For Raving Fans, Put On A Performance | Travel Research Online

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For Raving Fans, Put On A Performance

 

I fired my HVAC company because they made big customer service promises that they could not deliver. Their technicians, who were friendly and capable, were not to blame. Folks in the call center dropped the ball.

Bold slogans are empty promises when the company can’t deliver consistently. That annual contract encompassed heating, air conditioning, and plumbing for three houses. That losing company was out of sync and now they’re short a valuable customer – no more revenue, no shot at referrals.

If business owners focused more on retention than on acquisition, it would be their game-changer. If a customer service person is trained and rewarded just like a salesperson, we’d see a decline in turnover and a spike in loyalty. It’s no secret that the secret to success is in achieving higher levels of repeats and referrals.

My solution is to flip the focus from serving to performing. Actors perform on stage and in movies. Athletes perform on fields, mats, and tracks. Musicians, artists, chefs, and speakers perform! We become raving fans of great performances and come back time and time again to see, hear, taste, and experience.

Regardless of the business you’re in, stop going through the motions without any emotions. Shoppers will notice. Customers will notice. They will become raving fans. How can you deliver a great customer performance?

Don Hutson refers to this as Experiential Differentiation: the unique way you perform services for your clients. Don, a #1 NY Times, Wall Street Journal Best Selling Author and Member of the Speakers Hall of Fame, challenges us to rate your own business along with your top competitors in these five categories:

  • Creative solutions to problems
  • Prompt response to inquiries
  • On-time order delivery and price accuracy
  • No-hassle relationship skills
  • Exceptional telephone skills

I challenge you to create a performance standard around each – not in theory, but in practice. Train your sales and service teams to perform consistently, so that you are well-aligned. Shoppers will notice. Customers will notice.

The title of Don’s newsletter article said it all: Experiential Differentiation; The Miracle of Out-Serving Your Competition!

To out-serve, out-perform.

I am a raving fan of my new HVAC company (so far). I am a raving fan of Don Hutson’s wit and wisdom. If you want more of his enlightenment, I encourage you to take his 21-Day Sales Excelerator Challenge with me. Jump here to see a 3-minute video I recorded with him: https://youtu.be/_hXMMflyS3I

Tell me about your transition from serving to performing. Perhaps we can all start a new wave of raving fans!

 


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Stuart Cohen, Chief Motivation Officer at StuartLloydCohen.com

If you can think big, Stuart will help you do big! An accomplished 28-year travel industry executive turned serial solopreneur, Stuart is a creator of brands and an energizing motivational speaker. He motivates & maximizes personal performance in leadership, entrepreneurship, salesmanship & wellness.

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