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Copyright © 2008 A New Success, LLC
"Nurture Your New Reality"
    ARTICLE:


More and more, consumers are getting used to handholding, full-blown
buying experiences, and total sensory immersion at every level of the consumer
experience.  That’s why it’s important to meet these demanding expectations by putting
yourself in the consumer’s shoes, and tailoring a walk through of his or her experience
from beginning to end with your company.

      Policies, procedures, environments, ad campaigns, and product offerings, and more,
will be better informed by doing this simple customer’s eye analysis of your service cycle.  

The service cycle:

Exposure – Brand exposure is going to be the first way your customer hears of your
brand.  It could be from knowing you personally, a recommendation from a friend, some
form of advertising, searching for you on the internet, a news report featuring your
company, or simply passing on the street.  You must begin here.  
      KEY STEPS:
    •        Brainstorm all of the possible angles through which a consumer may be
    introduced to your brand.  
    o        How does each one work?
    •        Role play the next step past the exposure.  How does the exposure lead
    into the transaction? What is the next form of contact that naturally would
    occur? (Do they call? Fill in a web form? Have no options and therefore give
    up?)
    •        Tailor and develop each angle to maximize its effectiveness, efficiency,
    and its likelihood to increase customer satisfaction.  (For example, if a
    restaurant, then simply walk in.  How does it smell?  How do they order?  Is the
    consumer’s experience tailored and led from the start through the  end of the
    transaction in a pleasing, magical way?)

Transaction – The transaction is going to be the particular form of transaction you are
seeking from the customer.  It could be hiring your service company, making a purchase
form your sales organization, a download from a website, simply checking out the
business location, trying a sample, or a thousand other things.
    •        You should have in mind all of the transaction possibilities and next role
    play the way through each one. Is it easy for the consumer?  
    •        How much THINKING does the consumer have to do?  * It should be as
    close to none as possible.
    •        Do you have a clearly defined sales methodology?
    •        Once the first step is competed, does your consumer know what to do
    next?  Do they need to know?  Do you jump in and take care of the rest?

Delivery – Now that the consumer has paid, how will they get the service or product?  Do
you take care of everything and stay on top of it automatically, or do they have to follow
up?  If there is a delivery problem, does your system include an automatic notification to
you and re-attempt, or does the consumer simply wait with an unfulfilled order for three
weeks until they have to contact you?

Follow up – Once a transaction is completed, how is your company’s appreciation
shown?  Do consumers get thanked?  At time of sale only, or thereafter?  How is
newsletter or promotional notice/advertisement list sign-up handled?  Do you have an
automatic processor for inviting participation in and processing customer feedback
surveys?

By spending due time and care performing these steps, you will be able to improve your
company’s customer service and conversion rates many times.  It helps to diagram the
many possible customer paths through these steps, as in the example below.  

Based on the diagram, you will discover key action points in which a representative of
your company will be required to do something. These are the points around which your
policies and procedures should be written, jobs should be designed, and team
management should revolve.  For more on writing Policies and Procedures, check out
Michael Patrick Rooney, Esq.’s article, “Instructions for Writing Your Company’s Policies
and Procedures”
- need
policy/
procedure
- Need MULTIPLE
Policies/procedures
- one for each
transaction type
Need Multiple
Policies/ Procedures
based on each
contact type
How does each form
of brand exposure
lead a customer or
client into the
service or sales
cycle, and what
happens once they
get there?