The Invasion of the Business Snatchers - Alien FAQs May Be Killing Your Business

They're Here!

You think they are your friends but they are secretly plotting to destroy your business. They are alien FAQs! You trust them, believe in them but they aren't your friends anymore.

Quick Sherman to the WABAC Machine! Back in the Dark Ages of Information computer power was small and storage was limited and expensive. The team at NASA who managed the mailing list got tired of dealing with inquiries from public so they just compiled a bunch of standard Q&A and sent them back automatically. "Presto, problem solved, let's get Dr. Sally Ride into space."

Did you see the strange twist in the story? The office team handling the mailing list cooked up the first Jurassic FAQs because they were lazy. The actual needs of all those interested taxpayers weren't an issue. Now take a close, objective look at your Frequently Asked Questions. If the critical people you depend upon for success and profitability keep asking the same questions - it's a signal that you aren't communicating well.

The #1 Most Commonly Asked Question

In an unscientific analysis motivated by the desire to ignore four screaming kids I read FAQs on 25 websites chosen at random. The #1 Most Commonly Asked Question is - How do I contact you? Why should a customer have to search or ask how to contact a company? Shouldn't that information be prominent on every page?

Most Common Question #2 is - How can I return a product for a refund? I admit this one stunned me. If so many customers ask this question isn't it a loud signal that you have quality issues? The product or service is so bad you have to put this information right up front because so many customers ask. I may be going out on a limb here but this might be tied to that consistent, nagging revenue crisis.

What does a FAQ list with 20-30 or more entries say about your company? It says you don't talk to your customers you talk at them. A long list of FAQs isn't an indication of good communication or usability. Your content should answer most of these questions as your customers explore your site. Frequently Asked Questions aren't content.

In the vast majority of cases your customers don't want to search out the answer to questions you should address in the content. Don't make them hunt for what they need to know to do business with you in some strange obscure corner of the site. If the link in is micro-mini-mouse-type at the very bottom of the page that's a dead giveaway.

Don't Make The Same Mistake as NASA

Customer Service or the Help Desk is complaining that customer calls are taking too long and the CSRs are having to answer the same questions over and over. So how about one of those entertaining On-Hold recordings that direct customers to the website? Let the FAQs handle it. But, how did all those people get the Help Desk telephone number? They got it from the website after they discovered that the FAQs SUX. The assumption is FAQs allow people to answer their own questions. But what people really want is to not have to ask.

How to Know If the Aliens have Invaded

• Many of the FAQs are actually things you just wish people would ask. If you see your value proposition and marketing messages mixed in - the Aliens have invaded.

• If the questions sound like lawyers wrote them - the Aliens have invaded.

• If the question is answered in a sentence or two followed by two paragraphs of exceptions, conditions and qualifications - the Aliens have invaded.

• If the answers don't "answer" the question or worse if the answer just refers the person to a different answer - the Aliens have invaded.

• If instead of legitimate questions and answers it's filled with random information that you stuck in on the off chance that someone might want it sometime - the Aliens have invaded.

• If you intentionally avoid a question that you know everyone is asking because you don't have an acceptable answer - the Aliens have invaded.

Repelling The Invaders

Ask your own questions and ask them frequently. Where did the questions come from? Were they actually compiled from customer emails or calls to Customer Service? What is the source of the answers? Are they the best ones? Ask what value do they provide to your customers rather than what convenience do they offer internal departments? How often are the questions you classify as the Most Frequently Asked visited on your site? If they aren't then no one is really asking those questions.

Make it a goal to reduce the number of Frequently Asked Questions instead of adding to them. The less your customers have to work to do business with you the better. Have you ever wondered why your customers aren't really excited about having go to work for your company and attempt to handle their own questions? Try this experiment. Go to your search engine of choice and search for - FAQs about frequently asked questions. I found a massive list of 110-million responses - and not one answered the question.

Bottom line, the best way to answer a customer question is to not make them ask.

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Please Subscribe! There's a new article every week and we are determined to give you valuable information you can use to be successful and make more money. So, go to the Be The First To Know box and just fill it in.

Andy Johnston is an multi-faceted communication professional with deep experience from strategic planning, to messaging, to marketing, to media, to events, to training, to creative direction … and there are several other ”to’s.” Andy is known for his energy, creativity and his unique ability to discover the key results that must be generated – and then to develop ingenious ways to engage and motivate audiences. Positive business results are the objective. He believes that one of the most important results is an enjoyable experience for everyone involved. Andy is a principal partner at Think! Consulting Group and The Idea Group.

Influencer Marketing ROI - Real Or The Old Jedi Mind Trick?

In Star Wars the Jedi Masters were able to influence and control the minds of others by using the Jedi Mind Trick. "These are not the droids you're looking for." Who knew that Obi-Wan Kenobi would give us a glimpse into the world of social influence and Influencer Marketing?

The idea behind Influencer Marketing is deceptively simple - identify people who have influence over your potential customers. By winning their business you gain their followers. Just like Obi-Wan Kenobi they mold our minds at the wave of a hand. We watch them so we can do what they do, wear what they wear, eat what they eat and go where they go.

It shouldn't be any surprise that a new mythos has grown up about these god-like beings who dwell in the Narnia of social media. But, the idea of Influencers began a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Okay, in California about 55 years ago.

Mickey Mouse Jedi Master

Walt Disney was a very shrewd businessman. When he opened Disneyland in 1955 he realized that he could never afford the advertising necessary to support it. So he didn't advertise, he influenced. The same year the park opened the Mickey Mouse Club debuted on ABC along with his own weekly TV show - Disneyland. He sold commercials on his shows to other advertisers and let his characters begin to influence generations of consumers for free. He created his own Influencers in every story, song and program.

Of course this was only the beginning. For decades high school football fields and gymnasiums have proudly displayed their Coca-Cola scoreboards. Ronald McDonald appeared in 1963 to act as the company-owned Influencer. Athletes on Wheaties boxes, blurbs on book jackets, celebrity endorsements all have one thing in common - the characters or activities exist to serve as Influences to guide potential customers. In the old days we politely called it building preference. Quietly we called it breeding consumers. The choices people make growing up are with them for the rest of their lives. I pray that excludes Barney.

A Disturbance In The Force

Influencers Rule! Where can I get a lot of them and turn them loose to make me more money? Well that's the problem. Many experts quickly point out that about 1-in-10 of your customers are Influencers. 10%! If they are so powerful and are role models and leaders to the rest of us - why are there so many of them? What's worse they are actually losing influence.

It's been widely reported that Edelman Financial Services' annual Trust Barometer showed that the number of people who view friends, family, coworkers and Influencers as credible sources of information dropped for the third straight year. It's dropped by almost half - 45% to 25% since 2008. The timing couldn't be worse for marketers who declared traditional marketing DOA and positioned peer influence as the key reason for pushing social media to the top of the marketing plan. Pepsi may be taking a second look at that decision to scrap TV advertising for social marketing. What's happening is that all the followers out there have gotten smarter. We're simply not as instantly trusting. The same access to information and social conversation that created the Influencers is making them unnecessary. They aren't worth the effort.

I've Got A Very Bad Feeling About This

It is extremely difficult to decide in advance which potential Influencer can actually make a difference. To capitalize on these people (make money) a company has to first identify them, next decide if they are worth the effort and then actually woo them and create special places for them to say good things about the company. You tease and please them with content and subtle incentives to help guide the conversation. But you don't want to tell them what to say. So you pray that they tell their followers the right things that translate into ROI at some undetermined date in the future.

The Solution Is To Forget About Influencers

Social influence is a force but instead of searching for the wily and elusive Influencers invest your marketing budget in your friends. Do what Disney did. You can call them devotees, enthusiasts, raving fans or friends of the family but the key ideas is this - transform your satisfied customers into Influencers. It's an obvious idea that people like Ken Blanchard and Tara Hunt have suggested before.

• Reduce the time and expense by focusing on brand enthusiasts who will persuade more people at a lower expense and with a higher ROI.

• The process is basically the same as Influencer Marketing just faster and more predictable.

• Determine who is already happy, pleased and enthusiastic about your product, service or company.

• Engage, motivate and reward them for talking and spreading the word.

• Create two types of social networking locations. Create one space where your enthusiast can talk as a community and one where they can have networking conversations with potential customers.

It doesn't take algorithms and complex science to encourage your loyal customers and fans to use their social influence. The idea already works well in the music industry that uses fan-based marketing to sell CDs and tickets. You involve your fans and let them work for you. Here's what this means to you. Even with the full power and resources of social media the Influencers you are targeting might mention you to their followers. And, these are most like the same people your competition is attempting to target also.

Make your enthusiasts into a Force to enlist new customers. Use the Force and you can be assured the faithful will mention you to more people, more often. Influencers versus Enthusiast - the fans always win. One group might take action while the other will take action. The difference is passion, personalization, involvement, motivation and action. Hey, isn't that what we're all after?

May the Force be with you

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Please Subscribe! There's a new article every week and we are determined to give you valuable information you can use to be successful and make more money. So, go to the Be The First To Know box and just fill it in.

Andy Johnston is an multi-faceted communication professional with deep experience from strategic planning, to messaging, to marketing, to media, to events, to training, to creative direction … and there are several other ”to’s.” Andy is known for his energy, creativity and his unique ability to discover the key results that must be generated – and then to develop ingenious ways to engage and motivate audiences. Positive business results are the objective. He believes that one of the most important results is an enjoyable experience for everyone involved. Andy is a principal partner at Think! Consulting Group and The Idea Group.

Top Five Banned Marketing Techniques - Can You Use Them?

Can You Stand It?

Banned, forbidden, unspoken marketing techniques that most companies would never admit they use - but they do. What can you learn from them? It all started in 1973. The very first Super Bowl TV commercial featured a breathy blonde inviting viewers to watch Broadway Joe Namath get creamed. Noxzema shaving cream, what were you thinking? It set the tone for 44 years of racy, raunchy, strange and extreme ads that didn't push the envelope, they shredded it. Marketing talks about the laws of attraction, understanding the customer and providing consistent value - then everything falls apart on Super Bowl Sunday.

It's Good To Be Banned

Once again the Cult of the Controversial had a very big weekend. Just days before the mega event the Super Bowl commercials made their debut on the Internet. The same day the Banned Commercials also appeared. Gee I wonder which ones burned up the web? The answer is about as predictable as a Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction.

A spot for a male gay dating website was banned. Somehow it was way too controversial for a game where men in tight pants pat each other on the butt in front of 95 million people.

Animal rights group PETA had their commercial banned because it showcased half-naked women who seemed to love their veggies a little too much. I guess it gave new meaning to tossing your salad.

And Internet domain company GoDaddy continued its streak for getting officially canned and then cashing in. Web traffic to the GoDaddy site to view the "too hot for prime time" ad generated more response in 2010 than any other Super Bowl since 2005. It was all planned, orchestrated and intentional. Still, it was little more than a polite media burp compared to the barrage of banned behavior from major corporations we all know and respect.

Coming In Under The Radar

Let's call it Stealth Marketing - activities designed to enflame rumors, enrage competitors and ensnare the media. It's not lies, not disinformation or actually misinformation it's - controlled leaks and baiting the public. According to every business ethics class I attended it is corporate behavior that in unacceptable and banned. Which is exactly why it's done. So get ready to see what you can learn from the very top of the Fortune 500. All this happened in approximately the last three months. Here are the Top Five Banned Marketing Techniques.

Top Five Banned Marketing Techniques

The "Nudge, Nudge, Wink, Wink" Leak - Someone in the organization, who is never named, leaks information about a product, service or situation. The leak builds anticipation, shifts attention or actually "tests the waters" for a launch or business recovery plan. Lot's of controversy and intrigue. (Apple iPad launch or Toyota safety recalls)

The Unconfirmed Confirmation - An official of the organization responds to the leak but doesn't actually deny the information. Three-way marketing, the leak, the response and what wasn't said. (Steven Jobs about the iPad, Toyota Pres. Jim Lentz about brakes and accelerator pedals)

The Semi-Confirmed Rumor - A member of the media reports inside information based on an informal conversation with a company executive about a totally different subject. Since it was never confirmed the story was run by "accident." If there is a big mess everyone can claim it was a simple misunderstanding. (Apple and the Wall Street Journal on the iPad, Google Tablet and CNN)

The Piggyback Announcement - Company #1 is getting a lot of attention before a big announcement so Company #2 jumps in to either dispute the announcement or make their announcement first. #2 gets a free ride even if their product or service actually has little to do with the subject. (Microsoft in response to the Apple iPad, iPhone, HP Slate and Windows Mobile)

"Anti-Marketing" Marketing - The company markets using advertising or materials that are intentionally objectionable or controversial. They proclaim that their target audience is cynical of traditional marketing strategies. Their consumers are too cool for anything less than the bleeding edge. Of course this is all discussed in the mainstream media. The truth is they deliberately produce ads they know will offend someone that gives them plenty of publicity so they don't have to spend media placement money. (Calvin Klein, Armani or Red Bull)

We Just Don't Want To Talk About It - You don't talk about your products, services or company at all. Instead you carefully create a situation where customers or consumers do it for you and then market their responses. Presto - instant credibility. You look impartial and not really surprised since you already know how great you are. The important thing to remember is you hand-select the customers or consumers. (Ford and the Fiesta Movement social networking campaign)

All in all there is enough "controlled leakage" to make you want to invest in the Depends Party Pack. What can we learn from all this? Back in Marketing 101 we learned that the three keys to a successful campaign are - Frequency, Consistency and Variety. It's fascinating to watch how major organizations from Apple, Microsoft and Ford … to non-profit groups like PETA massage and manipulate all the rest of us. And we love it … we really do … because they do it so frequently, consistently and with infinite variety.

Oops I better be careful. Using a technique like that might get me banned!

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Please Subscribe! There's a new article every week and we are determined to give you valuable information you can use to be successful and make more money. So, go to the Be The First To Know box and just fill it in.

Andy Johnston is an multi-faceted communication professional with deep experience from strategic planning, to messaging, to marketing, to media, to events, to training, to creative direction … and there are several other ”to’s.” Andy is known for his energy, creativity and his unique ability to discover the key results that must be generated – and then to develop ingenious ways to engage and motivate audiences. Positive business results are the objective. He believes that one of the most important results is an enjoyable experience for everyone involved. Andy is a principal partner at Think! Consulting Group and The Idea Group.

Strategic Planning For The Hopelessly Disorganized

There Is Hope!

Strategic planning requires organization, structure and attention to details. However there are countless people in companies around the world who are disorganized, unstructured and pay little attention to details. Is this you?

Do you organize your business into categories: things you won't do now; things you won't do later and things you'll never do?

Do you explain that you are just unstructured and not really organizationally challenged?

Do you view chaos as a simple way to pep up a boring week? Then this article is for you.

Strategic Planning For The Rest Of Us

Strategic Planning means, "figuring out how to get more business." That's it. It is an action plan. There are only two rules - #1 it has to get more business and #2 you have to be able to do it profitably.

"Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler" - Einstein

Here is what you need to develop your business strategy. Grab a yellow pad, scribble this down and get started. But wait won't I need lots of data and research? If you are already doing business then you know much of what you need. You don't need tons of data and processes to begin thinking about how to get more business. As you move along you can make a list of additional information you need and then go find them. You'll be surprised how much you already know.

The Three-Point Process

Point A - Where are you now?

• How did you get here?
• Who are the customers/clients who brought you to this point?
• Is it where you want to be?

This should be the easy part. As Buckaroo Banzai said, "No matter where you go, there you are."

Point B - Where do you want to be?

• How will you get there?
• What are the trends in your market?
• What are you and your competition doing about the trends?
• How can you get ahead of where the business is going?
• Who are the customers/clients who will get you there?

This is the part where most organizations freak out. It's like when you were a kid and people kept asking you what you wanted to be when you grew up and you couldn't decide between being a biker and a dentist. This isn't a "forever" answer it's six months from now or next year. Reality is there isn't any long-term planning anymore.

How do you get from Point A to Point B?

• What will it take to make the changes?
• Does it make sense for the company?
• Can you actually pull it off?
• Do you have the right customers or clients?
• What's the payoff in terms of revenue, growth, profitability and sustainability?

Remember it's about strategy - how to change what you have to get what you want. You aren't married to it forever. Think of it as organizational speed dating.

Why Do We Need A New Plan?

Strategy only changes when your customers or market change and you need a new or different outcome. These plans aren't sacred or special. They are just means to an end. There is no reason to get deeply invested in an old plan. Strategic plans are the equivalent of soap bubbles or monarch butterflies. They are products of the moment. Strategy has to constantly change in response to your business.

The Point Everyone Misses

Okay you've planned how to get from Point A to Point B. Now, how do you feel about the strategy? We are talking emotion here. Are you excited, relieved, enthusiastic? Are you worried, uncomfortable and unsettled? A strategic plan without passion is doomed to failure. Do a "feelings check" on the plan. If it doesn't feel right then stop and figure out why before you attempt to implement it or sell it to the organization. That's where the vision comes from. What really should happen is your people should see themselves in the strategic plan.

The Cast Of Characters

Planning isn't confined to the top of the corporate tower. So involve the people who will be responsible for implementing the plan - in designing the plan. Marketing and sales are a must. Production, account management and distribution belong too. Get everyone enlisted and involved. It's easy to confuse the operational plan with strategy. Determine and define the strategy first. Develop the operational plan to support it.

Don't Feel Bad About Not Doing It Before

Most companies don't have a strategic planning process. They start by doing what they know and then simply "follow the business." The average company ends up becoming whatever their customers want to buy. Today large and small companies are bypassing lengthy planning processes and basically making it up as they go along. Not a good idea my friend.

Any Strategic Planning Is Better Than None At All

It can be faster, less complicated and more often. Oh and it never should involve golf.

Plan Your Work And Work Your Plan

It's okay to be unstructured. It's okay to file by pile. It's okay to watch "Animal House" and consider it a training film. But it's also okay to take control of your future and figure out how to get more business. Good strategic plans are dynamic, organic and flexible. They allow you to adapt to changes in your business and the marketplace. You aren't changing who you are - you are changing who you will become.

So what do you want to be when you grow up?

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Please Subscribe! There's a new article every week and we are determined to give you valuable information you can use to be successful and make more money. So, go to the Be The First To Know box and just fill it in.

Andy Johnston is an multi-faceted communication professional with deep experience from strategic planning, to messaging, to marketing, to media, to events, to training, to creative direction … and there are several other ”to’s.” Andy is known for his energy, creativity and his unique ability to discover the key results that must be generated – and then to develop ingenious ways to engage and motivate audiences. Positive business results are the objective. He believes that one of the most important results is an enjoyable experience for everyone involved. Andy is a principal partner at Think! Consulting Group and The Idea Group.