the employees |
| one phone and more than one extension, you | | | | are. |
| probably dial directly to the individual you need. Put | | | | Go talk to your front-line people. You've played |
| yourself in the customers' position and call the | | | | undercover detective long enough. Now it's time |
| advertised store number. How many times does | | | | to do some "management by walking around." Go |
| the phone ring before it is answered? What is the | | | | to the people who deal directly with your |
| tone of the greeting? If you get a recorded | | | | customers--the sales clerks, repair staff, |
| message or are put on hold, how repetitive, | | | | maintenance people and customer service reps. |
| annoying or understandable is the recording? Can | | | | Talk to your telemarketing people--the ones with |
| you leave a message without being cut off? If | | | | the headsets, not the managers--and the folks on |
| you leave your number without identifying | | | | the loading docks. Ask them what they hear from |
| yourself as the boss, how quickly do you get a | | | | the customers--and then listen. They know if |
| return call? | | | | people grumble about poor service or return |
| Visit your own company web site. Sure, you | | | | products that don't work. They know about |
| know what you meant for the site to say. But if | | | | vendors who deliver late and inaccurately and |
| you decide to look for a specific product or | | | | thus delay customer orders. You can learn a |
| service, can you find it easily without multiple | | | | wealth of information from the folks who see |
| clicks and dead links? Is the site easy to navigate? | | | | your customers every day. |
| Is the information current? Must you scroll down | | | | If you find areas for improvement, avoid a |
| to read long pages of copy? Try filling out your | | | | punitive tone and explore the reasons for the |
| own interactive form. Is it easy? Supposed you | | | | problem. Approach what you learn in a positive |
| email a question anonymously from your home | | | | way and ask your front-line people to help devise |
| account. Do you get a reply? How long does it | | | | workable solutions that get buy-in and raise pride |
| take? | | | | in the job. |
| Walk around your parking lot. Don't park in your | | | | Find out what you are really communicating about |
| usual spot in the back. Park out front, where the | | | | your company by seeing through your customers' |
| customers park. Was it hard to find a space? | | | | eyes. |