Archive for July, 2010
Your Pre-Purchase Brand Touchpoints
Posted by Mike Paffenback in Brand Touchpoints on July 23, 2010
Think about all of the various interactions your company has with customers and prospects before the sale is ever made. The big, obvious ones and those that seem minor and insignificant.
Got em all?
You probably identified touchpoints like your advertising programs, trade shows, public relations efforts, email programs, direct mailings, your newsletter, the web site, sales materials, in-store displays and demos, product packaging, etc.
How about some of the less obvious touchpoints like your voice mail greeting, sales personnel, company-branded vehicles and drivers, your facility, the receptionist, your phone system IVR and on-hold messaging, and product features and benefits? There are likely hundreds of these for your brand, each playing a role in whether or not that prospect will become a customer, and that customer will ever do business with you again.
The simple concept is this: the ways in which you engage customers and prospects before they decide to buy will determine if they buy… from you.
Strangely, though, many companies don’t really think through the selling process in this way. They don’t identify all of their pre-purchase brand touchpoints and then prioritize them in the order of importance in driving the sale. They don’t define a standard for how those interactions should be delivered, and they don’t systematically assess their actual delivery against this standard. Without this process, these companies can’t focus on delivering those critical brand touchpoints consistently and in alignment with the brand identity (brand identity = the strategic platform developed for the brand that essentially defines how you want your audiences to perceive and experience your brand. Establishing this helps to ensure the brand is presented consistently and with one voice).
So, how are you doing with all of this? If most managers don’t take the time to think through the pre-purchase process with this touch point mindset, doesn’t it make sense that those who do will gain a distinct business advantage? And isn’t that what you’re looking for every business day?
A Simple Touchpoint Can Make The Biggest Difference
Posted by Mike Paffenback in Brand Touchpoints on July 22, 2010
Not long ago, my wife and I visited a local pizza joint for a late dinner. The place was nearly empty when we arrived. It was also a mess; every table was piled high with the previous guests’ trash. Being a seat-youself place, we found what we believed to be the least-trashed table and stood next to it, hoping to catch the eye of a server to clear the way for us to sit. Foolish us!
Instead of acknowledging us and coming to our rescue, the staff busied themselves clearing off the other tables … where no guests were seated! My wife and I remained quiet to see how this would play out. 10 minutes after arriving, a harried server finally came over to greet us and take a drink order — while the table remained piled high. At that point I politely asked to speak to the manager, who came over and explained about the big party that had just left, etc. She apologized for the delay in getting our table cleared and indicated she would “take very good care of us” (which I took to mean a discounted meal — not so). We left there vowing that, with all the competitive options at our disposal, it would be a very long time before our shadows darkened this particular door again.
Claims about the freshest ingredients, the widest selection, the best specials, the best taste, etc. will forever fall on my deaf ears simply because of a dropped ball on the simplest detail of expected customer service — a messy table.
Touch points will define your brand, and make or break your business. Something to think about, perhaps.