In this episode I talk to customer experience expert Ali McGill.
How a focus on customer experience could transform your business
Welcome to episode 99 of the Marketing Protection and Finance Podcast.
Who is Ali McGill?
Ali is founder of Ashton McGill . He’s passionate about people, and frustrated by the way many organisations behave today. He says they don’t care about their staff or customers. Profit has become their only measure of success. They have no soul.
He’s on a mission to help companies create better customer experiences. To help them understand compassion,empathy, and treating people well.
What you’ll hear about in this episode:
How constructive discontent points the way to a better customer experience
The folly that sees $500bn on marketing in the US but only $9bn on customer experience
The importance of asking how your customers feel about your service
How to use “Rip and Mix” to take learning from other sectors
Are you a stickler for simple language in marketing communications? Do you try to avoid, jargon, gobbledygook and most of all long passive sentences?
Unfortunately not everyone shares that view. Some still put out bloated business copy. I’m still astonished by some of the mumbo-jumbo that some companies send me.
I recently received an email from a marketing agency wanting to set up a meeting. I was so shocked by the depth of clichéd management style jargon, I almost feel like naming and shaming them. Instead I will simple share with you the beauty of their bull.
“Our unique, proven and collaborative approach of combining doctorate level theoretical analytics, strategy and world-class creative execution delivers ground-breaking, game-changing initiatives for ambitious brands.”
What on earth does it mean? Is this supposed to impress me? Do they really think I want to do business with people who produce such claptrap?
There’s more.
“Our commitment to actionable strategies, ingenious ideas and sustainable impact has already led to successful outcomes.”
Okay hands up. We’ve all used such language. But we really must stop it.
If something is “unique” you know that it is just the same as everything else.
If it is “very unique” you know the copy writer doesn’t realise that you can’t have degrees of uniqueness.
“Innovative” is equally meaningless, “game-changing” even more so.
Please don’t tell me about “value added” or how something has been “optimised” or “finessed” so that it attains the “scalability” to become “world-class”.
People want you to talk to them in plain English. That’s how they communicate. Verbally and in writing.
And please don’t use passive sentences?
Bad: “A letter full of marketing gobbledygook was sent to me by the Marketing Agency”.
Good: “The Marketing Agency sent me a letter full of marketing gobbledygook”.
When you work in an industry of complex products and processes we owe it to our clients and each other to make communications simple. Resist the people who comment on your copy and want to reintroduce complex language unless there is a legal reason for doing so. The fact that they “wouldn’t have written it that way” is not good enough.
Oh and I can’t wait for the follow-up call from those guys at that marketing agency.
Now it’s your turn:
Do you get annoyed by marketing gobbledygook, management speak and jargon? Whilst it is annoying it can also be funny at the same time. Please share your own examples of meaningless marketing gobbledygook. I’d love to read them and perhaps create a list of the most magnificent and meaningless.
Brand storytelling is something you shouldn’t ignore. And whatever the platform the techniques are the same and easy to learn.
If you read my article on Snapchat for older people and businesses earlier this year, were you a little skeptical?
Snapchat is for kids and teenagers isn’t it?
You can’t use Snapchat as a business? Can you?
I think you can and still do.
The “Story” function is a great way to engage with customers. Show them the real you. The face behind your business. The real human behind your brand. Give them a behind the scenes view of what makes your business tick.
But there’s a stigma about Snapchat. The “kids and teenagers” label might create a nagging doubt.
Instagram recently launched their own version of Snapchat stories. It’s almost a carbon copy. And it’s good news for businesses.
You’re probably using Instagram already. If not you’ll agree it doesn’t carry the same stigma as Snapchat. Now, as well as great photos, you can share your stories. A series of videos and photos merged into a stream.
The key for businesses is telling stories. Whether it’s your own personal brand or company name, telling stories is going to become more important.
Please have a listen to this podcast where I talk to entrepreneur Kelly Baader about brand storytelling on Instagram and Snapchat.
You’ll hear us chat about:
Tips for creating compelling stories: master the brevity of simplicity, create suspense, use behind-the-scenes, and engage with your audience with involvement
How Instagram and Snapchat “stories” can help you get personal with your potential customers, making it easier for them to engage with your business.
How Instagram’s wide reach of demographics combined with a facsimile of Snapchat “stories” make it a perfect platform for businesses to showcase their products through storytelling.
Please let me know what you thought of the show. If you want to have a chat about Brand storytelling and how you can use Instagram or Snapchat stories to engage with more customers, please get in touch.
