Tonight, I was expecting my children to come home at approximately 8 and I figured my wife would be home with my son before that. When my wife left this morning, I had asked her several times “What are your plans for today, what are you trying to accomplish.” She said to me “I am taking our son to basketball at two, and then I want to paint the kitchen today.” I told my two older daughters so that they would be home in time, they both had to work today and they both got off around 8. Imagine my surprise when it was 8 o’clock and my daughters were hiding in their rooms and upon calling my wife she had taken my youngest son to his favorite place “SkyZone.” I said to her “So what happened?”
She responded with, “I took Robbie to basketball practice, then I went to work for a few hours, then I went to help my parents, and now I am at SkyZone.”
I thought to myself, “That wasn’t the plan,” and I was initially irritated about it. “After all we did discuss this, and you said we were painting.” A minute later I thought to myself, wait a minute I hate painting. So then I was ok with it, but in that minute when the plans were broke I was irritated. WHY? I know I hate painting, I know I would prefer to relax and watch T.V..
Suddenly it struck me that the same thing happens to businesses all the time. Why do customers often get confused about our message, and how do we prevent that? We all have an idea of what we think our message says. We always think that the words or actions we take our perfect (like my beautiful loving and very tolerant wife’s words and actions were perfect, by the way she reads this), but what if they are not. What if what you say is not what is heard by your customer (or a bewildered husband)?
Messaging starts from the top of your organization, whether you have three members of your team, or you have 20. You must clearly explain your vision. (Did I mention how smart my wife is? Im just saying.) Your vision must be reflected in everything you do, and remain consistent across all the platforms that you use to communicate with each other and to the public.
So, pull out some pen and paper, look in the mirror and say “What’s our message?” Then write it down,
1. Uniforms – Button up or T-shirt. What’s our message?
7. Anything your company does at any level? What’s our message?
Here comes the big AHA moment here….. No matter what question is asked the answer to the 7 questions above will always be the same. That’s right when you say “Uniforms: What’s our message?” The answer is the same as if you are asking “Management: What’s our message.” Creating consistency across all platforms makes it so the customer knows what they are buying and how to react to the services they are receiving.
Let me give you an example of an experience of a customer in the Heating and Air Conditioning environment. Customer call the company due to not having any cooling.
Company 1: A young professionally trained receptionist answers the phone. “Hello, Its always a perfect 72 degrees here at Concord Heating and Air Conditioning, This Jane, How can I serve you today?”
Company 2: A very nice woman answers the phone: “Concord Heating how can I help you.”
Out of the two they both sound good, but one greeting is worth more than the other greeting, and you can tell that one has been trained and one just answers the phone.
The appointment is made and the service technician arrives at the house.
Company 1: A young professionally trained service technician arrives in his truck that brightly and plainly says: Concord Heating and Air Conditioning, his truck has a custom purple and yellow wrap on it and it looks clean and nice. The technician is wearing a Polo shirt with the company insignia stitched above the pocket, a clean pair of pants.
Company 2: A young professionally trained service technician arrives in his truck that brightly and plainly says: Concord Heating and Air Conditioning. His old white beat up van has the black letters with his license number and phone number on it. The technician is wearing a purple T-shirt with the company logo silk screened on the back. He is also wearing a used dirty pair of pants.
The cost of the two guys is evident in the customers mind. One is distinctly worth more than the other.
After the two guys investigate the problem they approach the customer with prices in hand for replacement and a range of options:
Company 1: A young professionally trained technician shows the customer the prices which range from $6500 to $18,000. OH and we can do it tomorrow and we have financing if you don’t have that money on hand. We also have lucrative terms for that financing.
So the customer thinks for 5 minutes, signs the paperwork, and it is installed tomorrow.
Company 2: A young professionally trained technician shows the customer the prices which range from $4,500 to $10,000. OH and we can do it next week and we take credit cards, checks or cash.
So the customer thinks for 5 minutes, signs the paperwork, and you install it next week.
Both of the companies met the customers expectations, but lets say we flip that last transaction.
(NOTICE I SWITCHED COMPANY 1 & 2)
Company 1: The technician shows the customer the prices which range from $4,500 to $10,000. OH and we can do it next week and we take credit cards, checks or cash.
Now the customer is saying : WTF company 1 you want all that money but you don’t have financing and you can’t do it till next week. That is crazy.
Company 2: The technician shows the customer the prices which range from $6500 to $18,000. OH and we can do it tomorrow and we have financing if you don’t have that money on hand. We also have lucrative terms for that financing.
Now the customer is saying: WTF company 2 you want how much money…. You are crazy, im not paying that much for that.
Another example of consistent messaging can be found in the restaurant business. Let us compare two polar opposite restaurants.
Mcdonalds: Fast, convenient, cheap, and very little service
Texas Roadhouse: Sit down with your friends, a Texas style environment, high end drinks, quality steaks, and service
So you walk into Mcdonald’s and the girl behind the counter wants $19.00 for a Big Mac you look at her and say “Are you crazy?” Why do you think that she is crazy? (Ill give you a hint inconsistent messaging.) At the same time if you bought a steak for $19.00 and a waitress didn’t bring it out to you but instead left it on the counter in a paper box with some plastic utensils you would think “WOW I’m never coming here again.”
Why? Because the messaging WAS NOT CONSISTENT. (which is not to say that my wife’s messaging is not consistent of course she is consistent, but I am a dumb husband who doesn’t listen or understand.) Happy Messaging!!!
It’s not all about talent. It’s about dependability, consistency, and being able to improve. If you work hard and you’re coachable, and you understand what you need to do, you can improve. -Bill Belichick
