As many of you know, I fly a lot. I tend to fly Delta the most...and usually have to go through either Cincinnati or Atlanta to get anywhere. It is one of the "experiences" that I dislike about Delta. This leads me to a story about handling situations that routinely arise in business...and how to handle them in a manner that is not only true to the Brand but enhances the experience.
About 18 months ago, I was on a Delta Flight that left Dayton for Atlanta on my way to Minneapolis (you don't see the logic in that route, either, do you...but I digresss). The flight was routine in every sense and the day was a great day to fly...sunny, warm and clear. As we made our approach to Atlanta all seemed normal. As we we descending and approached the runway, all was still as expected. Nothing fantastic, just as what was expected. As we prepared to touch our wheels....I was thrust back in my seat as the pilot put the floor down on the throttle and we quickly became airborne again. What happened? Close call? Problem with the plane? It was not clear....and NEVER became clear! As we circled back around and came back to land....this time for real...no one said a thing-- not the captain, not the flight attendants, but rest assured the passengers were sure talking about it! As we landed and taxi'd to the gate...still nothing. We prepared to get off the plane...still nothing. We were ALL left up to our vivid imagination as to what happened. As I walked down the terminal, some of the stories being created or bantered around were pretty dramatic...and NONE were good for Delta! They missed their chance to manage the situation!
Now, compare that to a recent flight that I took on Southwest Airlines. We were departing Columbus, OH for Little Rock Arkansas (which I love by the way....Arkansas is gorgeous!) Another routine take-off, cruise and preparation for landing....until we approached the landing. Here we go again, I thought. But the plane hit like a ton of bricks on the runway and the pilot brought it back down for a 2nd, slightly smoother, landing...we made it! Now...a critical brand decision was made...or could be made...in this situation. Follow the Delta lead and ignore it and NOT manage the brand...or do something different. The pilot made the brand decision that was different!
As soon as we taxi'd off the main runway, the captain turned on the PA system and made an announcement..."Ladies and Gentleman, I would like to be the 1st to welcome you to Little Rock International Airport...the time is...the temp is..., etc." I was thinking he was going to ignore the rock hard landing. However, at the moment of truth...right where our brand, reputation and future opportunity for sales lies (yes, at your bank/CU, too!) the pilot made a well-trained decision. He said, "I would like to also share with you a policy here at Southwest Airlines...that there is never a charge for the 2nd landing! Have a great day!"
There it was...not an explanation...but a Brand Saving action that lived up to the brand personality of Southwest Airlines. As I walked out fo the gate and down the terminal the conversation was more laughter than concern and people saying "that is why I fly Southwest...I love it."
The Brand lives on and is actually strengthened by what happened.
Now think of your institution...what path would your staff take the Delta "A" path or the Southwest "B" path? Ask yourself and then go into your lobbies, call your call center, etc. to see what truth lies at the moment of the Brand opportunity!
It takes consistency, a stated purpose, and a clear understanding that everyone has a role in the upkeep and delivery of the brand....
Cheers!
Bruce
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
Reporting Delay Update
Update: 4:24pm Tuesday, 31 July -- Report data has been fully updated and is now current again. We apologize for any inconvenience the temporary delay caused and will have less reporting delays in the future.
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We are starting to update reporting in all Google Analytics accounts affected by the delay. As of 5pm PST this evening, some users will start to see part or all of the data from the period between Saturday and now appear in reports. We expect updates for all accounts to continue through Monday night into tomorrow and will update this blog when reporting is fully restored.
Thank you for your patience.
_____________
We are starting to update reporting in all Google Analytics accounts affected by the delay. As of 5pm PST this evening, some users will start to see part or all of the data from the period between Saturday and now appear in reports. We expect updates for all accounts to continue through Monday night into tomorrow and will update this blog when reporting is fully restored.
Thank you for your patience.
Motivating Employees to Cross-Sell
ETSU02
You make a very good point in your comment to my last post. Last week was a little crazy and I was on vacation for a few days and unable to respond...so let's jump in and get started.
In my ever-humble opinion, I believe that employee motivation is directly tied to expectations. The two are so closely related that it is difficult sometimes to tell the difference. I would also argue that cross selling and sending referrals internally is about as optional as balancing the teller drawer.
In order to motivate your employees to do more cross selling, we should talk about the current culture within your institution. Does the initiative come from the top of the line and trickle down, or is the marketing department in charge? In my experience, when an institution tries to implement a sales and service culture, but is not initiated by the senior managers/CEO, it is doomed to fail. I have even run across institutions where the CEO was responsible for the sales and service culture shift but it still failed...this later failure is completely related to the lack of accountability on the part of the employees.
Shifting your culture will be one of the most difficult things you have to do. Notice I say, "have to do." This culture shift is not only necessary for success, but it is mandatory for growth. If your employees don't embrace the philosophy of better serving your customers, it will be difficult for you to grow (hence the attrition issue you mentioned in your original comment). Your competition really only wants what you have...YOUR CUSTOMERS.
Teaching your staff to better serve your customers (i.e. cross selling) is truly like teaching an old dog a new trick. However, that being said, it is still executed with great success by MANY financial institutions every day. It takes time, but here are some baby steps to help you get started.
1. Create a plan, include the expectations of each employee type and the associated rewards AND punishments for not meeting the expectations.
2. Set goals for EVERYONE with a time line for meeting those goals.
3. Training
4. Training
5. Training (it is listed three times, because not only is this THE MOST critical piece of the puzzle, it is not a one time deal. Training needs to be on-going, progressive, and refreshed frequently)
6. Measurement. What good will shifting your culture do if you can't say to your employees, "thanks to your hard work and dedication to serving the customers of our bank, we have 1000 new customers this year and our asset size has increased by 10% in the last 12 months."
I hope this will help you get started in the right direction. I have updated my profile with my email address and my phone number, should you have any questions or like additional information.
Good luck, and good selling!
Jenna
You make a very good point in your comment to my last post. Last week was a little crazy and I was on vacation for a few days and unable to respond...so let's jump in and get started.
In my ever-humble opinion, I believe that employee motivation is directly tied to expectations. The two are so closely related that it is difficult sometimes to tell the difference. I would also argue that cross selling and sending referrals internally is about as optional as balancing the teller drawer.
In order to motivate your employees to do more cross selling, we should talk about the current culture within your institution. Does the initiative come from the top of the line and trickle down, or is the marketing department in charge? In my experience, when an institution tries to implement a sales and service culture, but is not initiated by the senior managers/CEO, it is doomed to fail. I have even run across institutions where the CEO was responsible for the sales and service culture shift but it still failed...this later failure is completely related to the lack of accountability on the part of the employees.
Shifting your culture will be one of the most difficult things you have to do. Notice I say, "have to do." This culture shift is not only necessary for success, but it is mandatory for growth. If your employees don't embrace the philosophy of better serving your customers, it will be difficult for you to grow (hence the attrition issue you mentioned in your original comment). Your competition really only wants what you have...YOUR CUSTOMERS.
Teaching your staff to better serve your customers (i.e. cross selling) is truly like teaching an old dog a new trick. However, that being said, it is still executed with great success by MANY financial institutions every day. It takes time, but here are some baby steps to help you get started.
1. Create a plan, include the expectations of each employee type and the associated rewards AND punishments for not meeting the expectations.
2. Set goals for EVERYONE with a time line for meeting those goals.
3. Training
4. Training
5. Training (it is listed three times, because not only is this THE MOST critical piece of the puzzle, it is not a one time deal. Training needs to be on-going, progressive, and refreshed frequently)
6. Measurement. What good will shifting your culture do if you can't say to your employees, "thanks to your hard work and dedication to serving the customers of our bank, we have 1000 new customers this year and our asset size has increased by 10% in the last 12 months."
I hope this will help you get started in the right direction. I have updated my profile with my email address and my phone number, should you have any questions or like additional information.
Good luck, and good selling!
Jenna
Update: Temporary Reporting Delay since Saturday Night
Google Analytics users,
There is a temporary reporting delay within Google Analytics accounts. For most accounts, reporting is current through this past Saturday night. Please note that no data will be lost - data will continue to be collected and processed during this time.
We are in the process of fully updating your Google Analytics account data and will display it within your reports as soon as possible. Please note, you are still able to log in to your accounts and access all the data through Saturday. We will update this blog when reporting is fully restored.
We apologize for any inconvenience this delay in reporting has caused. Thank you for using Google Analytics.
There is a temporary reporting delay within Google Analytics accounts. For most accounts, reporting is current through this past Saturday night. Please note that no data will be lost - data will continue to be collected and processed during this time.
We are in the process of fully updating your Google Analytics account data and will display it within your reports as soon as possible. Please note, you are still able to log in to your accounts and access all the data through Saturday. We will update this blog when reporting is fully restored.
We apologize for any inconvenience this delay in reporting has caused. Thank you for using Google Analytics.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Google Analytics Artistes
We have not yet established a certification for reaching the master level of Google Analytics, but ROI Revolution, a Google Analytics Authorized Consultant, is definitely the equivalent, and they want to pass on some actionable wisdom with a six-week online Google Analytics training course which launches on Aug 9, 2007 at 1:30 pm EST. We think Google Analytics is easy to use and set up, but if you're like us, sometimes you want to walk through a new process with an intelligent teacher to quickly become an expert. Also, there are some tips and techniques they use that we haven't even documented in the help center, such as these incredibly cool filters which populate your e-commerce transaction reports with the referring source and keyword that brought the buyer. This links a specific transaction with a specific keyword. Advanced stuff, and beautiful.
And consider this a huge plug for all our Authorized Consultants - if you aren't aware of them, you don't know what you're missing. These guys affordably work in concert with clients to find high impact insights about users and sites. We've seen them modify the Google Analytics javascript to integrate it with in-house lead tracking software or automatically track outbound clicks (more on this in a future post, Mr. Jacka). However, if you're simply having issues with implementation or analysis - or just have some general support questions and would like to talk to someone on the phone - you can also give them a call. They'll give you a reasonable hourly quote, and you'll be more knowledgeable for it. Isn't that the whole point?
Find one near you here.
And consider this a huge plug for all our Authorized Consultants - if you aren't aware of them, you don't know what you're missing. These guys affordably work in concert with clients to find high impact insights about users and sites. We've seen them modify the Google Analytics javascript to integrate it with in-house lead tracking software or automatically track outbound clicks (more on this in a future post, Mr. Jacka). However, if you're simply having issues with implementation or analysis - or just have some general support questions and would like to talk to someone on the phone - you can also give them a call. They'll give you a reasonable hourly quote, and you'll be more knowledgeable for it. Isn't that the whole point?
Find one near you here.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Notice of Brief Processing Delay
Today there will be a brief processing delay. It is expected to last a few hours. You can still login and view your reports. Please be assured that your data continues to be collected and that no data will be lost. We expect everything to be updated shortly. Sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Hoş geldiniz and Witamy!
We're pleased to announce that we now offer and support Google Analytics in two additional languages: Turkish and Polish. You can use Google Analytics, receive email support, get technical information from the Help Center, browse our website and learn marketing techniques from Conversion University in any of the 19 languages for which Google Analytics is available. Google Analytics Authorized Consultants provide advanced support and consulting services around the world in many of the Google Analytics languages. And if you simply want an introduction to Google Analytics, you can watch the subtitled Flash tour.
To update your language preference, sign in to your Google Analytics account and click the My Account link at the top of the Analytics Settings page. Select a language from the Language pulldown menu then click Save Changes. You will see that Google Analytics supports US English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Portuguese, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Russian, UK English, Polish and Turkish.
To all of our Turkish and Polish users: Hoş geldiniz and Witamy! Welcome!
To update your language preference, sign in to your Google Analytics account and click the My Account link at the top of the Analytics Settings page. Select a language from the Language pulldown menu then click Save Changes. You will see that Google Analytics supports US English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Portuguese, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Russian, UK English, Polish and Turkish.
To all of our Turkish and Polish users: Hoş geldiniz and Witamy! Welcome!
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