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According to a Forum Corporation survey of commercial customers lost by 14 major service and manufacturing companies:

15% found a better service/product

15% found a cheaper service/product

20% cited “lack of contact and individual attention from the company”

50% said; “contact from old suppliers” personnel was poor in quality”

These days, it seems that everyone from dog walkers to dotcoms is making “customer service” their mission. Department, discount and convenience stores have all transformed the workers who used to be known as “sales clerks” into “customer service associates”- in theory at least. A recent survey of large corporation CEOs revealed that 67% had customer service earmarked as their top priority. Here are the 5 ways successful managers should implement to increase customer focus.

1. Targeted recruiting and hiring. Today’s managers are faced with the challenge of recruiting and hiring people who value customers. The concern far exceeds hiring the right talent; it includes the awareness of hiring for the cultural fit of their organization. It is true that a strong correlation exists between hiring the right customer service talent and customer satisfaction, effective productivity and increased bottom line profitability.

2. Listen for what customers really need. While the extra effort being put forth to be customer focused is encouraging, there is a big difference between customer service and customer satisfaction. This is where many companies get confused and customer service efforts can go awry. Customer satisfaction is an outcome; customer service is a means or strategy for achieving that outcome. To move toward greater customer satisfaction, businesses must focus on what it is that, indeed, satisfies the customer instead of just focusing on the activities themselves.

3. Handle tough customers with tact. Quality of service is what distinguishes one company from another. Far more than in product-producing companies, in service organizations. The actions of people are the key to quality. The leadership skills of managers in service organizations can contribute significantly to the quality of customer service efforts.

4. Conduct customer surveys. Develop and implement a customer survey program. This will attempt to understand customers’ satisfaction with the company, its products and services. Companies will ask key questions about the customers’ experiences and determine the overall level of customer satisfaction. Compare results of survey against internal performance measurements to ensure their validity. Managers will use such survey results to understand customer expectation and increase customer loyalty.

5. Motivate employees to be customer-focused. Managers need to create a sense of enthusiasm and energy that would be powerful and contagious for their employees and customers. Employee excitement, know how and determination offer insights to the growth of customer base and success of any organization.

Incorporating true customer focus into company practices simply makes good business sense. It not only helps good managers become better managers, but more effective leaders. Bringing with it continual improvement, it also aids organizations so that they are better able to take advantage of, and adapt to, the changing environment that is today’s marketplace.

Business can’t exist without customers, and customers don’t let businesses exist without customer service. This all-important aspect of your company begins with becoming customer-focused. Instead of viewing things from your business’ perspective, you must learn to view circumstances from that of your clients. To stay successful, customer satisfaction is a must!

Tips & Tactics

o Pay attention to customer feedback:

It’s the only way you’ll really know what they want

o Embrace Technology:

It can help you save tremendously on customer service costs.

o Make customer satisfaction a priority:

From the top executives down, give your corporate culture a customer-focused angle.

Media placement is an art. Practicing it often requires as much attention to approach and style as it does to the focus of your story. While it’s important to know how to use creative formatting techniques that can enhance editorial reception to a story (see article, “Using Publicity As A Creative Marketing Tool”) publicists can benefit from mastering some useful tips prior to approaching, by e-mail, snail mail or phone, the keepers of the media gate.

Some Basic Assumptions:

* Always tell the truth. Make sure your product or service does what it says it does and your information is accurate. If a question is put to you that you do not have an answer for, indicate to the reporter you’ll get back with the information. If you don’t, the info will come from someone else–and not necessarily from a source that will help your organization. Never “imagine” or “fudge” an answer. Remember, candor equals credibility. If your organization has taken an action that has reaped negative consequences, counsel your client to admit the mistake (unless the client is constrained from doing so by legal counsel). Negativity can also be mitigated if you can anticipate a reporter’s tough question, and frame an answer that puts the action into historical perspective; or by developing a positioning statement that lessens the harshness implied in the question. (For example, when a poisonous substance infiltrated Tylenol bottles, the company issued the statement that “we are victims too”).

* Know your outlet before you call. Have you read the magazine or newspaper in advance? Have you watched the tv program? Have you listened to the radio show? With print media, do you know the specific beat of the editor or reporter you intend to make contact with? Have you read his/her stories? It’s fine to cold call but don’t cold call blindly (unless there really is vagueness about that person’s turf).

* Attitude. There are some p.r. people whose emotional lives seem to count on an editor’s acceptance; and who feel like failures when the editor says “no.” “Unattachment” is the best attitude. “Unattachment” doesn’t mean “detachment” or “apathy.” It means coming from a centered place, with self-confidence in yourself and your ability to communicate a story effectively – but without being attached to the outcome. You’ll find this a liberating approach, one that disallows you from becoming intimidated by an editor or producer, and one that enables you to return to the same person in the future with no regrets. When an editor perceives that you are not overly emotionally invested in a story, you may actually get a better hearing. Be warm & polite, professional…and clear. See that individual as a peer and colleague. If they’re brusque in the moment, they may be having a bad day. Simply ask if there’s a better time to get back to them.

* That said, believe in your story and believe in yourself. The best p.r. people see themselves as resources of news and information who work with journalists to fill valuable time & print space.

* Be more empathetic than sympathetic. Being empathetic enables you to build on what was said and resond with alternate approaches. Being sympathetic means you’ve probably foreclosed the possibility of an alternate approach.

* Get out of the reporter’s way. When you’re providing a reporter, editor or producer information where the story is time-sensitive, relay the information and get out of the way. There’s a time for pitching an idea, and there’s a time for simply relaying information. In the case of the latter, act like an editorial assistant. Do your job and get out. You’ll earn the journalist’s respect when you do so.

* Don’t waste their time. When you call, communicate in sharp and crystallized fashion, the essence of the story. Keep it brief, respect deadlines and ask in advance if the moment is ok for that editor/ producer. NEVER call when you know an editor is under deadline pressure. Keep your message on-point and as brief as possible, but craft it in a compelling and creative way that will earn attention.

* Personalize. I’ve seen too many impersonal, photocopied pitch letters, whether via e-mail or snail mail. If you send something in advance to a call, or as a follow-up to a call, personalize. Don’t be overly chummy (unless you’ve been on good terms with that journalist for a long time). But keep sensitive to the fact that you’re a human being, and you’re communicating with a human being. For e-mails, craft a provocative phrase in the “subject” area. Too many e-mail messages get unread without a compelling lead.

* Listen to the editor. It’s as important to listen as it is to talk. Be sensitive to any verbal feedback, cues or clues that can assist you in fine-tuning your pitch. Keep your antennae fully extended.

* Respect the ‘no’ and be prepared for it. Ask quick, important questions: What is it about this story that doesn’t seem right for you? Is there anyone else for whom this story might work better? Suggest how the story can be adapted to the outlet’s needs. Best of all, suggest three to five different angles in advance. This reduces chances for rejection.

* But when you get your final no, let it go and release it. YOU haven’t been rejected, just your story. And if you’ve handled the approach professionally and cordially, you’ll always be able to come back with another story at another time. Regard your list of cultivated contacts as resources and investments for the long-haul, not for quick fix purposes.

* Occasionally, pass along an item of interest that lies outside your own sphere of self-interest. Be someone who’s not always out to get something. Also, supply your most important contacts with your home phone number.

* Get out from behind your desk. The better you get to know the journalist on a one-to-one basis, the better your chance of a receptive ear.

* Getting beyond voice mail. Leave a succinct, provocative, targeted message. If you don’t hear from them in two days, try calling early, or leave a message with an editorial assistant or colleague. Call back that other person to learn if your message was received and if there’s a return message. Sometimes, you can ask the switchboard for the department that person works in, rather than a specific voice mail.

Remember that an editor or producer is buying you as well as your story. The bottom line is trust. It’s up to you to earn it.

Using cartoons can help brand your marketing and drive home important messages. Although surprisingly inexpensive to acquire, humor can be one of your most powerful marketing tools.

Humor puts your readers at ease. Readers appreciate a touch of humor in an otherwise overly serious world.

Humor operates on an emotional level, driving home your message in a far more memorable way than words alone. Humor makes sensitive topics more approachable while summarizing and reinforcing points that would otherwise be lost.

Different types of humor work best in different contexts. Many speakers begin with a joke to put the audience at ease, or a story about ‘a funny thing that happened on the way to the meeting.’

But jokes and stories are less appropriate for written communications. Jokes can be misinterpreted and depend on delivery and timing for their effectiveness. Stories can take too long to tell.

Cartoons are perfect for print communications. Readers who typically check them out before reading the adjacent articles appreciate cartoons.

More important, cartoons communicate at a glance. A cartoon can attract your reader’s attention and drive home an important point in a memorable way.

The editorial page of any newspaper shows how effective humor can be in simplifying complex subjects and driving home a point of view.

Humor also adds a visual dimension to your marketing, differentiating your message from your competitor’s. Cartoons encourage readers to look at topics they might otherwise skip.

Where do you get cartoons? One of the best sources is the Cartoon Bank, www.cartoonbank.com. Here, you can license reproduction rights to cartoons that originally appeared in the New Yorker Magazine.

You can select from tens of thousands of cartoons. You can search by topic or keyword. After choosing an appropriate cartoon, you can find out how much it will cost to license it, and then you can download it.

Licensing fees are surprisingly reasonable for most business applications. For example, you can license New Yorker cartoons for use in presentations for just $19.95! For other purposes, the cost depends on where you’re going to use it and how many people will see it.

There are, of course, other sources of cartoons. If you see a cartoon you like in a newspaper or magazine, write the cartoonist in care of the publication and ask about availability and pricing. If there is a particular cartoonist whose style you like, contact the cartoonist about a custom cartoon.

This has worked very well for me and I owned total rights to use the cartoon any way I wanted.

Cartoons are great for the home page of your website, newsletters, training materials and presentation visuals.

In each case, the unexpectedness of a cartoon immediately captures your audience or reader’s attention and visually reinforces your message.

Here are some suggestions for marketing with cartoons:

1. When in doubt, leave it out. If the cartoon does not perfectly support your point, leave it out.

2. Always add the copyright information described in the licensing agreement.

3. Never run a cartoon without first obtaining a license to reproduce it.

4. Optimization. After downloading, resize and sharpen the cartoon in an image-editing program like Photoshop and export it in the proper file format.

Using humor in the form of cartoons is a powerful way to brand your marketing and drive home important messages to your prospects and clients.

1. Personal insight.

Great CEOs are great leaders. They know themselves and what they stand for. They have been called on all their lives as problem solvers because others know them to be fair and impartial. People respect their opinions and look to them for guidance. Great CEOs are mature as people. They can suffer disappointment more gracefully than others and give others credit for their achievements. They don’t come in the office door yelling for something they need. They aren’t as concerned about titles or power structures as they are about the welfare of those who work at the company. They are trustworthy because they’ve always been honest with people and have earned that trust. They care about families, and they know that people are more important than dollars and express it in their actions every day.

Finally, great CEOs seek out feedback. They want to know how others see them so that they can understand themselves better and continue to grow as people. They also want feedback about the company from an employee perspective, and they use surveys as a starting point for creating a dialogue to make things better.

2. Resourcefulness.

Great CEOs seem to have boundless energy. They come to work with the greatest enthusiasm. Even when they don’t feel like it, they find ways to reenergize themselves and come in ready to go. They take good care of themselves physically and emotionally so that they can be there for the employees and the needs of the company. They give much more than they take every day. They don’t give up. If the wall is too high, they back down and find another way around. They don’t blame, but they do look for solutions to problems so that those problems are less likely to happen again.

3. Courage.
The CEO has one of the world’s toughest jobs. No matter how tough it was to start the company, it’s even harder to keep it going and growing. A CEO must decide what he or she stands for and do what is right, all the time. It takes courage to fire the salesperson responsible for the company’s biggest, most lucrative account when that same salesperson drives a company car drunk and causes an accident. There will be many times when CEOs will want to smooth over something that requires decisive action because of the potential consequences or because they just can’t take on one more challenge at the moment. However, CEOs who exercise poor moral judgment will lose their personal integrity with all of their employees watching.

4. Willingness to look at risk.

A great CEO isn’t afraid to look at the downside and answer the hard questions he or she hopes will never become a reality. The CEO needs a backup plan–one that is designed by looking at the company’s worst-case scenarios. This plan addresses questions such as: What if your industry experiences a slump? What if new governmental regulations affect your business? What if you lose the client that accounts for 50 percent of your sales? Preparing yourself and your company for these eventualities may be the difference between a tough year or two and bankruptcy. If you are in business for 20 years, some of your worst-case scenarios will probably happen. The key is to be ready and able to take immediate action to reduce the loss.

5. Foresight.
It seems some CEOs have an uncanny ability to predict the future. They may have unusual insights into their particular markets, and luck may play a part as well. In addition, they are prepared to create their own luck by cultivating an ability to see opportunities for their company and to make the deals that convert those opportunities into realities. Some things that may seem like amazing foresight are actually the result of the hard work and discipline it takes to constantly look forward to build a successful company. Great CEOs must also constantly develop new products to build and retain a customer base. Foresight is also the ability to hire and retain the right people, looking ahead toward the growth of the company.

Finally, over time, each company must develop a steady source of business during both good economic times and bad, because there are sure to be bad economic times during the life of a business.