48. Lee Hopkins LeeHopkins.com :: LeeHopkins.net Lee@ LeeHopkins.com +61 410 642 052 Twitter: leehopkins Facebook: leehopkins LinkedIn: leehopkins Skype: leehopkins-adelaide better communication better result
Notas do Editor
Social networks connect people at low cost. These networks often act as a customer relationship management tool for companies selling products and services. Since businesses operate globally, social networks can make it easier to keep in touch with contacts around the world
Caryn Healey – admin assistant : “I can see that your experience was less than satisfactory and less than our desired level of service. While I can’t change what has already happened, I would like to ask if you might let me make it up to you. Park ‘n’ Fly is a good company, and we are really trying to get our Customer Service levels to the highest standards. Info like this helps us. I do apologize for the service you received, and would LOVE to have that driver’s name, or any other driver’s name that has treated you less than satisfactorily. I would like to send you some free parking, too, can I do that? There is absolutely no reason for this kind of thing to be allowed. And we thank you for sticking with us this long.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmpDSBAh6RY
I’ve called it the ‘your bum in a sling’ problem because what HR Director wants to be asked by the board why a disgruntled ex-employee is now slagging off the company -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6FKCBAB14Q
3 steps to a positive brand experienceInvest in adequate trainingDon’t wait for calls into the custserv call centre – let your cust svc people outreach to social networks, which is where the conversations are now happeningEVERY employee is a potential customer service or tech support rep
Employees can:Addressunhappy customersBolster a company’s reputationCorrect inaccurate rumoursTell the company’s storyProvide correct information
Image: let-us-talk-by-miamiamia-976655_26109258.jpg from sxc.huThe joke tells us that management only communicate through old channels because they are more comfortable with them. As Holtz and Havens say, “You may be communicating where the light’s better, but your publics are across the street, in the dark where it’s uncomfortable and risky, engaged in conversations that influence perceptions and purchase decisions. It’s time to get involved in the conversation.”
Objections, and how to overcome them
Legal and regulatory – it’s just too easy for an employee to unwittingly violate laws and regulations
Legal and regulatory – it’s just too easy for an employee to unwittingly violate laws and regulations“Why would we have hired these people if we don’t trust them?” Mike Wing, VP of Strategic Communication, IBM“If there’s confidence in their ability to exercise sound situational judgement over the phone or over emails or in one-on-one meetings... then there should be that same level of confidence by the company in their ability to have a dialogue over the internet” Lynn Tyson, VP of Investor Relations, Dell
Legal and regulatory – it’s just too easy for an employee to unwittingly violate laws and regulations“Why would we have hired these people if we don’t trust them?” Mike Wing, VP of Strategic Communication, IBM“If there’s confidence in their ability to exercise sound situational judgement over the phone or over emails or in one-on-one meetings... then there should be that same level of confidence by the company in their ability to have a dialogue over the internet” Lynn Tyson, VP of Investor Relations, Dell
Our competitors – it will be too easy for our competitors to see what we’re doing
Our competitors – it will be too easy for our competitors to see what we’re doing“Nobody ever won a tennis match by keeping one eye on the scoreboard”; meaning that keeping one eye focused totally on the competition leaves you only one eye for focusing on creating winning products and services. In today’s world that means you are always going to be in second place (or worse, usually worse).With the speed of backward engineering it is only a matter of days before someone can knock off anything you do anyway, so why not worry more about creating compelling stories and making them profitable first. Focus on the things that create trust and customer loyalty, not on worrying about what a competitor might be doing.With trust and loyalty you can expand your knowledge banks and bring in oxygen from outside. Proctor and Gamble openly and repeatedly admit that they rely on their alumni and the broader scientific community – some 70% of their new products come from ideas outside of the company
“We don’t have the resources to manage the technology costs and make sure our systems are ‘safe’”Risk of infectionRisk of conflict with existing systemsLack of resource to manage it
Risk of infection: Tell staff not to click on dodgy ads – Facebook, etc., - ‘scareware’ rather than ‘malware’ (“your computer has been infected with malware” says one ad that leads you to a site selling malware software to ‘fix’ your problem)Risk of conflict with existing systems – M’softSharepoint now does it all: blogs, rss, wiki, social networks. Most large companies have Sharepoint. Else, host externally.Lack of resource to manage it – Little time is required to install and setup. Which costs more – a member of staff to part/time manage it, or a failure to connect with the marketplaces you are involved in, both for potential employees and potential and existing customers and shareholders
ROI & The Beancounters
ROI & The Beancounters Lack of resource to manage it – Little time is required to install and setup. Which costs more – a member of staff to part/time manage it, or a failure to connect with the marketplaces you are involved in, both for potential employees and potential and existing customers and shareholdersWhat is the ROI of a marketing brochure?What is the ROI of the CEO’s golf day or corporate box?
So, we get back to engagement with our entire universe – how do we do that?One thing of which I’m sure you are all VERY aware of is that shift happens.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPqHt4LpyKY
Path to social network your company
Path to social network your companyAssess: how do we currently communicate to our employees? How can they respond to those? Do employees genuinely feel that their opinions and concerns matter to senior management? What tools do you have in place to capture employees thoughts and ideas? Do employees champion your brand/company away from the workplace? How do you currently communicate to/with your customers?
Path to social network your companyAdjust the culture: top-down transparency (but not a ghost-written ceo blog, please); recognise culture change takes time – the ‘head above the parapet’ challenge; find the evangelists who will be the early change agents; create a set of social networking guidelines for employees to sign-off to (involving them in this is a great thing to do!); recognise that not all employees will want to be open and transparent, not all will want to socially network – let them be who they are and don’t force them to do it; provide plenty of tools so that people can find their own voice and their own medium for expressing it;
Path to social network your companyEstablish your voice: what is your ‘feel’ for your brand’s communications – young and funky? Stable and secure? Do you even have a voice??? Be upfront about where the brand/company stands on values, issues and situations. Don’t be wishy-washy or hide behind corporate rhetoric
Path to social network your companyCreate an action plan: crisis comms; major change initiatives; financial matters; media relations; employee-world interaction; management accessibility to key stakeholders and publics