To borrow from Ross Perot’s 1992 Presidential Election Campaign, “That giant sucking sound your hear…” is the Print Industry succumbing to modern day competition and a brutal advertising slump.
MediaDailyNews reports today that the news just keeps getting worse for the Magazine Industry. Today’s rundown of bad news follows similar recent bad news for the Newspaper Industry. Just last week St. Petersburg Times Media Critic Eric Deggans blogged about “more bad news for the newspapers” citing declining circulation figures for newspapers for the six months ending September 2008.
There is no doubt that the print journalism industry is suffering. Newspapers have seen key revenue streams vanish as a result of Internet Job Boards, Craig’s List and other Internet news providers to name a few. As Mr. Deggans noted, circulation figures are in a downward spiral. A common criticism of the industry is that newspapers failured to embrace the Internet and create new models and business partners before online job boards stole the recruitment business and Craig’s List decimated the classified advertising business. Newspaper’s did not police customer dissatisfaction. The industry is now embracing just those kind of partnerships in an effort to halt their death spiral. It is difficult to tell how much of that spiral can be arrested at this point.
So what does this mean to you and your business? It is a painful (for newspapers) reminder that the customer is king. You can never take your customer for granted or assume that you control your business. The simple truth is that your customer makes the decision to be a consumer or not. They control your business. If you are not looking ahead, evaluating the needs and wants of your customers, you are in the process of losing them to someone who is paying attention to what they seek. ..and that giant sucking sound will be your customers.
- Bob Linger; “No one buys anything they don’t want or need. Businesses have either to provide what customers want or need, or to demonstrate to customers why they might want or need their product or service”
Categories: Customer Service · Management · Marketing · Media · Online Business
Tagged: Advertising, Bob Linger, Eric Deggans, Journalism, Magazine, Media, Media business, St. Petersburg Times, Tampa Tribune
September 16, 2008 · 1 Comment
Remember when business books about customer service were all the rage? When companies built cultures that were focused on “Total Quality Management,” “Raving Fans”, “Customer Focused Quality” for instance?
A quick look at the top 15 Business and Investing books on Amazon.com reveals not a single title that even hints at customer service. Is it still important? You bet it is.
Consider your own experience if you think otherwise. How often do you find yourself complaining about your treatment at your favorite restaurant, dry cleaner, or big box store. Have you stopped going to that restaurant because “they just don’t get it?” Have you dropped your dry cleaner for another one because they lose your shirts and don’t seem to care to find them? When you return the big box store item that doesn’t work, are you ready to go back when they make it as difficult as possible to accept the return?
The same is true for your business. Whatever business you are in, just getting the product or service right isn’t going to overcome the customer’s experience with your business. If your sales people, customer service team, or anyone else who comes in contact with your customer offends or treats them poorly you’ll likely never know why you lost them, but you will lose them. Customer’s will find an objective reason to justify their subjective reason for no longer doing business with you, but you can bet they will go elsewhere.
Now is the time to make sure that your business culture emphasises customer service. Its tough enough to find new customers. You can’t afford to lose your existing customers. I find one of the best ways to emphasize this culture is to practice it yourself internally.
A good way to start is to reward behavior that you want to see repeated by your employees. Try starting an organic “caught doing it right” campaign where employees and managers nominate others for behavior that is recognized as consistent with the customer focused culture you have outlined to your staff. Each month, select one individual to recognize and provide a nominal reward as well as the public recognition. It goes a long was and it will save you customers and sales!
Categories: Customer Service · Management · Marketing · Sales
Tagged: Bob Linger, business, Customer Service, Management, Sales
September 25, 2008 · Comments Off
Considering an online business? You need to watch this video.
Internet Marketing Secrets
Categories: Business Video · Management · Marketing · Online Business
Tagged: Bob Linger, Business Video, Marketing, Online Business
@rossgolberg @harrisfellman drink lime juice after eating miracle fruit at #tmims. You have to try miracle fruit!
Categories: Management
@perrybelcher rocked at @rossgoldberg Masters Internet Marketing Seminar on “How to” Social Media! #tmims
Categories: Management
@perrybelcher is hilarious- and brilliant at Masters Internet Marketing Seminar ! #tmims
Categories: Management
Heading to day 3 Master’s Internet Marketing Seminar
Categories: Management
NHL embraces Tweet Ups. Check out http://ping.fm/kXncw
Categories: Management
Online video continues to expand. Nielsen say up 39% yr-yr. http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=104016
Categories: Management
building website architecture maps for two websites. Made easy with SmartDraw. Great tool at http://ping.fm/ZV4ms
Categories: Management
Meeting this morning with a sponsor of our team’s Public Conference Services.
Categories: Management
