penumbra media & design

Matthew Hudson | February 25, 2009

Okay, so today’s post is self-serving, I admit. But we are excited that the day is fast approaching for the release of our next book - The Retail Sales Bible. This book is co-authored with a retail great, Rick Segal, who has published several books already including Retail for Dummies. It has long been my desire to take the basic concepts of the retail sales model I have worked with over the last 26 years and put it into a book.

If you are in retail, you know how complicated people can make the sales process. Too many times, people try and bring B2B models into retail. Rick and I both have a retail background, in fact, I am still in retail with a footwear business. (But that is another post) This has been an interesting project because I play the role of the book smart guy and Rick plays the part of the street smarts guy. Together, we form one very large smart guy. (Maybe I should say wise guy!)

In this book, we will introduce you to some sales techniques that have have been proven to work time and time again in building lasting relationships - which is the purpose of selling anyway! Most sales books are about “closing the deal.” This one is about “making a customer for life.”

If you are interested in being one of the first to receive this book, simply email me and I will make sure you are on the list for an autographed first edition.

I would also like to highlight a service we are both involved in called The Retailer’s Advantage. This online community features advice and tips for retailers and is a terrific resource - especially for the independent. Check it out. You will find us on there as well.

Okay enough selling, back to culture and design….

Category: 3rd Degree Shower Burn, Corporate Culture | Comments Off
Tags:

Matthew Hudson | February 21, 2009

Our last post featured a video interview with a friend of mine, Tony Hsieh of Zappos.com. This is a name and company you will start to hear a lot about. They passed over the magic $1B threshold in sales.

But that is not why you should pay attention to them. In all our years of work, we have rarely seen companies take the principles of corporate culture and drive them as well as Tony does.

I first met Tony back in 1999, their first year in business. We spoke many times about how to sell shoes online. My advice to Tony then is the same to you today - do not try to sell online, try to be online. Okay confusing yes, But let me explain. If Zappos wanted to be successful at selling shoes online, they needed to take the experience of buying shoes in a upscale, independent shoe store - not some department store who has forgotten the true art of fit and service.

My example was Barnes and Noble. Amazon.com was first to the web with books right? Well, Barnes and Noble wanted to compete so they put up their own website. Only who is still the best at book sales? Amazon.com - the one who does not even own a book store. Simply put, they missed the most important rule - the one I shared above.

If Barnes and Noble had focused on bringing their store experience online instead of processing sales of books, then, I believe it would be a different story today. You know what I mean. The warm embrace of the store when you enter. the escape from the outside world you get when lounging in a chair in the back corner reading. Imagine if they had brought this online?

But the lesson for today is this - your culture is your culture. When you try to be something you are not, you will FAIL! People who interact with you in a store, need to get the same vibe and experience from you online. Otherwise, you are not only schizophrenic, but your employees start to lose focus on the true you - and your culture suffers.

That’s how it happens. Slowly, over time. And then its gone.

Category: 3rd Degree Shower Burn, Corporate Culture | Comments Off
Tags:

Matthew Hudson | February 17, 2009

Here what our friend Tony Hsieh has to say about corporate culture.

Category: 3rd Degree Shower Burn, Corporate Culture | Comments Off
Tags:

Matthew Hudson | February 14, 2009

It will never cease to maze me the number of people who worry about and fret over customer satisfaction int heir business. Do you know that a satisfied customer is simply one whom you have met their expectations? Did you also know that studies have shown that if you meet their expectations (i.e. have a satisfied customer) that they are only likely to come again and do business with you 50% of the time!

Hello! why do we care about customer satisfaction? What we need to be worried about is the customer experience. There is a huge difference. Why? simple. Even if you have the best policies int he world and the best prices and the best this and the best that, it is still dependant on people to deliver on those programs.

Walt Disney said it best, “You can dream, design, create and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it requires to people to make that dream a reality.” Truer words have never been spoken.

When we spend time with a company its about how to improve the “experience” of the customer (or employee depending on the case) when interacting or doing business with the business. And what is the determinant of that? You guessed it - the corporate culture of the organization.

We need to build organisations that are more concerned with experiences than they are with numbers on a survey. If you have a strong corporate culture with the values of delivering remarkable experiences woven into the fabric of your culture, then you have a chance. But if you are like 90% of organizations our there who do not…. well then we thank you. You provide us job security.

Provide an experience and you will win. Just say that word over in your head and then let the thought sink in. Have you ever been satisfied at retail for example without an experience? Of course. All the time. But are you loyal to that place? no way. They have to exceed your expectations before you become loyal. and they exceed them by providing an experience.

Microsoft is in the planning stages of opening stores. They need to do this to push back against Apple. However, will they open a retail store or an experience store? Or will they open a retail store and call it an experience store like AT&T only its just an experience store in name only. My guess is Microsoft will be more like AT&T than Apple. But that’s just me.

Category: 3rd Degree Shower Burn, Corporate Culture | Comments Off
Tags:

Matthew Hudson | February 11, 2009

Thanks to those who put this on You Tube. Thought it would be a great entry to our blog.

<a href=”http://”>

Category: 3rd Degree Shower Burn, Corporate Culture | Comments Off
Tags: