60 Second Articles

Chris Lambrecht's 60 Second Impact
60 Seconds of Information Impacting You and Our Fast-Forward Economy

August 2008 - Estimated Reading Time: 60 Seconds

60 Second Articles:

1. While Others Zig, Southwest Successfully Zags
2. Apply Southwest’s Focus to Your Business and See What Happens
3. Is Your Business Boring or Special? Find Out With These Two Questions
4. The 60 Second Close: Where’s Your Remarkable WOW?

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1. While Others Zig, Southwest Successfully Zags

• It’s no secret that the airline industry is in turmoil and they’re passing the pain on to passengers by adding surcharges and extra fees. While the airlines have a right to make a profit, as does any company, is “nickel and diming” the right tactic for achieving long-term customer loyalty?
• Despite the gloom of the airline business, there is one airline that shines and that is Southwest. Southwest is succeeding in this economy by simply continuing to do what it does best -- providing an enormous value and a fun flying experience for its passengers. In fact, while the other airlines are tacking on extra fees for luggage, Southwest is poking fun at them, boasting that “your bags fly free.”
  

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2. Apply Southwest’s Focus to Your Business and See What Happens

• How does a company pass on higher costs to customers without them feeling some pain? By putting the focus of your company on your customers -- providing them with a better customer experience and more value –- more bang for the buck. We call it “The Southwest Focus.”
• Southwest’s business model has always been focused in an “upside down way,” contrary to most business philosophies. The company’s focus is not on being an airline company with great customer service, but on being a great customer service company that happens to be in the airline business.
• By incorporating “The Southwest Focus” into your own business culture, you end up providing your customers with better value, where price doesn’t become an issue.

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3. Is Your Business Boring or Special? Find Out With These Two Questions

• What makes your company special? Or, on the other end of the spectrum, if you closed down tomorrow, would your customers miss you?
• Why are these two questions so important? Because we live in an age of similarity where there are similar businesses in similar locations selling similar products at similar prices to similar people. A stroll through any of our city’s malls will show you that a lot of stores are very similar and our guess is that if any of them permanently closed, most likely they wouldn’t be missed.
• The problem with similarity is that it breeds mediocrity and mediocrity is simply boring. There is no growth in mediocrity. There is no customer loyalty to businesses that remain just average. Long-term growth successfully occurs when there’s a commitment to providing a remarkable product, a great value and a memorable service.

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4. The 60 Second Close: Is Your Website Working For You?

• There is no doubt than many businesses have jumped on the SEO and Pay-per-click bandwagon. Good inquiries may be more difficult to obtain now than in previous years.
• Perhaps it’s time for someone else to take a look at your online strategy and costs. Perhaps that “someone” should be us. Drop us an email. It will be well worth your time.
  

Best Wishes,
Chris Lambrecht

P.S. We’re on the move. By this time next month, we’re be located in our new quarters in Papermill Village, East Cobb County. Our new mailing address is 521 Village Trace, Bldg. 10, Marietta, GA. 30067

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Best Wishes,
Chris Lambrecht
Intelligent Marketing Solutions

Member

IMC, Georgia Chapter
http://www.imcgeorgia.org