I am writing today about a matter very near and dear to my heart. As a Marketing professional (former waitress, retail clerk & telemarketer,) customer service is familiar territory. And it isn’t easy; in fact, I have more respect for customer service representatives than I do for most professions. That being said, it PAINS me every time I have to pick up the phone and call customer service, ANY customer service (save a few that I will list as the silver lining below.)

And I don’t mean to kill the messenger either, but what is the deal?!?!?!! I know you get a million complaints a day – but your job is to SERVE the CUSTOMER (it’s in your title after all;-) And if you can’t take the heat, GET OFF THE PHONE!!!!!! I have had more trouble with one company (who shall remain nameless, but appears in the following SNL skit) that I am literally at my wits end!!!! I have written letters (since the phone calls obviously get me nowhere) upon letters, to no avail. You would think, in this current economic situation, companies would be doing EVERYTHING they can to hold onto their customers…

If you don’t have time for the whole clip, skip to about 3:30

The silver lining, as promised, is the following companies, whose customer service literally sets them apart. I highly recommend:

- Charles Schwab
- OC Mazda
- Verizon Wireless

I’m no occupier, but here’s a hint to big companies… THINK SMALL – it’s the little people that count and social media gives us a LOUD voice!

Please forward this to your friends and let me know your thoughts! I’m on a mission to be heard!

As marketers, our clients are ALWAYS right…  Or are they?  They tell us who they are, what they do and why they do it better.  We take that message and develop a campaign to strengthen their brand and deliver said message to their target audience.  But what if they don’t buy what we’re selling?  In other words, what happens when you have an amazing creative concept and the client sends it packing?!

First and foremost, don’t lose heart.  As previously discussed, American Beauty is in the eye of the beholder…  Art, like the artists themselves, is created by experience and circumstance.  That is what makes it so unique and why different styles of art appeal to different audiences.  Furthermore, it is our  job to present our clients with options so they have choices.  As consumers we have endless options and our decisions vary as widely as the product choices themselves.  It isn’t to say one is necessarily wrong, perhaps there is simply more than meets the eye.  Typically, as in big corporations, there is also a trickle down effect.  If someone at the top level is disapproving, even the savviest of campaigns won’t stand a chance.

So make sure you’re listening to your client, learning from them and leaving without questions.  As you develop a deeper relationship your visions will align more closely and the creative will soon follow.  Finally, reassess the client’s strategy and ensure everything is copacetic.

What do you think, is the client always right?

If you have flown anywhere in the US recently, you know it’s not pleasant. First they took our amenities, then our dignity. Aside from being starved, strip-searched and charged for everything from legroom to luggage, any human help has basically been eliminated in the event of an emergency, such as a delay or missed connection. According to this CNN article, however, Twitter might be just the solution to the airlines’ problems.

I am a fairly patient traveler and have a great deal of respect for airline industry jobs. I also appreciate this country taking the necessary steps to ensure our travel safety. All things considered, it could be worse… But it could also be MUCH better (and having just flown Qantas to Australia, I can indubitably make this statement!) TSA regulations aside, the airlines themselves have deteriorated tremendously in customer service. Which strikes me as slightly odd since they are, in fact, a service industry…

Qantas, on the other hand, made flying economy feel like first class. Now granted, the fact that this was an International flight may account for some of my phenomenal experience, but not all of it! So if Twitter can be used to address passenger concerns and help alleviate some of the chaos, I am all for it! Delta even has a dedicated staff @DeltaAssist just for Twitter questions.

So will Twitter make flying a breeze?  The evidence isn’t conclusive, but the bottom line is – it can’t hurt.  Now if only Twitter could get me to and from the airport…

PR as we know it has changed. Gone are the days of blasting press releases to every news wire in your repertoire. The good news is that social media enables you to tailor your message and target those interested in your story. In fact, according to Cision, reporters complain the number 1 reason for blacklisting PR pros is misdirected pitches…. Which begs the question, are you relevant?

First and foremost, the new PR model is about building relationships. Now you can engage reporters via blogs and bloggers during tradeshows. You can even retweet a broadcast journalist you’d like to build a relationship with. There are so many relevant ways in which to reach out, there’s no excuse for “junk mail.”

Here are some additional helpful hints:

• Send out fewer, more personalized, press releases
• Always include an introduction
• Be clear yet concise

Finally, if your release isn’t used, the connection will still be appreciated and remembered for the future.

Are you relevant?

Popularized by the Oscar-winning movie, social networking is fast becoming the standard of networking today.  LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter allow you to forge business relationships from the comfort of your home or office, and suddenly your world is opened up exponentially!  Although that’s not news, the IRL (in real life) component of social networking is new to me and, as I’ve pleasantly discovered, it’s the critical piece of the puzzle!

Taking your social network offline and into real life is like pulling back the curtain on the Wizard of Oz.  What you will discover is the person behind the avatar… And – as real people in real life – you will gain invaluable insight into your followers/friends that social networking just can’t provide.  This doesn’t mean you need to schedule meet-ups with all 2,000 of your connections but what it does mean is once your online conversations start piling up, make time outside of Twitter to sit down and network in-person.  Although the breadth online is vast, the depth of traditional networking is key to building lasting business relationships.

Just remember, not every follower needs to be a friend and not every friend needs to be a follower.  Also, if you don’t have time to meet on an individual basis, tweetups or workshops are great ways to connect with a group of people at once.

Are you socializing IRL?

***A big thanks to my new Tweeps IRL @alexjvasquez, @edwardlawrence, @oakleyOC, @lorennason, @HealthOC and @thebigdebowski (for teaching me the acronym;-)

With our world in a constant state of turmoil between wars, natural disasters and a recession, it’s difficult to find hope or focus on the positive. Oftentimes, however, it’s in the face of tragedy, we are given a unique opportunity to set our businesses apart; fortunately, for the victims of Japan’s recent devastation, I’m seeing companies across industries do just this.

It is this kind of self-effacing PR that presents a win-win situation to the company and community alike. So as not to make light of the circumstances, I would first like to say, my heart goes out to all the victims in Japan, New Zealand, Libya and the rest of the country, who are facing hard-times and loss. I also commend the companies stepping up and offering donations or proceeds to various charities helping to support the victims in crisis.

PR is on the rise according to this article in The Nation and is playing a more important role than ever. Now is the time to assess your public relations offering as it relates to your marketing strategy and make sure your team has what it takes.  So when the worst does happen, you can take the opportunity to make it better, for everyone.

St. Patrick’s Day (or any holiday) is a great opportunity for marketers.  It’s the perfect chance to check in with your clients and ask what YOU can do for THEM.  Like me, your inbox may have been flooded with emails, e-cards and e-blasts, all centering around this Irish holiday.  Marketing is primarily about building relationships and what better way to show you care than with some soda bread, cabbage or even a green beer (if you can stomach it;-) and reconnect with your network…

Wishing you a safe and happy St. Paddy’s day (and all the luck of the Irish;-)

~The Motor Creative Team

“If you’re enough lucky to be Irish, you’re lucky enough!” ~Irish Saying

It was Alexander Pope who said it best… “To err is human, to listen divine.” OK, so I added the ‘listen’ part.. It’s actually “…to forgive divine” – but that doesn’t help my cause. Listening is just that; however, and perhaps one of the most important, yet undervalued, tactics in effective communications. Actively listening to your clients is as important, if not more so, than providing solutions.

If you own a business (run a household or have so much as a pet) you understand the importance of being listened TO. But most of us focus entirely on our speaking ability as the measurement for effective communications. Now put yourself in the shoes of your client; they also want to be HEARD, they want their ideas to MATTER – and often those ideas aren’t even CLOSE to what you had in mind! As the expert, they are coming to you for answers but they probably already have ideas in mind for what those answers should look like…

So, LISTEN to them! Of course, this is a two-way street and presenting original ideas to your customers is necessary – but always keep your client in mind. People tell you what they want you to hear but you must pay attention. Take notes, get a feeling for what kind of company they are: Conservative? Edgy? What is important to THEM?! And if you don’t know, ASK! People LOVE to talk about themselves – your job is simply to listen!

3 Tips for Effective Listening

1. Let the speaker finish their entire thought before speaking; take a pregnant pause before you answer.

2. Repeat what you’ve just heard; this gives the speaker a chance to address any misconception you may have about what they’ve said.

3. Practice makes perfect – this cliché is easy to do and can work wonders when put into application. Find some chatty friends or family members and go!

Are you listening?

Ah the New Year, that conventional time of year when we all make (and usually break) resolutions, a fresh start and time of positive change for our families, our businesses and ourselves…  But this year, I challenge you to start 2011 with a different perspective, by setting just one goal, one that is manageable and attainable, one you can actually stick to; if you do just one thing this year, for yourself AND your business – SELL it.  And what I mean by sell is, don’t sell…  Yourself short that is!  Confused?!  Let me sum up…  SELL YOUR BUSINESS BY NOT SELLING IT!

Got your attention?  Great – now I’ll explain.  You may have heard of the concept of “unmarketing” – Well this is similar in theory…  By believing in yourself, what you do and the mission of your company, just being yourself should be the quintessential sales tool you need!  SELL by engaging in your community; social media, charity, the grocery store – wherever you are!  It does take some effort on your part but the end result will be worth its weight in gold!  It’s not about automated responses or impersonal messaging – what people are looking for is that connection, the part of your company they can relate to.  And with the world the way it is today, this should be easier than ever!  Find the tools that work for your business and be yourSELLf;-)

Happy New Year from the Motor Creative Marketing Team!

***A big thank you to Scott Stratten, author of the book Unmarketing

Would you hire Jeff Gordon to drive your race car and then insist you drive it while he rode in the passenger seat?

Probably not.

So then why would you hire a graphic design and marketing team to drive your brand with a new image, new strategy and killer creative concepts but then limit what they can create?

People hire marketing firms because they don’t have all the answers or the ability to create the designs they need. We understand that your products are your babies, and we promise to treat them with the love and care that they deserve, but when you try and hold the reigns, it really limits our creative ability.

You hired us, you need to trust us.