Pentagon strategists have worried for over a decade that the development of a super missile would weaken America’s dominant influence in East Asian waters. The recent revelation of a new “smart missile” developed by China has caused great concern for the U.S. and its naval carrier fleet.
What makes the missile so lethal is its accurate guidance system. It’s reported that the Dong Feng 21D (DF-21D) missile can be launched from the land and hit a moving aircraft carrier 900 miles away. The Chinese have had missile technology, but their accuracy was ineffective until President Clinton sold them three Cray supercomputers as part of a trade deal, which the Chinese used immediately to develop their missile capability.
The news of the power of a self-correcting guidance mechanism awakens the half-century old knowledge of the power of our own internal guidance system. When Dr. Maxell Maltz published his ground-breaking book Psycho-Cybernetics in 1960, he provided further evidence of the mind-body connection to attain one’s goals. As a cosmetic surgeon, Maltz was confused by the reaction of his patients after surgery. Even though he transformed their external looks to make them more beautiful, he found that their inner self-image was more powerful when it came to seeing the results of his work. In fact, many of his patients reported that they did not see any changes when they looked at themselves in the mirror. His research brought him to the realization that our limiting beliefs determine our actions and results; therefore, in order to change our lives, we must change our brain – or how we see ourselves in our mind’s eye.
The term “cybernetic” comes from a Greek word which means literally, “the steersman.” Like a missile guidance system, our bio-mechanical brain acts as a servo-mechanism to “steer” us toward the results we expect, and those results are determined by our strongly-held beliefs and values.
A cybernetic refers to a control-and-response mechanism to keep things in their comfort zone or on target. Using a missile as a metaphor, let’s look at three aspects to our own servo-mechanism. This can be summarized by the acronym: RAS, for Result, Action, and Self-correcting. First, the Result must be known. You must identify the target or goal that you want to reach. For the DF-21D, the result would be to intercept and sink an aircraft carrier. For you, it might be to lose weight, make more money, or find romance. To lock onto your target and get the result you want, you must be clear about your objective, or you must know what exact result you expect.
The next step is to take Action. A missile must have some type of propulsion system to move it in the general direction of the target. If your result is to reach a certain weight, then you must take some action such as eating better or exercising regularly. To make more money, you must take action by offering greater value to your employer or customers, and to find romance, you need to take action by meeting more people and socializing.
The third thing that must happen is to have an accurate guidance system that is Self-correcting. A guided missile requires ongoing feedback using a global positioning system, radar, sonar, or heat preceptors to relay its relationship to the target and determine any course correction. Individuals trying to lose weight use their sensory organs and external measures, such as a weight scale, measuring tape, or comments from others, to provide valuable feedback so they can stay on the correct course.
So if it is as easy as knowing your result, taking action, and self-correcting, why do so many people not achieve their goals? The reason is because you must have a self-image that sustains your efforts. Your brain must change how you see yourself in your mind’s eye so that you establish a new comfort zone, or set point.
A simple cybernetic example is a thermostat that is used to maintain room temperature. If it is too hot the air conditioner kicks on and when the temperature drops below a certain standard, the heater turns on. Our psycho-cybernetic mechanism is a self-correcting autopilot that will always kick in to steer us back to the internal image and beliefs we have of ourselves. In other words, if you want to change on the outside, you must first change on the inside.
If your self-image sees yourself as fat, poor, or romantically challenged, then your behavior will align with your beliefs to ensure that you maintain that self-image. The reality is that you are none of these as long as you believe in yourself. So what if you’re overweight now or you struggle financially? Your current reality does not have to be your future fate. You are a human being who is fully capable of changing your situation – if you believe you can.
For effective change to occur you must have a vision of what you want to become, and reinforce the beliefs that will turn your vision into reality. You must create a new comfort zone and new patterns of behavior in order to take sustained action towards your new self. You have the power to “reprogram” yourself for greater success and realize more empowering results.
A new discovery has revealed that neurogenesis, the process of making new brain cells, does not stop with adolescence, but continues throughout your life span. No matter what your age, you can change your brain by creating new neural pathways. Next week, I’ll discuss how a small part of your brain, about the size of your little finger, is your key to open the doorway of your mind and truly change your brain.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Catching Flies
I’d like to share some lessons about marketing from my recent encounter with flies. The first half of the article talks about how I helped rid our area of the pesky critters, and then I’ll relate it to marketing as you keep reading.
Lately, we couldn’t walk out of our house without flies swarming around the porch. It’s difficult to capture them, so I thought of my options. First, I could use some sticky fly paper that has had limited success in the past, but it is unsightly and tends to lose its effectiveness after dust and debris gets stuck to it.
Second, I could give my young children fly swatters and give them a penny for every fly they kill. I’ve employed this tactic with success in the past. After a quick training session on the art of sneaking up to a fly and the proper fly swatting technique, they enthusiastically jumped into their new job. However, their enthusiasm typically lasts for a couple of hours before something else grabs their attention and they are no longer my willing accomplices.
My third option is to use some type of a fly trap that causes the flies to enter a container and stay trapped until they expire. I’ve bought commercial traps before at a hardware store, but decided to go to the Internet to find a solution. I picked the simplest design which consists of taking a plastic bottle – a two liter soda bottle works well – and cutting the top portion where the bottle curves into the straight cylinder.
Take the cap off, invert the top portion, and tape it to the bottom of the bottle so it creates a funnel into the lower half. To make the hole smaller and more difficult for the fly to get out, I take a 5-inch, round section of screen that is cut to the middle, folded into a funnel-shape, and secure it to the bottle top with a rubber band. If the hole is not large enough, push a pencil into the bottom of the funnel or just cut a larger hole with scissors.
Now it’s time to put some bait to attract the flies. You can use anything that attracts flies, but if you want to get fancy, you can put some brown sugar in hot water and after it cools, add a pinch of yeast. If it’s a liquid mess, it will also drown the flies when they land on it to feed. I have three containers silently working their magic on the back porch. The traps are simple, inexpensive, effective, and work continuously with no effort.
Okay, now time to segue to your marketing efforts. There are three elements to capture flies and customers: 1) The target – who you are after, 2) the temptation – how you will attract the target, and 3) the technique – what method you will use to capture the target.
Your customers aren’t pesky critters – although they might feel they’re treated that way. They are valuable individuals who allow your business to exist and continue operating. As a business, you should focus on how to capture more of the right customers and then contain them for ongoing revenue. Your target should be your ideal customer.
The temptation is your offer and the value it has to the customer. This includes your goods and services, as well as anything that adds value to your customer such as packaging, after-purchase service, or delivery. The greater the temptation, the less resistance you’ll encounter and the more customers you’ll attract.
Next, you should consider your technique. If your marketing efforts take a lot of time or money and yield little for the effort, it could be like chasing flies with a swatter – you sometimes get lucky and get a customer, but it takes a lot of effort. The sticky fly paper can be compared to marketing that attracts a few customers, but quickly loses its effectiveness.
You must use a technique to both attract customers and keep them coming back continuously. It should be simple, inexpensive, and effective to be a winner. Colonial Penn was an insurance company that wanted to target older people. They tried to work with groups that had affiliations with their target market, but had difficulty so their technique was to start their own organization. They started the American Association of Retired People or AARP and the recommended insurance provider for the members was …you guessed it, Colonial Penn.
An amusement park analyzed their average purchase amount of their customers and discovered it was $25. Their technique was to contact all the non-amusement vendors on the park premises, like the balloon vendor and the hot dog stand, and offer them tokens they could give to their customers that were good for amusement rides. For example, if someone bought a hotdog and drink for $3, the customer would receive $3 in tokens from the vendor that could be redeemed at the park, knowing that the customer would end up spending $22 more.
There are also techniques on the Internet that can be used to capture customers and keep them coming back. Lead capture pages typically offer a free report or some type of incentive to get the customer to share their email. Through ongoing, value-laden emails, the customer is primed to make a purchase or join a membership program
What techniques do you use to attract more target customers, get them to make a purchase and keep them coming back? Like the simple fly catcher, you should have a product or service that tempts customers and utilize a technique that is simple, inexpensive, and works continuously.
Lately, we couldn’t walk out of our house without flies swarming around the porch. It’s difficult to capture them, so I thought of my options. First, I could use some sticky fly paper that has had limited success in the past, but it is unsightly and tends to lose its effectiveness after dust and debris gets stuck to it.
Second, I could give my young children fly swatters and give them a penny for every fly they kill. I’ve employed this tactic with success in the past. After a quick training session on the art of sneaking up to a fly and the proper fly swatting technique, they enthusiastically jumped into their new job. However, their enthusiasm typically lasts for a couple of hours before something else grabs their attention and they are no longer my willing accomplices.
My third option is to use some type of a fly trap that causes the flies to enter a container and stay trapped until they expire. I’ve bought commercial traps before at a hardware store, but decided to go to the Internet to find a solution. I picked the simplest design which consists of taking a plastic bottle – a two liter soda bottle works well – and cutting the top portion where the bottle curves into the straight cylinder.
Take the cap off, invert the top portion, and tape it to the bottom of the bottle so it creates a funnel into the lower half. To make the hole smaller and more difficult for the fly to get out, I take a 5-inch, round section of screen that is cut to the middle, folded into a funnel-shape, and secure it to the bottle top with a rubber band. If the hole is not large enough, push a pencil into the bottom of the funnel or just cut a larger hole with scissors.
Now it’s time to put some bait to attract the flies. You can use anything that attracts flies, but if you want to get fancy, you can put some brown sugar in hot water and after it cools, add a pinch of yeast. If it’s a liquid mess, it will also drown the flies when they land on it to feed. I have three containers silently working their magic on the back porch. The traps are simple, inexpensive, effective, and work continuously with no effort.
Okay, now time to segue to your marketing efforts. There are three elements to capture flies and customers: 1) The target – who you are after, 2) the temptation – how you will attract the target, and 3) the technique – what method you will use to capture the target.
Your customers aren’t pesky critters – although they might feel they’re treated that way. They are valuable individuals who allow your business to exist and continue operating. As a business, you should focus on how to capture more of the right customers and then contain them for ongoing revenue. Your target should be your ideal customer.
The temptation is your offer and the value it has to the customer. This includes your goods and services, as well as anything that adds value to your customer such as packaging, after-purchase service, or delivery. The greater the temptation, the less resistance you’ll encounter and the more customers you’ll attract.
Next, you should consider your technique. If your marketing efforts take a lot of time or money and yield little for the effort, it could be like chasing flies with a swatter – you sometimes get lucky and get a customer, but it takes a lot of effort. The sticky fly paper can be compared to marketing that attracts a few customers, but quickly loses its effectiveness.
You must use a technique to both attract customers and keep them coming back continuously. It should be simple, inexpensive, and effective to be a winner. Colonial Penn was an insurance company that wanted to target older people. They tried to work with groups that had affiliations with their target market, but had difficulty so their technique was to start their own organization. They started the American Association of Retired People or AARP and the recommended insurance provider for the members was …you guessed it, Colonial Penn.
An amusement park analyzed their average purchase amount of their customers and discovered it was $25. Their technique was to contact all the non-amusement vendors on the park premises, like the balloon vendor and the hot dog stand, and offer them tokens they could give to their customers that were good for amusement rides. For example, if someone bought a hotdog and drink for $3, the customer would receive $3 in tokens from the vendor that could be redeemed at the park, knowing that the customer would end up spending $22 more.
There are also techniques on the Internet that can be used to capture customers and keep them coming back. Lead capture pages typically offer a free report or some type of incentive to get the customer to share their email. Through ongoing, value-laden emails, the customer is primed to make a purchase or join a membership program
What techniques do you use to attract more target customers, get them to make a purchase and keep them coming back? Like the simple fly catcher, you should have a product or service that tempts customers and utilize a technique that is simple, inexpensive, and works continuously.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Your Inner World
“There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come.” -- Victor Hugo
The quest for a single equation that could encapsulate the behavior of all known forces in the universe has been the holy grail of science. Some scientists that draw on the advances in cosmology, quantum physics, biology, and consciousness studies believe that science is now in a position to produce the “theory of everything,” or the theory that astrophysicists Stephen Hawking believes will allow us to know the mind of God.
Let me share a brief progression of this thought. An aging astronomer by the name of Galileo Galilei was taken before the Roman Inquisition in 1633 and tried, convicted, and sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison for espousing the idea that the sun, not the earth, was the center of the solar system. Even though this idea was judged as radical, and diametrically opposed to the position of the church, it forged the way for others to use empirical evidence in the real world to validate ideas that come from our thoughts. However, the real question is where do our thoughts come from and what impact do they have on our real world?
Generations later, Sir Isaac Newton mapped the laws of physics that laid the foundation for modern science, but as scientists reached the limits of the Newtonian worldview; their explorations took them into the heart of the atom where the nature of reality becomes less empirical. Quantum physics, or the study of how the world works on the smallest scale, was used to understand why the world does not behave the way Newton said it would.
Albert Einstein discovered the relationship between physical mass and nonphysical energy and further opened our view of how the world works. Einstein showed us how the two are not only related, but that mass and energy can be transformed into each other. He believed that everything is energy because everything is made of molecules, which are made of atoms, which are made of protons, electrons and neutrons, which are made of nothing but vibrating packets of energy. As scientists continued pursuing their explorations on staggeringly small subatomic scales, they were confounded by some sort of force that appeared to be present even at temperatures of absolute zero, when all know forms of energy are reduced to its lowest level. The quantum mechanical system that encompasses this energy is the zero-point field or the quantum vacuum, a concept first proposed by Einstein and Otto Stern in 1913. According to quantum mechanics, the quantum vacuum is not empty but instead contains fleeting electromagnetic waves and particles that pop into and out of existence.
Danish physicists Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg discovered that the heart of each subatomic particle is not like the organized billiards of the solar system, but were more like packets of possibilities, and their work suggests that reality is made not of solid substance but of fields of potentiality. Strangely, a particle would take on the specific characteristic of a material thing only when it was observed or measured, and that the act of observation influences a particle’s behavior. Every time a scientist looked for an electron, an electron would appear, right where they expected it. Even more bizarre, it was discovered that just the mere intention of measuring particles would still affect the particles.
In physicist Ervin Laszlo’s book, Science and the Akashic Field (akasha is the Sanskrit term for “space”), he proposed that the quantum vacuum is the fundamental energy and information-carrying field found throughout the universe. Laszlo shares a series of experiments conducted by lie detector expert Cleve Backster where white blood cells were taken from the mouths of subjects and cultured in test tubes. In one of the tests, the subject was shown a TV program depicting the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The subject was a former Navy gunner who had been present at Pearl Harbor during the attack and when the face of a Navy gunner was shown on the screen, the man’s face showed an emotional reaction, and at that precise moment, the lie detector needle attached to his culture of white blood cells jumped, even though it was over seven miles away.
These results were duplicated in subsequent experiments, even though the distances were sometimes hundreds of miles away. The explanation is that the particles of the subject’s body were still connected with one another. Scientists labeled this capacity for instantaneous interconnection as “nonlocality.” Einstein used the less non-technical term of “spooky action at a distance.”
Laszlo posits that the Akashic Field consists of a subtle sea of fluctuating energies from which all things arise: from atoms to galaxies, stars, planets, living beings, and even conscious thought itself. This Field essentially helps a universe know how to become a universe, how an acorn becomes an oak, and for you to develop and achieve your potential. It is believed that the Akashic Field literally conveys all the information of life itself and has been referred to as the “Book of Life.” In other words, the laws that govern subatomic particles and solar systems also govern our thoughts and ultimately the results we achieve.
If the recent scientific theory of the Akashic Field is true, then this universal energy field is written with our thoughts and actions, and if it can be accessed consciously, then much of the past and traumatic events we hold in our inner world could be liberated and thus increase the energy for positive potentials realized in our outer world.
So what is the point of all of this? It’s that everything that exists first comes from an idea or thought. Putting it down on paper in the form of goals or verbally stating it through affirmations helps to keep our thoughts centered on an outcome. Our ability to think, be self-aware, and communicate our thoughts and knowledge to others to change our environment is what separates us from other life forms. French philosopher Rene Descartes, and a contemporary of Galileo, declared: “I think, therefore I am.” Our thoughts not only matter, but it is our thoughts that create matter because it focuses the force of energy that has the capacity to manifest reality. This can all be summarized in the statement: “You are what you think about most of the time,” or “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
Everything starts with an idea, and your thoughts have the capacity to initiate and change the events and circumstances in your life. No matter the situation you currently find yourself, the secret to proactive change lies in controlling your thoughts. Focused thought is the most powerful force in the universe, and you can change from a debilitating direction by redirecting your thoughts in a more empowering manner. Great leaders have the ability to create resonant energy within their sphere of influence by directing other’s thoughts toward a vision of possibility. In fact, if you don’t think it and intensely believe it, it will never get done. Your outer world is truly a reflection of your inner world.
The quest for a single equation that could encapsulate the behavior of all known forces in the universe has been the holy grail of science. Some scientists that draw on the advances in cosmology, quantum physics, biology, and consciousness studies believe that science is now in a position to produce the “theory of everything,” or the theory that astrophysicists Stephen Hawking believes will allow us to know the mind of God.
Let me share a brief progression of this thought. An aging astronomer by the name of Galileo Galilei was taken before the Roman Inquisition in 1633 and tried, convicted, and sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison for espousing the idea that the sun, not the earth, was the center of the solar system. Even though this idea was judged as radical, and diametrically opposed to the position of the church, it forged the way for others to use empirical evidence in the real world to validate ideas that come from our thoughts. However, the real question is where do our thoughts come from and what impact do they have on our real world?
Generations later, Sir Isaac Newton mapped the laws of physics that laid the foundation for modern science, but as scientists reached the limits of the Newtonian worldview; their explorations took them into the heart of the atom where the nature of reality becomes less empirical. Quantum physics, or the study of how the world works on the smallest scale, was used to understand why the world does not behave the way Newton said it would.
Albert Einstein discovered the relationship between physical mass and nonphysical energy and further opened our view of how the world works. Einstein showed us how the two are not only related, but that mass and energy can be transformed into each other. He believed that everything is energy because everything is made of molecules, which are made of atoms, which are made of protons, electrons and neutrons, which are made of nothing but vibrating packets of energy. As scientists continued pursuing their explorations on staggeringly small subatomic scales, they were confounded by some sort of force that appeared to be present even at temperatures of absolute zero, when all know forms of energy are reduced to its lowest level. The quantum mechanical system that encompasses this energy is the zero-point field or the quantum vacuum, a concept first proposed by Einstein and Otto Stern in 1913. According to quantum mechanics, the quantum vacuum is not empty but instead contains fleeting electromagnetic waves and particles that pop into and out of existence.
Danish physicists Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg discovered that the heart of each subatomic particle is not like the organized billiards of the solar system, but were more like packets of possibilities, and their work suggests that reality is made not of solid substance but of fields of potentiality. Strangely, a particle would take on the specific characteristic of a material thing only when it was observed or measured, and that the act of observation influences a particle’s behavior. Every time a scientist looked for an electron, an electron would appear, right where they expected it. Even more bizarre, it was discovered that just the mere intention of measuring particles would still affect the particles.
In physicist Ervin Laszlo’s book, Science and the Akashic Field (akasha is the Sanskrit term for “space”), he proposed that the quantum vacuum is the fundamental energy and information-carrying field found throughout the universe. Laszlo shares a series of experiments conducted by lie detector expert Cleve Backster where white blood cells were taken from the mouths of subjects and cultured in test tubes. In one of the tests, the subject was shown a TV program depicting the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The subject was a former Navy gunner who had been present at Pearl Harbor during the attack and when the face of a Navy gunner was shown on the screen, the man’s face showed an emotional reaction, and at that precise moment, the lie detector needle attached to his culture of white blood cells jumped, even though it was over seven miles away.
These results were duplicated in subsequent experiments, even though the distances were sometimes hundreds of miles away. The explanation is that the particles of the subject’s body were still connected with one another. Scientists labeled this capacity for instantaneous interconnection as “nonlocality.” Einstein used the less non-technical term of “spooky action at a distance.”
Laszlo posits that the Akashic Field consists of a subtle sea of fluctuating energies from which all things arise: from atoms to galaxies, stars, planets, living beings, and even conscious thought itself. This Field essentially helps a universe know how to become a universe, how an acorn becomes an oak, and for you to develop and achieve your potential. It is believed that the Akashic Field literally conveys all the information of life itself and has been referred to as the “Book of Life.” In other words, the laws that govern subatomic particles and solar systems also govern our thoughts and ultimately the results we achieve.
If the recent scientific theory of the Akashic Field is true, then this universal energy field is written with our thoughts and actions, and if it can be accessed consciously, then much of the past and traumatic events we hold in our inner world could be liberated and thus increase the energy for positive potentials realized in our outer world.
So what is the point of all of this? It’s that everything that exists first comes from an idea or thought. Putting it down on paper in the form of goals or verbally stating it through affirmations helps to keep our thoughts centered on an outcome. Our ability to think, be self-aware, and communicate our thoughts and knowledge to others to change our environment is what separates us from other life forms. French philosopher Rene Descartes, and a contemporary of Galileo, declared: “I think, therefore I am.” Our thoughts not only matter, but it is our thoughts that create matter because it focuses the force of energy that has the capacity to manifest reality. This can all be summarized in the statement: “You are what you think about most of the time,” or “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
Everything starts with an idea, and your thoughts have the capacity to initiate and change the events and circumstances in your life. No matter the situation you currently find yourself, the secret to proactive change lies in controlling your thoughts. Focused thought is the most powerful force in the universe, and you can change from a debilitating direction by redirecting your thoughts in a more empowering manner. Great leaders have the ability to create resonant energy within their sphere of influence by directing other’s thoughts toward a vision of possibility. In fact, if you don’t think it and intensely believe it, it will never get done. Your outer world is truly a reflection of your inner world.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
How am I Doing?
When I was learning to fly, my flight instructor had me go under the hood and close my eyes. This was a large white hood that was placed on my head so I couldn’t see outside. He then repositioned the aircraft and told me to open my eyes and make any necessary corrections. Just flying by the seat of my pants, the plane felt like we were flying straight and steady. Without any other feedback, the plane would have eventually crashed into the ground.
The whole purpose of the exercise was to teach me to put my trust in the instruments rather than just how I felt at the moment. The various instruments offer continuous feedback to help a pilot take corrective action. Ignoring or not monitoring the airspeed, altitude or attitude of the aircraft is pure folly.
Many business owners make the same mistakes within their companies. They tend to run their business by the “seat of their pants” and ignore or not monitor feedback from their employees or customers. Many don’t have a mechanism to get feedback from their frontline employees who deal with their customers everyday and hear their complaints or suggestions. If you aren’t getting continuous communication about how your organization is doing, then your business may “fly” straight and steady for awhile, but it will eventually lose altitude and crash.
Here are four ways to effectively get feedback that will allow you to take corrective action. The first and easiest is to just talk to your customers on a regular basis. Ask them questions to learn how they feel about your company. If you want to be more systematic, you can prepare a few questions for your staff to ask during their interaction with customers. Not only will your employees learn more about your customers, but the simple act of asking questions demonstrates that you care and are interested in their feedback. Questions can also open up a conversation that will allow your staff to build stronger relationships.
Document the answers to look for any trends or reoccurring positive or negative aspects of your business. If you keep hearing the same complaint, then you’d better do something about it because it is what your customers will be telling other people about your business.
A second and more formal method for feedback is to ask your customers to complete a survey or questionnaire about your business. Keep it short and to the point, and give the survey after they have made an order or completed a transaction. To get maximum participation, include the surveys in a drawing for a valuable prize.
Some companies get a little more sophisticated by sending online surveys that automatically compile the results. I’ve received several sales receipts that asked me to go to a website to take an online survey, and after completing it, I was offered a coupon for 10% off my next purchase or some other incentive.
Third, you can have mystery shoppers visit your business and complete an evaluation form that rates various aspects of your business. We’ve conducted over 1,500 mystery shopper visits and I often have my students visit local businesses. Employees who know that a mystery shopper may be visiting tend to provide better service because they don’t know which customer will be formally evaluating them.
Hotels, larger corporations, and franchises often conduct mystery shopper visits to get valuable feedback about how the company is doing. They also have service standards, and train personnel to adhere to those standards. Countries such as Australia and New Zealand have developed service standards for businesses that deal with tourists. Those businesses that adhere to the standards and pass their mystery shopper test are listed in their advertising and are given a star rating or allowed to display a decal that tells tourists they are a quality business.
The last method is more difficult, but it makes every customer a potential mystery shopper for your company and provides valuable feedback on a continuous basis. Provide an online forum where customers can rate and comment on your business. This is available in the U.S. through such companies as eOpinions.com for products and AngiesList.com for businesses.
Allowing all your customers to offer feedback may seem daunting to some businesses who would rather not know what their customers think. However, they tend to be the same businesses that would rather stay under the hood and “fly by the seat of their pants.” Your customers are already talking about your business, so why not let them share their suggestions and comments with you and others. You may discover things that will help you improve or provide better service. Just offering the service alone will keep all your employees sharp and careful to treat each customer with care, since a poor experience could be broadcast online. You can also encourage customers to thank you for excellent service by asking them to post a comment and giving your business a high rating.
Any method you use to gather feedback will allow you to better serve your customers and make improvements that cause them to return and share their experiences with others. Don’t go “under the hood” when it comes to operating your business.
The whole purpose of the exercise was to teach me to put my trust in the instruments rather than just how I felt at the moment. The various instruments offer continuous feedback to help a pilot take corrective action. Ignoring or not monitoring the airspeed, altitude or attitude of the aircraft is pure folly.
Many business owners make the same mistakes within their companies. They tend to run their business by the “seat of their pants” and ignore or not monitor feedback from their employees or customers. Many don’t have a mechanism to get feedback from their frontline employees who deal with their customers everyday and hear their complaints or suggestions. If you aren’t getting continuous communication about how your organization is doing, then your business may “fly” straight and steady for awhile, but it will eventually lose altitude and crash.
Here are four ways to effectively get feedback that will allow you to take corrective action. The first and easiest is to just talk to your customers on a regular basis. Ask them questions to learn how they feel about your company. If you want to be more systematic, you can prepare a few questions for your staff to ask during their interaction with customers. Not only will your employees learn more about your customers, but the simple act of asking questions demonstrates that you care and are interested in their feedback. Questions can also open up a conversation that will allow your staff to build stronger relationships.
Document the answers to look for any trends or reoccurring positive or negative aspects of your business. If you keep hearing the same complaint, then you’d better do something about it because it is what your customers will be telling other people about your business.
A second and more formal method for feedback is to ask your customers to complete a survey or questionnaire about your business. Keep it short and to the point, and give the survey after they have made an order or completed a transaction. To get maximum participation, include the surveys in a drawing for a valuable prize.
Some companies get a little more sophisticated by sending online surveys that automatically compile the results. I’ve received several sales receipts that asked me to go to a website to take an online survey, and after completing it, I was offered a coupon for 10% off my next purchase or some other incentive.
Third, you can have mystery shoppers visit your business and complete an evaluation form that rates various aspects of your business. We’ve conducted over 1,500 mystery shopper visits and I often have my students visit local businesses. Employees who know that a mystery shopper may be visiting tend to provide better service because they don’t know which customer will be formally evaluating them.
Hotels, larger corporations, and franchises often conduct mystery shopper visits to get valuable feedback about how the company is doing. They also have service standards, and train personnel to adhere to those standards. Countries such as Australia and New Zealand have developed service standards for businesses that deal with tourists. Those businesses that adhere to the standards and pass their mystery shopper test are listed in their advertising and are given a star rating or allowed to display a decal that tells tourists they are a quality business.
The last method is more difficult, but it makes every customer a potential mystery shopper for your company and provides valuable feedback on a continuous basis. Provide an online forum where customers can rate and comment on your business. This is available in the U.S. through such companies as eOpinions.com for products and AngiesList.com for businesses.
Allowing all your customers to offer feedback may seem daunting to some businesses who would rather not know what their customers think. However, they tend to be the same businesses that would rather stay under the hood and “fly by the seat of their pants.” Your customers are already talking about your business, so why not let them share their suggestions and comments with you and others. You may discover things that will help you improve or provide better service. Just offering the service alone will keep all your employees sharp and careful to treat each customer with care, since a poor experience could be broadcast online. You can also encourage customers to thank you for excellent service by asking them to post a comment and giving your business a high rating.
Any method you use to gather feedback will allow you to better serve your customers and make improvements that cause them to return and share their experiences with others. Don’t go “under the hood” when it comes to operating your business.
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