I have often tried to impress on my students and clients the fundamental
need to be able to inject some Wow factor into your Total Product Offering
(TPO) as it's the Wow factor that energises people to talk about things that
they have experienced and act.
A lot is understandably made of the various research data classics
such as the TARP data that focuses on the inevitable consequences of customer
reactions to their level of dissatisfaction. It is frightening data on two
fronts because it shows us both that the vast majority of customers who are
dissatisfied will not necessarily complain about it and also that if they
remain dissatisfied will usually tell around ten people who in-turn will go out
and tell another five each. OK then the simple message here is don't do
the wrong thing by your customers and hopefully you will avoid this.
But as business owners we do not go into business to avoid dissatisfaction.
Surely our aim needs to be universally to delight our customers with a
consistently high level of customer satisfaction that at very least meets their
expectations and hopefully, exceeds them. To do this of course we need to
inject some WOW factor into our product offering to the market.
The specifics of how you do this will naturally enough depend on what your
product is and the market that it operates in. The key point is that in every
circumstance there is an existing level of customer expectation that need to be
addressed in your promotional campaigns where you verbalise your brand promise
which outlines exactly how it will meet the prospects needs.
Beyond the promotional campaigns and the purchasing comes the actual
product usage and experience. This is as Jan Carlson so aptly put it: The
moment of truth.
It is here that the additional features and benefits and perhaps value added
services kick in to leave the customer surprised and excited about the product,
the value that it offers them and the consequences of using it in terms of a
better outcome when compared to alternative brands that they may previously
have used that did not provide them with any WOW factor.
One of my favourite anecdotes that I like to share on this topic is the
story of when I gave a presentation in Portland Victoria which is around a six
hour drive from Melbourne. I arrived at around 5 pm to deliver a 4 hour class
which went from around 6 to 10pm.
I had driven my own car and noticed when I parked it in the underground car
park that it was very dirty from the trip and I thought that the next morning I
would have to find a car wash to wash it before making the trip back home or
run the risk of being pulled up by the police and fined.
Anyway the night went well and I enjoyed a comfortable night there and the
next morning on approaching my car I noticed that it had been washed and a
message had been left on my windshield. It read:
“Mr Lima thank you so much for choosing out hotel to stay at whilst in
Portland.
We noticed that your car had become dirty from the trip and we took the
opportunity to wash it for you at no cost to ensure you have a safe journey
once you leave here. We hope you had an enjoyable stay and hope to see you
again. Many thanks."
Staff and Management of the Comfort Inn.
Now that's what I call Wow factor. Do you provide your customers with
this type of experience?
If the answer is no, not yet, then start now. Do something to make
people feel good about you and give them a reason for them to spread the gospel
of you and your brand.
So until next time, good luck and good marketing.
Regards
Daniele
