Are you smart enough?

Posted by on December 19, 2011 · Leave a Comment 

We have the smartest customers in history because they have access to more information than ever before (the internet continues to change the rules of marketing and business).  Before we purchase an appliance, we may check out Consumer Reports evaluations. Before one buys a book, he/she may read reviews onAmazon.com.  Before a family purchases a new car, they may compare prices at KellyBlueBook.  Before you see a doctor, you may research your symptoms on WebMD.
This easy access to information means that when someone walks through your door, they may “think” they are as smart as you are. Consumers used to assume that you were the expert. Now, you have to prove it…and proving it is very important because it gives them a sense of security. If you don’t appear to be smarter than they are, you will only disappoint, frustrate, or scare them (no one wants an uninformed physician).
Therefore, you (and those working for you) can never say, “I don’t know.”  If you don’t immediately have an answer, you had better know where to find it.  In other words, you should say, “Let me look into the details of that,” instead of “I don’t know.”
People want a leader, and leaders must have the answers.

Tags:

Heated seats

Posted by on December 13, 2011 · Leave a Comment 

When we bought our Honda Odyssey, I thought the heated seats option was a stupid feature…especially for someone living in South Georgia.  Then one day, I turned them on.  Actually, the first time was by accident, and I thought something was seriously wrong with me since my rear was getting increasingly hot for no apparent reason.  I was quite relieved that it was just the seat and not me.
Ever since then, I always turn them on in the winter and sometimes even when the temperature is as high as 75º.  I love having heated seats and can’t imagine owning a car without the feature, but I had to try it before I was convinced of its value.
Often, you have to break people’s stereotypes and presuppositions with experience.  They need to sample who you are or what you do before they are sold.  So, the question is, “How do you get people to try?”  Word of mouth?  Definitely.  Free samples?  Absolutely.  But what else could you do to put them in your seats?

Tags:

Creating gaps

Posted by on December 5, 2011 · Leave a Comment 

Back in the 1980s, I started shopping at The GAP. Their clothing (at the time) was conservative and cheap. Unfortunately, every now and then I would notice a girl at school wearing the same shirt as I. That’s the risk you take when one side of the store is for women, the other side for men, and everything in the middle is open for debate. Ironically, they called it “The Gap” even though the clothing lines for each sex were a bit blurred. Today, The GAP is quite different, and I no longer panic because I can’t figure out which side is the men’s.

To be extraordinary, you want a large GAP between you and your competition.

McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A both provide fast food, but an obvious GAP exists between how their food quality, marketing, menus, personnel, management, etc. This GAP makes Chick-fil-A stand out from most burger places.

A friend of mine in the construction business expressed his frustration with losing work to competitors who underbid him. If you are in an industry where you compete with bids, you are accustomed to both winning and losing. However, my friend’s complaint centers on the fact that the quality of his craftsmanship is considerably higher than others’ work, yet those receiving the bids assume everyone’s product is of the same caliber. He needs to educate his potential customers about the GAP between him and his competitors.

Are there any gaps between you and your competition? If not, what can you do to create some? If there are, what can you do to better communicate them to your audience?

Tags:

The Extra Versus Ordinary

Posted by on November 16, 2011 · Leave a Comment 

Having a good business is no longer good enough.

People expect more and have the freedom to be picky in a market flooded with competition and options. Those who don’t stand out or rise above others will drown. Where do you stand? Are you just a little better than average? Are you simply trying to duplicate others? Are you struggling to remain slightly ahead of your competitors? Or, would you prefer to be amazing, shine brighter than everyone else, and have a remarkable product or service? In 2009, Kevin McMillan began a two-year study of small businesses while consulting and teaching entrepreneurs in South Georgia and North Florida. THE EXTRA VERSUS ORDINARY is a collection his ideas, observations, and commentary during that time. It will encourage you to maximize your potential, empower you to avoid average, and equip you to create something remarkable.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER ONLINE.

Tags:

Much Ministries

Posted by on November 16, 2011 · Leave a Comment 

Flight’s First Client

Much Ministries was the first to take advantage of Kevin McMillan’s new marketing management service called Flight .  Not only did Kevin McMillan develop their website and design their new logo, but Flight maintains their email marketing, social media, and website blog each month.

Tags: