While perusing the Blogosphere to research a recent posting, I came across The Ten Demandments by Kelly Mooney and Laura Bergheim. In essence, the Ten Demandments are common sense dictums to adhere to when engaging existing or potential customers. The irony of the Ten Demandments is that I can't imagine any company saying that they don't subscribe to them. However, I'm amazed at how often we encounter situations where companies don't practice what they preach.
The one thing I would add from a cursory review of the Ten Demandments (reflected below) is I believe they are weighted. For example, if you don't strongly commit to "Earn my trust" (Demandment #1) as an essential operational tenet then the others become mute. As such, certain Demandments carry a heavier weight then others.
From a personal perspective, it's been over eight years since I've set foot in a Kinko's (now FedEx Kinko's). Historically, the reason I embraced their services was because they were open long hours (Demandment #6) and allowed me to engage their services using their equipment (Demandment #4). However, the three to four times I used them they treated me with indifference and demonstrated what can only be described as gross ineptitude. Because they violated Demandments #1 and #3, I will likely never use them again.
A classic skit from Comedy Central's Chappelle's Show succinctly reflects how I believe Kinko's treated me the few times I used their services.
Drum roll please... Mooney and Bergheim's Ten Demandments are:
- Earn my trust... This is about respect, integrity, advocacy, and quality. Forget all the others if you can't master this one.
- Inspire me... Craft meaningful emotional connections with your consumers through immersive experiences, motivating messages and relevant philanthropy. Inspirational brands transcend their own products and services become greater than the sum of their parts.
- Make it easy... Simplicity, speed and usefulness are the keys to consumer ease. Don't confuse complexity with progress. The best things in life are often the easiest.
- Put me in charge... Consumers expect choices and control, particularly from service organizations that can enable self-paced self-service. Put consumers in the driver's seat or they'll peel out of your parking lot without a second thought.
- Guide me... Too much white noise, too little context - that's the problem. So filter the chaos with expert advice, education and information. And stand shoulder-to-shoulder with your consumers as they move through the decision-making process and beyond.
- 24/7... anytime, anywhere access... that's the ticket in this 'round the clock world. 9-5 hours won't cut it for consumers who expect companies to be there for them all the time, no matter the channel.
- Get to know me... You can't win consumer loyalty without understanding what consumers want. Listen, learn and study up on their real lives, don't just dive into the data pool, to get to know your consumers in a whole new light.
- Exceed my expectations... Even demanding consumers can be wowed, so woo them by over-delivering through uncommon courtesies, surprising services and go-the-extra-mile efforts that show you really care.
- Reward me... Treat your consumers like the VIPs they are to you - acknowledge and build their loyalty by rewarding them with points programs, privileged access or other winning ways.
- Stay with me... Relationships are built not in a day, but in a lifetime, so stay with your consumers if you want them to stay with you. Deliver on post-purchase promises, stay in touch in meaningful ways, and evolve your brand to meet your consumers' evolving needs over time.
Whether you own all or part of the marketing function, you need to infuse the Ten Demandments into your ongoing marketing efforts. Something as simple as regularly reaching out to your customers with personalized messages using their preferred media and frequency will stand to delight them for years to come.
1 comments:
I liked the article on the ten demandments. Mom
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