So you've got a new CMO. It's time to present your program to him, which you start doing in the usual way, running through your program PPT deck. You show him all the cool things your customer advocacy program has accomplished, and what you're planning for the future. And at... read more →
May
18
Apr
13
The evidence is overwhelming that prospects want to hear from their peers before deciding to buy. That's equally true for business buyers as well as consumers. In its 2015 survey of more than 1,000 B2B buyers, for example, SiriusDecisions confirmed that buyers are most influenced by customer experience--and if they're... read more →
Nov
20
Running an effective customer reference, advocacy or related engagement program requires collaboration with a lot of stakeholders. And the most important of them--like sales, field marketing, account managers, social media and of course, the C-suite--have zero patience for anything that's not highly relevant to them. Many of you struggle with... read more →
Oct
22
Let's talk about establishing--and even changing--the atmosphere or attitude of significant numbers of people in a community. Sometimes, it's little things--very little things--that can make a big difference. Here's how a neighbor of mine did that on our local pedestrian and bike trail. Katy Trail is a beautiful urban trail... read more →
Sep
23
I’m a big fan of Jerry Dankin, who strikes me as a non-ideological, data and evidence driven marketer, especially when it comes to digital marketing. But I think he’s missing a step when it comes to customer advocates, in his post, “The Missing First Step In Social 'Brand Advocate' Programs #DigitalSense.”... read more →
Aug
28
Customer communities represent the future of marketing, sales and customer engagement. Especially when you integrate your community with your customer advocacy program. It's in a community that your customer advocates can flourish. And your advocates can help to dramatically elevate your communities to the next level. The result can be a powerful impact... read more →
Aug
06
Our major political parties, both the Republicans and Democrats, are rather like the taxicab industry. They exist to protect and expand their power and market share. They restrict competition through regulation. Along the way they've lost sight completely of the audiences they're intended to serve: in the case of the... read more →
Jun
04
3rd of a 3-part series on Mobilizing Your Promoters In Parts 1 and 2, we looked at why Net Promoter programs can fall short of expectations, and how to set the stage for revitalizing their considerable potential to grow your business. Now that we know what we want our mobilized... read more →
Jun
03
HI Bill, "Don't just fly in and out with a reference request. Or a media request. Offer me the full range of opportunities to engage with you. Give me the chance to improve your service to me, measure the value you're delivering, develop best practices together, partner with you, engage... read more →
May
04
I did a mini-binge of sports viewing on Saturday: the Kentucky Derby (fabulous, dramatic race). Game 7 of the Clippers/ Spurs series (an incredible finish in which the Clippers' Chris Paul scored the winning bucket over the great Tim Duncan--12 inches taller--with a second left on the clock.) It was also... read more →