Have you ever received an email that left you confused, wondering what the sender’s intentions were?  Are you frustrated with receiving pointless, wordy email messages that would have best been delivered by telephone, or in person?

“Some of the email I get reads like someone’s stream of consciousness, as if the writer just Jumped whatever was in his or her head onto the computer screen… It would save me a lot of time and trouble if people would just stop for a minute and think through what they want to say.”
– Sr. Director of Marketing, Fortune 500 Company

In my world, I spend a good portion of my day wading through email.  In fact some days I spend more time engaging with email, than I do with the telephone.  Does that sound familiar to you?

Many people prefer to communicate by email .  Why is that?  Well, for starters, no one can deny its efficiency, if used properly.  In the business world, email leaves an electronic paper trail, which is important.  Some of its positive uses are:

• Informational Messages
• Announcements
• Delivering and Collaborating with business documents
• Company Policy Statements
• Quick Responses to Simple Questions

Where some people seem to struggle is when they use email to deliver complex, emotional or controversial messaging.

Unfortunately, since there isn’t a warm voice accompanying the message, or a handshake sealing a deal, email messaging can easily be misinterpreted, leading to sometimes painful consequences, for both the sender and the receiver.  Recently Linda Sheppler, my colleague at Experient, put together a terrific “Email Etiquette” document that outlined the following excellent tips:

Tip #1: Begin each email with a greeting. No matter how pressed for time you are, a simple greeting such as “Hi,” “Hello,” or “Dear X” is good etiquette. Otherwise, if you launch into your email without a greeting or introduction you risk being perceived as impolite or impatient.

Tip #2:  Take the time to ensure your subject line accurately reflects the contents and nature of your email. This will go a long way to ensure that your email gets the attention and consideration it deserves.

Tip #3:  Be as concise as possible. Your recipients will appreciate it if you keep your email brief, and to the point, and you’ll also increase your chances of getting a timely reply.

Tip #4:  Ask permission before forwarding another person’s email correspondence. Even if you’re confident the other person wouldn’t mind if you forward their email to someone else, it’s proper etiquette to check first, so you don’t risk violating their trust.

Tip #5:  Reply to emails in a timely fashion. If you know in advance you can’t give an email the attention it deserves, at the moment, give the sender a quick heads-up that you have received their email but haven’t had time to review it yet.

Tip #6:  Send personal emails from your non-work account. Sending personal emails from work is generally “frowned upon” in business, but occasionally we all need to send a personal email during working hours. In this instance, use a web-based email account such as Yahoo or Hotmail.

Tip #7:  Remember that your business email, both the address and all correspondence, is the property of the company you work for. Anything you’ve ever sent or received–even if you’ve deleted it–could potentially be retrieved from the system by a database administrator at any time.

Tip #8:  Use the blind carbon copy (BCC) function when you send a bulk email. Some people consider having their email address exposed to a long list of strangers an invasion of privacy.

Tip #9:  Always proofread email before sending! Check for spelling, edit awkward sentences and soften message tone.  Delete unnecessary text (previous strings, if replying to an email) unless they are relevant to the conversation.

Tip #10:  Wait until AFTER you’ve proofread your message to enter in email addresses. Hitting the “send” button at the wrong moment can be both embarrassing and disastrous!!

Like anything else in business, your email writing style, and messaging is a reflection of your personal brand.  It only takes a few extra minutes to thoroughly proofread an email.  That is time well spent.  Careless emails can severely damage relationships, ruin reputations and even jeopardize careers.

Question:  Is there a best practice you employ in your email routine that you have found useful, or important?  We would love to hear about it!

I have  met some extraordinary people online in the first year of my social media journey.  Through these new connections I have learned the power of collaboration, and the magic of peer-to-peer learning.  I have discovered a whole new world of interaction, enriched by a uniquely special network of Like-minded professionals.

Using tools such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Blogs, my fellow eventprofs and I frequently exchange ideas, experiences and best practices with one another.  Occasionally, we disagree on some issues, but through open, direct dialogue  we find new insights in those contrasting points of view.  The growth of my personal Knowledge-base has been significant, as a result of these connections.

When I embarked on my social media quest, early in 2009, my hope was to gain some tangible benefit from it, although I was not exactly sure what that would be.  Well, not only has the experience been valuable, it has exceeded  my expectations!  To my pleasant surprise, many of my new social media colleagues have also become close friends.

Each year I normally attend the PCMA Annual Meeting, as part of my normal January routine.  I just returned from this year’s conference, (#pcma10) which was held in Dallas, Tx.   As usual the event featured invigorating keynote sessions, terrific networking, outstanding social events and quality education.  However, there was something special about this years meeting;  I finally met, face2face, several of my social media friends.

Jessica Levin, Jeff Hurt, Mike McAllen, Greg Ruby, Paul Salinger, Jessica Rafferty, Sue Pelletier and Kristi Sanders are all people I met via the Twitter hash tag group called “#Eventprofs. “  I have met Jessica and Greg before, but the rest of the group I met this week.

Godfathers of Eventprofs!

On Saturday, shortly after arrival in Dallas, I met up with Jeff, Mike and Greg for dinner at a great Mexican restaurant called Monica’s Aca y Alla, in Deep Ellem.  It is truly amazing, as our get-together felt more like a reunion, than a first time meeting.  After Dinner we headed back to the Hyatt Regency Dallas, and Jessica joined us there for some after-dinner drinks. (Pictures courtesy of Jeff Hurt and Mike McAllen)

Throughout the rest of the week I met the rest of the gang mentioned in this article.  Clearly, it was the highlight of my trip to Dallas.  There really is something special about “putting a name to a face” and personal contact definitely deepens connections!

Jessica Levin arrives at Hyatt

While there are still many social media colleagues I still want to meet, this was a great start.  Just as virtual meetings will not replace the value of their face2face counterpart the same applies to relationships with people.  While I have certainly become close friends with many of my social media colleagues, I feel a stronger connection with those I have met in person.  This is the essence of human nature.

Have you had the opportunity to meet some or many of your online connections?  If so, what was the experience like for you?  Please share your thoughts with us!

Earlier this week I participated, as a speaker panelist, in a joint meeting of the Wisconsin Society of Association Executives (WSAE) and the Greater Midwest Chapter of PCMA. (Professional Convention Management Association)  The program, entitled “Future Trends and Forecasting in Hospitality” took place at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison, WI.

Unlike most trips, I traveled by car on this one.  John Folks, the moderator of the session, was kind enough to invite me to carpool with him.  John is the CEO and owner of an Event Management and Marketing firm called “Minding Your Business.” John is also the current Chairman of the Professional Convention Management Association. (PCMA)  A savvy business person John has been a mentor to me over the years in my leadership development within PCMA.

During our drive John and I chatted about many things but the one topic that resonated with me most was customer service. John and I both believe the currently tough economy has created an opportunity for businesses to experiment with new ideas and create new “cutting edge” customer service “best practices.”

The events of the past 18 months have altered the complexion of business.  We now work in a highly competitive environment, facing challenges and pressures like none experienced in our entire careers.  With shrinking revenues, staff reductions and budget cuts, business people are expected to do more with less and find new solutions to sustain/grow their business.

On a high level, our problems as a business community are all pretty much the same, but drilling down into specific business sectors and demographics, the dynamics and contributing factors are varied.  So where does the solution lie…. what is the formula for success?  I believe, as John does, the answer is customized customer service experiences.  So what does that mean exactly?

Here are my thoughts –

• #1 — Understand your customer’s unique set of needs
  • How do they prefer to communicate – Telephone, text messaging, email or social media
  • What are their challenges – what’s keeping them awake at night?
  • What are their strengths & weaknesses? — acknowledge their strengths and offer assistance in the areas they lack knowledge, experience or skill.
  • What are their bandwidth issues — where are they short of resources?
  • What are their personal interests? — this intelligence will offer great insight into their personality and also assist you in finding areas of common interest.

• #2 — Invest the time and energy to understand their organization
  • Do the research – understand their business … their products, services and customers
  • Meet their peers and leadership – Learn the culture

• #3 — Develop a service strategy that aligns with these components
  • Ask for their input – What are they looking for?  Engage them as part of the service solution.
  • Offer innovative focused solutions – Tailor your recommendations to their perceived needs.
  • Exceed their expectations – Deliver exceptional value, more than they asked for.
  • Add the extra touches – Little things make a large difference

• #4 — Communicate with them frequently, openly and sincerely.
  • Consistency is quality
  • Transparency breeds trust
  • Sincerity leads to loyalty

Historically, technology and innovation have been crucial components to recovery from past recessions.  This time will be no different.  With the emergence of social media in the business world, organizations now have more options at their fingertips, than ever before, to bond with their customers.  Web 2.0 applications such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or blogs are examples of new communication channels to help build and sustain relationships.

Customers want a voice, they want to contribute to the development of the products and services they will consume.  We must build collaborative partnerships with them.  Think “outside the box,” try new ideas, without fear of failure, and take on calculated risk.  Its ok to fail, as failure brings learning, and learning brings success!

Deep meaningful relationships are the glue that holds business together.  More than ever we must work diligently to protect and grow them!

Question:  Do you have a customer service success story you’d like to share.  I am sure there are a few people out there, myself included that could learn from it.  I look forward to your comments.   Let the discussions begin!

Over the past four months I have met some really incredible people thanks to social media.  In particular Twitter has opened the door to meeting some truly amazing folks in the events business.   The new relationships developed were made possible only through the social media arena as I would have probably never met most of them otherwise.

On Twitter I participate in a hashtag group called #eventprofs.  For those of you not familiar with hashtags click here for more information.  This group meets twice weekly for one hour at a time and we discuss events industry “hot topics.”  The conversation is always engaging, sometimes controversial but usually productive…. and the bonus is the friendships evolving from these interactions!  Here is a video I recently created to extend my appreciation to my new friends for adding value to my life:

If you are an Event Professional, or have an interest in this business, we would love to have you participate in the #eventprofs group. For more information on us please visit the following locations:

• EventProfs Wiki Site
• EventProfs Facebook Page
• Twitgroups Website

The video created above, while certainly driven by my creativity, was made possible by a wonderful application called “Animoto.”  If you have an interest in creating fun media files this is a “must see” for you.  Check it out!  The application is very user friendly and intuitive.

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend and will circle back to you next week!

Relationships, particularly in the business world, aren’t built overnight.  They are based upon trust earned over time by actions embedded in transparency and authenticity.  While it may take years for a vendor to attain the “trusted advisor” status, the customer-supplier relationship can come unraveled in a matter of minutes with the wrong messaging or actions.

In today’s typical business model the caretakers of customer relationships are oftentimes Strategic Account Managers.  (aka SAM)  Certainly a SAM’s role, by its very nature is consultative, but above all, their primary mission is to protect the well-being of the firm’s relationship with its clients.  They must always seek to do the right thing for their customers.

I recently came across an excellent magazine article addressing this subject.  The author, Steve Andersen, is the founder of Performance Methods Inc., a consultant firm specializing in sales and account management best practices.   In his article, entitled “Trust Builder or Buster?”   Steve states “perhaps more than ever, the strategic account manager is in an ideal position to be his/her customer’s first line of trust.”

Steve continues by outlining  (8) eight innovative best practices  to build “trust-based relationships with customers.” (as described by Top performing strategic account managers)

To recap they are as follows:

• “I go the distance for my customers… I’m willing to be there for them even when I don’t have to be.”

• “I engage with my customers their way.“

• “I don’t close deals; I open relationships.”

• “I am my customer’s ambassador to my company.”

• “I refuse to ‘act like a salesperson’ with my strategic customer.”

• “I always ask my customers how they define success, and then I focus my account management efforts accordingly.”

• “I try to ‘get it right the first time‘ for my customer.”

• “I make it my business to know what my customer values most.”

While the thoughts presented here are conveyed through the eyes of a strategic account manager, they really apply to any person working in a client-facing role.  As is often said, it is much easier to keep a customer, than find a new one.  In this “new economy” which is highly competitive, innovative customer service is arguably the key component to successful client retention.

Question:  What is your company/organization doing to keep your clients loyal to your organization?  I look forward to your thoughts!

While in a meeting with one of the major hotel chains this past week a question was asked by one of the hoteliers present …  “What are our competitors doing that is really catching a customer’s interest?”

That was a great question…… Here are my thoughts on this subject.  They are presented in the context of the meetings & events industry, but really the concepts may apply in any business sector:

• Deliver Innovation — offer something to customers that is cutting edge …

Example #1–  Starwood Hotels rolled out a program where customers may use their earned “starpoints” (frequent guest program)  towards Educational offerings and membership services for PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association).  This is a terrific program because it enables Event Professionals to fund a variety of services they otherwise may not be able to afford.  No other hotel chain is offering this so it is truly innovation at its finest.

Example #2 — Hyatt Hotels unveiled a “Twitter Concierge” program.  On the Twitter page the bio reads “HyattConcierge. Striving to make a difference for our guests every day.”  The tweets posted are responses made to customers about their specific hotel needs before, during or after their stay.  The service, once again unique in concept, is available 24/7.

• Be Strategic — the word “strategic” is a bit overused these days but really is a crucial element of fostering customer loyalty.  It’s no longer adequate for business people to just be “order takers” or “wait for the phone to ring.”   To remain relevant they must learn about every aspect of their customer’s business.  Then, assist them in creating effective solutions to address their business challenges.

Example (using Hotel scenario) — Hotel Sales Exec is aware the client’s event is struggling with room block performance and suspects attendees are booking their reservations outside the block at other “lower rated”  hotels.  Hotel Sales Exec contacts customer and offers the value proposition of an “early bird reduced rate special” anchored with a drawing for Free Dinner in the hotel’s Gourmet restaurant.  All attendees booking their reservations at the hotel before the early bird deadline qualify for this offer.

Was this consultative recommendation of interest to that customer?  You bet it was!

• Collaboration — Invite customers to participate in development of one of a firm’s services or products.  Engaging the principles of Co-Creation, the synergy of mixing perspectives of buyers and sellers can be magical. Not only will a client appreciate the opportunity to be part of this process, their input will be invaluable!  After all, they ultimately have a vested interest in how it culminates.

Question:  Do you have a formula for success you’d like to share with us in generating customer loyalty?  We would love to hear about it!