24. August 2011 by Frank Goad.

I find there are three kinds of questions that my clients ask: A. Those of piercing insight; B. Those of curiosity or the need for more info, and; C. Those that tax any form of belief.

A. I love, love, love getting the A-types. They make my job so much easier and the clients see much better results. Sometimes they occur when a concept I’m explaining lights up inside their head and they see the big(ger) picture; other times, they happen when they take what they’re given and come up with something entirely new. These questions (or observations) are a bit rare and usually come when I’ve been working with someone for awhile.

B. These make up the majority of questions that I get and occur during the discovery and strategy portions of our relationship. Given that Frank Communication’s modus operandi is pretty comprehensive (we look at the whole company/picture, not just a small aspect), and that we ask a LOT of questions, clients don’t always see the connections we’re working toward. As we spend time together, they see what’s going on and get excited, and then the questions come: “Hey, what if …?”, “That sounds like something I saw last week – did you see … ?”, or “Ohh, I get it … does this mean we’ve been … ?” These are exciting because these questions lead to an A question if they’re going to happen.

C. The incredible ones in this category aren’t what you might think: They usually don’t come from ignorance but, instead, come from misinformation. They can start with “Well, I’ve got a friend who said X, so don’t you think we should … ?”, or,  ”Yeah, well, I heard about X and heard about someone who tried it and X happened – shouldn’t we try that?”, or a variation of those.

C-type questions are understandable, though, because so much has changed about advertising and marketing in the last six years, and some changes are a bit drastic. Folks are often taking advice from people who are shooting in the dark (often at their foot), or they’re reading books written by someone who’s really persuasive but ill-suited to be giving advice, or who is simply giving bad advice. Sometimes it’s because folks are desperately confused and grabbing at straws or, even more bewildering and touchy, a good friend tried something that worked for them, but which doesn’t work so well for my client for one or more reasons (timing, content, budget, etc.).

When I get C-type questions, I’m glad because that means we’re making progress. It often happens that when folks have a bad experience, although they might be wary, they now have a base of information that helps them make sense of what will help.

The most important thing is to keep asking questions. Sure, sometimes the questions sound dumb, but that’s okay because that’s how we learn, and the more we learn the better off we are. A, B or C, it doesn’t matter because you’ll probably only have to ask any of them once.

Posted in Frank Goad, FrankyGee3, Intelligence, question, Frank Communications, Success, Advertising, advertisers, Frank, Marketing | Print | No Comments »

18. August 2011 by Frank Goad.

My wife, Deborah, and I went back to Bella Notte tonight mostly because, as I’ve said before, you always get a great meal there plus great service, and also to see what sort of reaction there was to my posts after the last visit. This was by no means a test, but it would tell me several things. What did I find out … I mean besides the fact that the food and service were excellent as always?

I saw that they get the whole service thing in ways many business owners haven’t begun to fathom. Not only did let the entire staff know what was said the next day after they hit the Internet, they also thanked me tonight for the posts - servers and manager alike. This is important for several reasons, including:

A. It shows they communicate with their staff … a lot
B. They are watching the Web for comments being made about them and using them as a tool
C. They have a very good grasp of the power of Web 2.0 (or 2.5 or whatever someone decides we’re up to)
D. They are integrating this smart marketing into their daily customer relations

There are many other reasons why this is important, but none more so than letting a customer know that you really care about their thoughts, feelings and satisfaction time and time again. Who checks on this? Mr. Toyoda himself.

Kuni Toyoda, the founder of Bella Notte, Fazoli’s and Smashing Tomato, is a smart marketer and, by all accounts, a good man. He and his wife eat at their restaurants almost every night. This is more than “eating one’s own cooking” (to quoin a phrase), it’s leadership. This shows his staff that he cares and pays attention to what they’re doing and what the customer reactions to his product and service are.

So, again, if you want a great meal and a really good lesson in customer service, tool on over to Bella Notte. Tell’em I sent you, but don’t expect anything for that - special treatment is standard whether my name is mentioned or not.

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10. August 2011 by Frank Goad.

I’m a pretty positive guy and you’ll find me making opportunities out of problems, lemonade from lemons, and so on. There is one thing that has me troubled, though: Computer security. We are under attack from more threats than ever, both from inside and outside of our country. There have been many discussions and articles about a Cyber Pearl Harbor. As fast as “white hat” computer programmers stop a threat, “black hats” come up with myriad variations. As they say, the good guys have to be right every time, but the bad guys need be right only once.

If you’ve been watching the news, perhaps you saw the reports about the “Shady RAT” virus that infected many machines. There is strong evidence that it came from China, and some evidence that points to the Chinese government itself. They deny it, as you would expect, but there is no doubt that it came from there. This isn’t about scams and phishing against we average citizens, but against our national systems that handle military and government operations, our phones, utilities, banks and other concerns that, if successful, would cause a widespread calamity that could affect millions.

For instance, this headline (and link) says a lot:  (Reuters) - A congresswoman on Wednesday requested more information on security company McAfee’s report detailing a five-year hacking campaign that breached 72 organizations globally. These folks have first-rate help, yet the hackers penetrated their systems and left malware that quietly collected data for years.

It would be nice to say that we could point to one source, but that’s a fool’s dream. For instance, in the former Soviet Union, hacking a company within the country is a horrible crime, but hacking a US concern of any type gets a shoulder shrug from the government. There is a town in Romania that has the reputation of having the most hackers anywhere in the world: Dirty deeds done cheap. To top it off, there are but two detectives assigned to the task of arresting known cybercriminals. Wired magazine’s article about it is informative if not a bit chilling: How a Remote Town in Romania Has Become Cybercrime Central

The known threats are one thing, but there are unknown ones that are more dire. For instance, the military has millions of dollars of contracts out for computer systems. These contracts go to companies in a variety of countries. For your average flat screen TV, no big deal. When the components are being made for a top-level military system, big deal - a very, very big deal because the computer chips that go in might be part of the control system for missle launches, or a secured orbiting communication system. 

Malicious computer code can but put into the chips used in the systems which makes the threat practically invisible until it’s called on, and then it does its dirty deed. There literally is no good way to check every chip in these systems for every possible threat. The military is wringing its hands over this.

Just as it can happen to the military, it can happen in the utilities, to your car, just about anywhere. Siemens makes the majority of systems that control nuclear power plants. The Stuxnet virus that made headlines last year was targeted at those systems and is credited with bringing down Iranian centrifuges used to make weapons grade nuclear materials - a very targeted attack. The US was blamed, and we quickly denied, as one would expect. Also suspected are “green guerrilas” whose mission it is to rid the world of any nuclear threat anywhere. Just as it was done to them, it could also be done to us.

The point of this article is to remind you to do all the right things when it comes to computer security: Back up your data; run virus scans weekly (or more often); keep your operating system patched (a major defense which many ignore); don’t click on anything you’re not 100% sure about. For all the high-level mayhem out there, the run-of-the-mill hacker who wants your email address rides the coat tails of the truly brilliant and malevolent computer hackers. When the geniuses learn something, they toss a scrap of old yet still sophisticated tech to the common rabble, who in turn now have a new way to steal your identity, torch your credit or simply fill your in-box with Viagra or get-rich-quick spam. The cost to restore your data is infinitely more expensive than the routine safeguards you can easily take. So, is your anti-virus up to date? Fire wall working? …

Posted in computer security, virus, malware, threats, computer, cyber security, Frank Communications, Frank Goad, FrankyGee3, damage | Print | No Comments »

3. August 2011 by Frank Goad.

My family and I went to Bella Notte here in Lexington for dinner tonight. It’s long been one of our favorites for two reasons: A. The food is excellent, well-presented and served in a unique yet warm and friendly atmosphere; B. We’ve never, ever had bad service, and almost always have excellent service. Tonight was yet another delightful experience. (Thank you, John-Michael.)

If you’ve read much of my writing, you’ll know that one of my favorite definitions of a brand is, “The promise of continuing delightful experiences based on a history of delightful experiences.” While others might have stories of a less-than-positive experience at Bella Notte (I’ve never heard one, mind you), you’ll not hear any from us … and that’s why going there is always a treat.

The prices are, IMHO, very reasonable based on the service, quality and ambiance. Can I eat there often? Not as often as I’d like, and that’s probably a good thing: When you indulge in a “treat” too often, it becomes pedestrian and loses those things that make it special. (Bella’s might be an exception to that.)

Earlier today, I ate lunch with a friend at a competitor’s a stone’s throw from Bella’s. The manager was walking briskly down the aisle by our table, stopped abruptly and, with her body still pointed down the aisle, looked over her shoulder and, while we were talking, blurted out, “Everything all right?” “Yes.” “Good.” Zoom, off she goes. My thought was that saying four words to us allowed her to check off another to-do in her mind. Genuine concern? Maybe so but, when someone is talking to you and sincerely wants to know what you think, they generally turn their body to you, pause and ask a question. Stopping so fast your shoes almost squeak, interrupting a customer and keeping your body perpendicular to the table says to me that my business might be appreciated … or not.

Tonight, the Bella Notte manager came by our table and, rather than making a cursory stop on his way to someplace else, he politely walked up to the table, waited until there was a pause in our  conversation, and asked how our meal was. He then asked my wife how her drink was, my daughter how her meal was and if I was happy with my penne pasta. Then he actually had a conversation with us and it was obvious he was sensitive to overstaying his welcome. He was genuinely concerned and pleasant.

Our server spent time talking with us asking what we like and made suggestions based on that information. He didn’t just run down the specials - he wanted to know what we like before making suggestions and didn’t mention the special until the end. He observed the table from a distance before offering water, asking questions, etc. Again, our dining pleasure was more important than the number of customers he was serving.

So, it doesn’t matter what business you are in, this is yet another little bit of proof that what I tell all my clients is true: Everything matters - everything. The demeanor of the manager and our server is part of the restaurant’s brand to me and always has been. I posted a picture of our dessert on Facebook (it was scrumptious and beautiful), posted on FourSquare with kudos to our server, and now I’m blogging about it because a first-hand experience is the most valuable teaching tool of all (unless it leads to injury or death).

So, are your customers doing any of this for you? If not, maybe a meal at Bella Notte would be a good refresher. Ask for John-Michael, but don’t ask him to sing.

Posted in Social Media, Sales, review, FrankyGee3, Frank Goad, writing, retail, Frank Communications, Frank | Print | No Comments »

1. August 2011 by Frank Goad.

I’ve asked this question many times in articles, blog posts and a variety of other places. Let’s be honest here: Do you REALLY know what your customers think of you? I don’t care if you’re a one-person business or one with a thousand employees, if you’re not regularly asking the folks who hand you checks, purchase orders or credit cards what they think of your company, employees, services, products, logos, signs, bathrooms - really, everything - then you’re probably losing money, opportunities and, worst of all, customers.

You might say, “Well, we’re as busy as we can stand to be. Obviously things are going well.” I can’t argue with that logic, but I don’t know a single business owner that wouldn’t like to either have to have more employees to handle an overflow of business, or be able to charge a bit more on the business they have.

I tell my clients, “Everything matters - everything!” They ask, “Even bathrooms?” You betcha! Think back to when you went to a store and wound up having to ask for directions to the “facilities.” You got there, walked in and thought, “If this weren’t really urgent, I’d turn around and walk out.” Whether you know it or not, that registers and, should there be anything else that comes up that you don’t like, your subconscious will add that to the decision process whether you’re aware of it or not. That subconscious score keeping can be why you switch vendors yourself, or don’t feel a particular loyalty to them - the little things have added up and subtracted your interest in them.

Given that keeping a customer generally costs one-fifth of what it costs to get a new one, why would you take the chance. By the same token, why take the chance of missing an opportunity when you get them close? So, what do you do? Talk to them, ask questions, give them coupons and discounts in return for survey completions. Hold focus groups and get an 800-number where they can call anonymously.

Look around at your place of business and listen to your employees as though you were the customer. What are you seeing and hearing? If it doesn’t make you smile, it’s time to get busy. Better yet, get a trusted friend or advisor who will tell you the truth and ask them to be totally candid with you about things.

If this seems like too much work, then maybe your customers might not see doing business with you as worth the effort either.

Posted in Frank Communications, Frank Goad, FrankyGee3, retail, building business, relationships, business relationships, business | Print | No Comments »