by Skip Cohen

There was a long window of time when talking on the phone seemed to be on its way to extinction. Everyone was texting and emailing. And as a consumer, if we called any major company, we were put through a barrage of defaults, often in menus that made little or no sense. You know the drill, "Please listen closely because your menu has changed. If you're calling about ______ press 1, and I always wanted to hear, "If you'd like to talk to somebody who cares, call another company!"​

Okay, maybe it wasn't always that bad, but the pandemic came along, and today, excellent communication skills are more critical than ever. We're a word of mouth industry, and personal contact with clients will be restricted for some time. That puts how you handle yourself over the phone at the top of the list of critical marketing tools.  

I remember when the phone company, "Ma Bell," used to do classes for business clients on phone etiquette. As I look back on it today, those classes were really about how to have a conversation - so, the same way you carry yourself with somebody face to face or (mask to mask today), is a foundation for how you communicate on the phone.

And it's all just as much about Customer Service as it is verbal communication. NOW is the perfect time to strengthen your communication skills with the phone.

• Answer calls quickly, and if they leave a voicemail, return the call as fast as possible. When a client does call, make sure your system is working right, so you get the call or at least the message quickly. Call them back promptly, especially with new business inquiries, because if you don't, one of your competitors will. Remember, it's human nature to think something negative when you don't get a timely response.
• Pay attention! Don't take or make calls when you're in the middle of chaos. We all multi-task, but the key to a great phone conversation is being dedicated to listening more than talking. If you're in the middle of other things and can't give the person on the other end of the line dedicated time, wait until you can. You've got two ears and one mouth - listen twice as much as you talk!
• No matter what bizarre things are going on in your day, smile when you're talking to people on the phone. This is all about being cheerful and having a great attitude. You can tell when somebody is smiling on the other end of the line. Getting a phone call from a client is an opportunity for you to show your personality.
• Use your phone to play offense! With so many changes in the way we communicate today, it's becoming a lost art for people to use their phone for a conversation. When it comes to relationship building, talking directly to somebody is second only to an in-person conversation. I regularly answer emails with a phone call when it seems appropriate, and over and again, people are so appreciative of a fast response.
• Be proactive! Look over your database of clients and use the phone to keep in touch with those people most special to you. I'm a fan of texting, social media with Facebook and email, but calling somebody you know and have worked with is still at the top of the charts, and you don't have to be intrusive.  
• It's about what you say and how to say it. I wrote about this in a previous post - when you have an upset customer, the best way to diffuse the situation is with a call that starts with, "I understand you're not happy with our service. Well, the buck stops here. What can I do to help?" You'll be amazed at the immediate change in attitude just because you've established you're there to listen, help, and resolve the challenge.
• If you have staff answering calls, give them the authority to make decisions. Most of you are small businesses and don't have the luxury of a large staff, but you may have 1-2 people who handle Customer Service. Train them and give them the authority to make decisions and be problem-solvers. It's great when there's a challenge to handle it quickly, rather than return calls and add time to the resolution process.

The phone is one of your very best marketing tools. How you communicate is all under the umbrella of great Customer Service. Being a great communicator is just as important to build your business as meeting client expectations with the quality of your images!

"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower."
Steve Jobs

by Skip Cohen
 
There isn't a professional photographer on the planet who isn't struggling with what's become the new normal! Quarantines, social distancing, sheltering in place have all become a way of life, but out of chaos and the pandemic crisis have come some remarkable new extensions for business.

A month ago, I shared a short video of JP Elario at his computer doing FaceTime portraits. Channel 13 in Albany, NY, picked up the story, and I have to share it here. I wish there was a way to make every artist watch this short clip.

JP's part of a father/son business and Joe, his Dad, and I go back to my early Hasselblad days. They're both remarkable artists specializing in wedding and portraiture, and exceptional service is part of their signature. Keeping in line with their never-ending quest to meet their clients' needs, JP starting doing online headshots. 

​These are challenging times, but who knows what other new ideas will come out of the pandemic crisis?

"Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friend."
Walt Disney

by Skip Cohen

​This is one of those posts I wish I could get EVERY small business owner to read. So many of you underestimate the power of exceptional service, not just to build a more substantial business but to sustain it as well. This is a short post this morning and focused on one of the very best tools you have to make 2020 your best year yet - customer service.

Last year while searching the Internet for reliable statistics to share in one of my ClickCon presentations, I wandered into groovehq.com. It was jam-packed with statistics supported the importance of customer service. And the way it was presented made so much sense - unlike statistical sites that could put a rock to sleep.

For example, I pulled three key points from their information:

Everyone is always in search of new databases to grow their business. Too often, you forget about the goldmine you've got right at your fingertips with your past clients.

• Selling to a happy existing customer is fourteen times easier than to a new one!

Then, customer retention is essential. Your past clients should be part of an ongoing network you work hard to support because they're already believers in your skillset, and they can increase your profitability.

• A 5% retention of past customers can increase profit by 25-95%!

Best of all, the growth of revenue is directly related to happy customers who recognize great service.

• 86% of customers will pay more better service

And that brings me full circle to my point. There is NO substitute for excellent service and nothing will build your brand better. It's not just about great products and on-time deliveries, but the entire customer experience. It starts and ends with you!

Click on the banner below to visit Groove. You'll be surprised at the impact excellent service can have on so many different aspects of your business!

​I love it when the real world provides perfect examples of how NOT to build a reputation. We've all been through the challenges of bad service in trying to contact many of the major corporations, especially when it comes to finding a person to talk to.  Here's an example with a live body, face to face that left me speechless. But, thanks to the Union Station Hotel in St. Louis, it did give me something to share on this Marketing Monday.

Here's the backstory:

I ran out of deodorant while at ShutterFest. No big deal, I went down to the "Market" in the hotel where they have one of those small pegboard displays with toiletries. The way the store is set up, there's a series of products, from food items to cookbooks and souvenirs across the entire back wall and at the far end a Starbucks-like coffee bar which has the only register. 

There were at least 20 people in line, and only one person working the register. Since the line only moves one custom coffee order at a time, I was not going to wait half an hour to make my purchase. So, I left the store with my deodorant and headed to the front desk to see if I could pay there. On the way, we caught up to one of the hotel managers.

When I asked if there was someplace else where I could make the purchase and told him he needed more staff in the Market, he couldn't have been more indignant. He actually said, "There are four people working in there now!" When we told him he was wrong, he listed the responsibilities of each, including stocking, inventory, etc. It didn't matter if they were in the back - there was only one person visible in the entire store who was working with customers. 

But then he hit the motherlode of stupid comments, "You have to wait your turn! People expect to stand in line at Starbucks!" We responded - "We didn't go to Starbucks, we went to the Market! All I want to do is buy this!" In a huff, he said, "Well just keep it," and stormed away.

And there you have it, how not to treat a customer! 

So, the next time you're dealing with an upset client, whether they're right or wrong, be empathetic. One of the very best neutralizers is to say, "I understand you're upset. The buck stops here. How can I help?" Then, kick back and listen.

"Your customer doesn't care how much you know, until they know how much you care!"
​Damon Richards

Thanks to so many of you, what started as a short weekly feature of ideas to help you run a stronger business is now well into its second year. And, every time I think I'm out of ideas to share, a new one comes along.

Remember why I started Fast Food Friday - most of you are right-brain creatives and you don't take the time to pay attention to the operational side of your business. Early "blue-plate specials" at the SCU diner were fundamental building blocks for your business. However, over the last few months, we've shared some ideas that aren't always fast and easy to do, but rewarding, always aimed at helping you build a stronger business.

Today's is a little of both - it's an idea to help you build stronger relationships but at the same time pure fun in the benefit of establishing stronger friendships. 

​In photography, we always talk about how the Internet changed everything, especially the way people share pictures and video. It’s made the world a smaller place for all of us, and we’re able to keep in touch with old and new friends alike.
 
But, today's Fast Food Friday special isn’t as much about the Internet and social media as it is thanks to social media, with some suggestions on how to make your life/business more productive!

Let's start with the backstory: 
 
Every morning I share an inspiring quote usually about business, success, etc. Over a year ago I shared a quote by Shep Hyken a customer service and experience expert, author and speaker. He’s a NY Times best-selling author and one of the leading experts on the importance of customer service.
 
A few minutes later he retweeted my quote, and I was surprised. It’s not very often any of my quotes are noticed by the authors themselves. And here’s where social media stepped aside and opened the door for good old conventional communication.
 
I picked up the phone and called him to say thanks. We probably talked about customer service for half an hour. That led to Shep being a guest with Chamira Young and me on the Mind Your Own Business podcast, and a couple of months later I was a guest on his podcast.

Since then we’ve talked a few times on the phone, shared a little content and yesterday grabbed breakfast together before Sheila, and I hit the airport in St. Louis to return from ShutterFest.
 
And that brings me right to the point of this morning’s post – social media is an incredible tool to communicate, gather information and stay in touch, but it’s also a gateway to something far better. Social media is one dimensional; phone conversations I could argue are two, but meeting somebody you admire and getting time in face to face is three dimensional and a real building block in relationship building.
 
ShutterFest was great, but Sheila and I grabbing a quick breakfast with Shep and Cindy Hyken topped off the trip like a great dessert after a good dinner.
 
I read an anonymous quote about cyberspace recently:
 
                                    There are no strangers here, only friends who haven’t met!
 
Here are a few easy tips to help you expand those cyberspace relationships:

• Develop a short list of people you check in on at least one morning each week. Think of it like working in an office and wandering over to a co-worker to say hello.
• Depending on where they have the most content, check out Facebook, their tweet stream and their blog or website.
• When you find something interesting, share a little feedback.
• As the relationship grows, don't be afraid to pick up the phone! It might seem old-fashioned and time-consuming, but it's still one of the very best ways to keep in contact. And, while I know nobody's interesting it tying up a lot of time in social calls, you don't have to make it a marathon conversation, or for that matter call very often. All you're doing is checking in and seeing if there's anything you can help with.
• Since most of you are photographers, this is where attending every possible convention comes into play. Nothing beats the value of building a stronger network and meeting with "friends" you've never met, face to face.
• Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it, or support your friends when they need it!

Use your social media reach to build your network and expand your abilities to communicate, but don’t miss the opportunities to connect with people you’ve only met in cyberspace.

Are you interested in the very best customer service blog in business? Check out Shep's blog. It's always packed solid with excellent content to help you raise the bar on your skill set in service. Click on the cartoons below to link to a couple of my favorites from his archives.

You know how to focus your camera, but are you doing everything you can to focus on your business?

It's hard to believe we've been able to share a new Fast Food Friday almost every week since last February! And, while it started as a way to share quick ideas to help you raise the bar on your business, today's blue-plate special is a lot more than just "fast food."
 
Today is a full entree, but it's also an opportunity for you to change one aspect of your business - how you communicate with your customers.

Just like the Internet changed the way we share photographs, our phones have changed the way we communicate. We're all texting more and more. I'm using text messaging all the time. From our local CVS Pharmacy to dinner reservations to updated airline information when we're traveling, texting is fast becoming one of my most efficient methods of communication.
 
Why? Because it's fast, and when done right I have instant fulfillment to my questions, along with a visual copy to refer to later on if needed. 

Texting is here to stay, but sadly, so few of you understand the benefits and the many things you can do to engage customers faster, improve customer service and establish an ongoing system for demonstrating customer appreciation.

In the last few weeks I've been introducing you to Phototexting.com, a new SCU partner.  I'm excited about what they offer and in fact, I'm using one of their applications myself when teaching/speaking. While they're an incredible developer of marketing apps for photographers, they're really a communications company and they're changing the lives of business owners every day.

I "borrowed" the five points below from their website introduction to share in today's Fast Food Friday, the top five things that stop potential paying clients from contacting your business. 

1. Today's consumers do not like email and will avoid filling out forms. Solution: Potential customers may not be ready to engage in a personal call with you, but they will text you. The option to text your business phone number is faster, easier, and preferred by consumers. Texting starts more conversations, more conversations means more bookings.

2. Consumers want answers to their questions NOW. Solution: Answering inquiries instantly is expected and offers great customer service. With PHOTOtexting Text Chat, you are notified instantly that you have a business text and you can respond immediately from your phone, from anywhere.

3. Consumers dislike waiting for additional company information they're promised. Solution: When a lead is asking for more information about your pricing or services, they are close to making a buying decision. PHOTOtexting provides you unlimited smart apps of all your services that you can instantly send to their phone.

4. Consumers appreciate follow up and will respond. Solution: Once a consumer contacts you, they are automatically added to your company mobile list. This makes it easy to send automated alerts and promotions to consumers, keeping them updated and engaged with your company.

5. Consumers want a deal. Solution: Let's face it, everybody wants a deal. A simple added value can move a potential customer closer to booking your business. Need a spike in your business? Send out a text blast alert or promotion to all of your leads with one touch.
 
I know there are plenty of skeptics out there, but here's a statistic I shared in a post a few weeks ago: 82% of text messages are read within 5 minutes, but consumers only open 1 in 4 emails they receive. 
 
​Check out everything PHOTOtexting has to offer. There are so many different applications and ways for you to build stronger brand awareness, increase sales and expand your reach.

​Check out four of my favorite ways to use PhotoTexting.com and test drive the process yourself with a text to the number below.

Fast Food Friday is all about things you can do to build a stronger business. Each "blue plate special" here at the SCU diner, and there are 33 of them to date, is meant to help you identify those fundamental building blocks you need in strengthening your brand.

I started this series in February because it's so obvious how many of you want to be successful artists, but fail to recognize the importance of critical ingredients to pave the road to success as a business owner. So, with the help of Excire Inc. we expanded the weekly selection with a menu that was more extensive.

Although today's special is out of the SCU diner archives, it's the perfect entree for November. We're into the fourth quarter and it's the busiest time of year for all of you. Albums, reprints, sittings for family portraits, fine art prints, etc. are all part of holiday gift ideas and hopefully the demands on your time are starting to ramp up.

At the same time, as a business owner wearing multiple hats, you're pulled in different directions. Stress is rearing it's ugly head and the pressure for a strong finish to 2018 is nonstop.

I'm having fun with this Fast Food Friday today, just like a chef trying out some new ingredients. I've shared five mistakes so many of you have made in the past in the hopes you don't repeat them. There's even an audio bonus. Think of it the same way you'd get a singing waiter!

​Happy Fast Food Friday and as always, wishing everybody a terrific weekend.

Wandering through the Internet several years ago I came across Desk.com and a list of "Five Annoying Customer Quotes" written by Allyson Stone. Today the site is called Salesforce.com and it's loaded with a lot of good content. Reading her five quotes, I wanted to put them into perspective for the business of photography. 

1. "Please go to our website!" - Your website should be about your services and what you sell, but instead many of you are managing by the exception and have filled your site with policies. I've been on a few that were written with all the finesse of an IRS audit, with material about cancellation and refund policies. Save those topics for the contract discussion and utilize your site to show your best qualities as an artist. Stop scaring customers away!
2. "I'll have to transfer you." - Take responsibility for the answers your customers are looking for. Even more important, if you have staff, whether part-time or full-time, train and give them the ability to make decisions. There's nothing wrong with saying to a customer, "I'm sorry I don't know the answer, but let me call you back in a few minutes." Customers know it's not a perfect world and they can accept mistakes. What they can't accept is feeling like they're not important.
3. "That's not our policy." - Rules for any business are important, but there are times when circumstances warrant a modification. If you're looking for everything to be black or white, you're doomed. You've got to be able to define the gray areas and find solutions, not fall back on a statement blaming "policy." If that's your only way to do business, then you're going to be far more successful working for Comcast!
4. "Sorry, there's nothing I can do." - Whoa, that's the end of the road, because right after you make this comment, the customer decides to not only NEVER work with you again, but to tell their friends about you. There's no more significant statement that defines you as a jackass. The truth is, there's ALWAYS something you can do. Just make sure whatever you're doing to resolve the situation is always the BEST you can do.
5. "Hmm, I don't know." - It's not the fact that you don't have an answer, but the interpretation of the statement itself. It's like a surgeon saying "Oops!" on the operating table. You're expected to be the expert, and if you're going admit to not knowing the answer, then you need to temper that statement. Add a few more comments about getting a better answer, looking into it further and giving the customer a sense of commitment, rather than just shrugging your shoulders and walking away.

Here's the thing about excellent Customer Service - it's about your attitude. It's not a department that's part of a large corporation. It's meant to be the foundation of everything you believe in business and about your customers. Excellent Customer Service is about making yourself habit-forming and exceeding customer expectations. Every client needs to feel like they're your most important customer.

"Your customer doesn't care how much you know until they know how much you care!"
Damon Richards