Issue #2280
- WEALTHY: Do you really need good customer service? (Suzanne Richardson)
- HEALTHY: A memory aid straight from mother’s milk (Dr. Jonny Bowden)
- WISE: Napoleon Hill on doing more
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- The lawyers speak back! (Michael Masterson)
- Use this tricky word with care (Don Hauptman)
- It’s Fun to Know… about the world’s oldest restaurant
- Add "apocryphal" to your vocabulary
Your Very Own “Presidential Cabinet” of Advisors Can Help You Make Six Figures This Year
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Just as Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln turned to their trusted advisors for trusted advice, you will have an entire team of experts working to help fill your own personal “treasury.”
This weekend is the perfect time to begin celebrating your own financial freedom – so secure your spot today! To get all the exciting details about “Profits in Paradise,” read on.
"The man who does more than he is paid for will soon be paid for more than he does."
Napoleon Hill
How Hard Is It to Go the Extra Mile?
"You have to try this restaurant," Jason told me. "It has the best Szechuan noodle bowls I’ve ever tasted. But watch out for the service. You might end up waiting half an hour before the waiters remember you haven’t ordered. Plus, they usually forget to bring out your drinks and appetizers. And occasionally, they forget to put in your order at all. "
I stared at him. "You’re kidding, right? That place sounds terrible."
He shrugged. "It’s my favorite restaurant. Sure, I curse it up and down. But the food is absolutely worth it."
I had a similar conversation with Charlie – this time about bagels. (You’d think all we talk about at ETR is food!)
"Even though Florida is overrun with New York natives, I’ve always had a tough time finding a decent New York City Bagel," he said. "You know – moist and chewy on the inside but with a flavorful, crisp crust on the outside.
"Finally, a new deli opened nearby, and their homemade-in-the-store bagels are spectacular. Maybe even better than anything from the Big Apple itself. (Heresy, I know!) The problem? The owner is gruff, you can tell the staff is miserable, and one time when we were on line, an argument even broke out behind the counter! Plus, the service is slow and the line moves at a snail’s place, even during slow times. But the product? Unparalleled!
"I despise this place," Charlie said. "But my mouth waters every time I imagine going back."
Let’s be honest. You don’t really NEED to offer good customer service. If you’ve got the best product (the best bagels outside of New York)… the only product (the only Szechuan restaurant in the city)… or the cheapest product, you’ll have plenty of customers. Even if your service stinks. But when you aren’t superlative in quality or price, going the extra mile – or, heck, even the extra inch – can give you a leg up on your competition.
The power of going the extra mile for a customer hit home a few months ago.
While searching for invitations for a special holiday party we were giving, I came across Momental Designs. Artist Kristy Rice runs the company, and sells custom invitations and stationery. Her prices are fair. She even hand-paints details on the invitations and stationery she designs.
Her holiday invitations looked beautiful in her online gallery. But I was suspicious. None of the samples I’d been getting from other companies looked as good as they did online. Some of the designs looked different in person. Some weren’t on high-quality paper. And one handmade sample looked like a toddler had made it in art class.
So I was prepared for yet another disappointment. But time was running out. The party was a month away, and we needed to send invitations to people in several states. So I called Kristy to ask if I could get a sample.
"Boy," she said. "No one has ever asked me that before."
The way she runs her business, you call her, explain what you’re looking for, pay a small deposit, and Kristy begins the design process. She then works directly with you to make sure the design is up to your standards.
But for me, that wasn’t enough. I wanted to make sure – BEFORE paying a deposit – that the cards would be good. I wanted to hold the card in my hands, feel the paper, look at the detailing up close. And I didn’t want to be "locked in" to the purchase if I didn’t like the work.
She told me that no one she’s worked with has ever been dissatisfied. No one has asked for a refund. And she has plenty of testimonials on her website to back her up.
So I told her about my bad experiences. Time and again, I’d liked a card online but it had been a huge letdown in person.
Kristy didn’t get frustrated. She didn’t get defiant. And she didn’t say, "This is how I do it, and that’s that." Quite the opposite. She was willing to work something out. "If you don’t like what we end up with," she told me, "I could refund you a portion of the deposit."
That sounded reasonable to me. After all, I’d had to pay a small fee for the other samples I’d received. So I told her I’d think about it.
A few hours later, I got an e-mail from Kristy. "I am working on some holiday cards right now for other clients," she wrote. "How about I send you a couple of samples from those orders?"
I already liked Kristy. We’d spoken on the phone. She was friendly, professional, and gave thoughtful answers to all my questions about pricing, design, and her order process. Plus, she’d been willing to refund part of the deposit if I didn’t like the cards she came up with. But then she took this extra little step. She’d listened to what was important to me, and she’d come up with a solution.
A few days later, I got an envelope in the mail. She’d included two sample cards. And let me tell you – they were beautiful.
I called my mom. "I’ve found the perfect invitation designer."
How much did this little extra step cost Kristy? Adding up the cost of the cards and the cost of the postage, she was out about nine bucks. In return, she got a new customer.
But here’s something else…
Because Kristy was so willing to go that extra mile to satisfy my request, I’m telling you about her. And I’m going to tell anyone who needs holiday cards, baby announcements, wedding invitations, stationery, or greeting cards about her too. That’s a lot of free publicity… just for popping two cards in the mail.
The word-of-mouth and repeat business you’ll get as a result of providing excellent customer service is free. And priceless.
Take Nordstrom. Its reputation for service has spawned tall tales about just how far employees are willing to go to please the customer. Maybe you heard the one about the gentleman who returned a set of tires to Nordstrom, even though Nordstrom doesn’t carry tires. The Nordstrom employee gave the customer a refund, and then returned the tires to the store they actually came from herself.
Lands’ End is another retail store with a legendary history of service. One story – reported in CRMBuyer.com – tells about a man who received a London taxicab as a gift in 1984. (The taxi was a luxury gift item in the Lands’ End holiday catalog.) In 2005, the man returned the cab for the full $19,000 his wife had paid for it – and it has become a symbol of how willing the company is to stand behind their products… even after two decades.
Do these companies actually offer excellent customer service? Maybe. Or maybe the stories are apocryphal. But that doesn’t matter as much as the fact that everybody thinks they do. Their reputation for top-notch service has helped these brands maintain their market presence for years.
But you don’t have to be a giant in your industry to reap the benefits. No matter how big you are, or how small (Kristy of Momental Designs is just one person!), you can grow your business and impress your existing customers just by making a little extra effort.
"Your customer-service policy should be bend-over-backward," says Michael Masterson. "Your employees should be trained to do everything they possibly can to please customers – even the most demanding ones. They should be taught not only to give customers what they want but also to do so with a smile."
Giving your customers what they want isn’t the only thing you need to do. You need a good product and you need good marketing. And, according to Michael, "You need a set of standards… clear standards that YOU set. For instance, make sure the phone gets picked up after one ring every time. You also need a way to monitor the quality of your customer service, either by posing as a customer or creating a feedback system. Keep in mind that the natural tendency in service is entropy… to get worse. Unless you constantly fight to make it better, it will get worse by small degrees."
True, good customer service isn’t 100 percent necessary for success. Plenty of companies have mediocre service at best and manage to make millions. But it doesn’t take a whole lot of time or energy to do a little something extra. And that tiny step can help grow your customer base by leaps and bounds.
[Ed. Note: Michael Masterson's latest book has hit the New York Times Business Best-seller list! Ready, Fire, Aim: Zero to $100 Million in No Time Flat reveals dozens of secrets that you can use to propel your business forward. Pick up your copy by clicking here.
Learn even more about how you can propel your business forward - and achieve all your personal, social, financial, and business dreams - with the help of ETR's Total Success Achievement Program. Get the details by clicking here.]
The Billionaire Way
I would recommend "The Billionaire Way" program to anyone who is contemplating a new enterprise or business start-up, or is already in business for themselves. It enabled me to look at my life, attributes, and habits in a refreshing new way. I was delighted to discover that I too have a number of the traits and qualities that many who are successful in business possess, which I hadn’t realized. I am very excited to apply the principles that were presented in the program to my new business ventures.
A tremendous benefit was to be able to talk with the author of the program, Bob Cox, about my own business strategies and ideas. Bob spent an hour on the phone with me after I finished the program, and his personal insights and suggestions were very helpful and inspiring.
I know that I will often refer back to the information provided in "The Billionaire Way" to enhance my chances for success!
- Catherine McNeil, Monte Vista, Colorado
Reader Feedback: "I enjoyed Sea Venture a great deal."
"I just finished the book Sea Venture by Kieran Doherty, which you recommended recently. I enjoyed it a great deal. It’s an easy, well-paced read with good historical content.
"Thanks for the recommendation – and wish Kieran the best when you see him."
- David Herbert
Tallevast, FL
[Ed. Note: How has reading ETR helped you - maybe even changed your life? Send your comments to ReaderFeedback@gmail.com. Include your name and hometown... and we may print your e-mail in a future issue.]
When You Feel Like Complaining About Lawyers…
When you get your business past the start-up stage and are ramping up production, the last thing you want to deal with is a lawyer telling you that you need more product liability disclosures or you have to modify your advertising language to appease government regulators.
"I’ve got enough troubles making a profit," you think. "Are those busybody regulators going to help me pay all these salaries? And what about my rent? Do they want to help me pay for that? I know what’s right and wrong. I don’t need to listen to any damn lawyer."
When you feel like that, imagine your lawyer responding with the following bit of imaginary dialog from Matt Turner, Agora’s chief legal counsel. Matt adapted it from Jack Nicholson’s famous speech in the movie A Few Good Men, in which Nicholson plays an Army colonel defending himself against charges of running an excessively humiliating training program for new recruits.
"Son, we live in a world that has COPS. And those COPS have FINES AND REGULATORS. Who’s gonna APPEASE THEM? You? You, MARKETING GURUS?
"I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for YOUR WORDS CHANGED and you curse MY TEAM. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that THOSE WORDS, while tragic, probably saved COUNTLESS LEGAL WRANGLES. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves MONEY IN THE LONG RUN.
"You don’t want the truth. Because deep down, in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me on that wall. You need me on that wall. We use words like EDIT, CHANGE, RE-PHRASE. We use these words as the backbone to a life spent defending something. You use ‘em as a punchline.
"I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very WIGGLE-ROOM I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it! I’d rather you just said thank you and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up HEAVY LAW BOOKS and SIT AND REVIEW COPY FOR SAFETY. Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you’re entitled to!"
[Ed. Note: Get Michael Masterson's insights into becoming successful in your business and personal life, achieving financial independence, and accomplishing all your goals on his website. You'll find updates on Michael's books, news on upcoming ETR events, Michael's blog, and room to send in your comments and questions. Check it out today.]
A Miracle Nutrient for the Brain
Ask any baby boomer for his top five health concerns, and one of them is sure to be preserving his memory. At our age, it’s easy to start forgetting things, and easier still to worry that those common "senior moments" are the beginning of something more serious. But there are things you can do to power up your brain. And one of those things is as easy as taking a supplement.
Glycerophosphocholine (GPC) is in the class of biochemicals known as phospholipids, which are critical for the health of your cell membranes. It’s also available as a powerful supplement that has been extensively researched for its effect on mental performance, attention, concentration, and memory formation. It’s found in abundant quantities in mother’s milk – which tells us something about how important it is. But there are only tiny amounts in food.
In one study, researchers gave volunteers either GPC or a placebo over the course of about 10 days. Volunteers then took a chemical called scopolamine , which is known to cause almost complete (but temporary) amnesia. Subjects who had taken the GPC had much less (and delayed) amnesia and performed far better on difficult memory tests. The researchers concluded that GPC protected the brain’s attention and memory capacity.
The recommended dose for GPC is 300-1,200 mg taken in the morning. For best results, take it along with 500-1,000 mg of essential fatty acids, such as any widely available fish oil supplement. Both fish oil and GPC can be found in most health food stores. GPC is also available on www.jonnybowden.com.
[Ed. Note: Dr. Jonny Bowden is a nationally known expert on weight loss, nutrition, and health. You can learn more about natural health remedies in an exclusive interview about Dr. Jonny's brand-new book, The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth. Download the hour-long interview at www.drjonnybooktour.com. To read more of Dr. Jonny's articles on healthy living in ETR's natural health e-letter, click here.]
The Language Perfectionist: Solving an Enormous Problem
By Don Hauptman
Consider the following, all found via an Internet search:
- "My aim is to win an Olympic gold," says the 17-year-old Saina Nehwal. But the enormity of the task sinks in as she…
- Headline: [Candidate Greg] Ballard Grapples With Enormity of Mayoral Win
- When does the enormity of a favor cross the line?
In all these cases, enormity is being used to refer to something large. Not correct. The word means a great evil, wickedness, or atrocity, as in "the enormity of Nazism."
This misuse is so common that the distinction has become blurred. And if you look hard enough, you can find authorities and dictionaries that sanction the use of enormity to mean largeness.
But as a prescriptivist, my advice is to respect the distinction. You always want your writing to be clear, precise, and unambiguous. So use enormity only to refer to a monstrous evil. In all other cases, choose another word. You have many options: enormousness, greatness, immensity, magnitude, vastness.
[Ed Note: Don Hauptman was a direct-response copywriter for more than 30 years. For his direct-mail subscription packages, he won The Newsletter on Newsletters promotion award for 10 years. He also writes about the English language and is now working on a humorous new book in that genre.]
It’s Fun to Know: The World’s Oldest Restaurant
Who says the restaurant business is a tough one? Casa Botin in Madrid has been operating continuously since 1725. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Casa Botin is the oldest operating restaurant in the world.
Some of its centuries-old culinary traditions? Whole roasted suckling pig, baby eels sauteed in olive oil, and baby squid in their own ink.
(Source: The Travel Channel’s "Bizarre Foods" with Andrew Zimmern)
The World Is Shrinking… and the Opportunities to Make Money With This “Global” Economy Are Nothing Short of Staggering! If You Know How…
Imagine how well your business would be doing if you could slash your costs by more than 49% while boosting your profits by more than 57%.
You can do it… if you know how.
Today, as a matter of fact, all the Fortune 500 companies are doing just that, and they’re posting record-breaking profits by taking advantage of the “Global Economy.”
Unfortunately until now, only big companies could even think of doing this. But not anymore. Now it’s your turn.
Click here to find out how you can put the “Global Economy” to work for you.
The global borders are shrinking… The world’s becoming a smaller place… Will you just stand there watching opportunity go by or will you seize the moment and put the “Global Economy” to work for you? Click here to read more…
Word to the Wise: Apocryphal
Something that’s "apocryphal" (uh-POK-ruh-ful) is fictitious – of questionable authenticity. The word is derived from the Greek for "to hide away."
Example (as used by Suzanne today): " Do these companies actually offer excellent customer service? Maybe. Or maybe the stories are apocryphal."
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker ... build your self-confidence and intellect ... increase your attractiveness to others ... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's new Words to the Wise CD Library.]
Copyright ETR, LLC, 2008
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