About Jodi Kaplan

Why Can’t the Post Office Be More Like The Gap?

Posted on April 9, 2009 by Jodi Kaplan

There were 14 people in line at the post office Tuesday. The branch near me has 10 windows, but only 5 of them were staffed. It took me 25 minutes to get to the front, get my envelope weighed, and hand them my $1 postage.

The post office can operate like this because they have a semi-monopoly. There are other choices for packages and specialty shipping, but for ordinary mail and stamps, they’re pretty much it.

Now, imagine the post office worked like The Gap. There would be a floor manager with a headset. She’d direct people to the right line and offer assistance finding stamps or forms. If it got busy, she could call into the back room and get more clerks out to staff the windows. The line could move faster, customers could be helped more quickly, and waste less time standing in line.

Your business probably isn’t a monopoly, and it’s likely you don’t have the luxury of running it as if it is. So, are you making it hard for your customers to buy your products? Is your staff helpful? Are you more like The Gap or more like the Post Office?

Photo: kevin dooley

Change Your Story and Eat Cake

Posted on April 8, 2009 by Jodi Kaplan

This is my 100th post, so I thought I’d serve cake and take the opportunity to thank you all for reading this blog.

Even in a downturn, it’s important to celebrate milestones. Besides, how you react to the economic slump can make a big difference in the results you get. I heard someone say recently that they’d met a real estate broker who was doing well. How? Instead of bemoaning the state of the economy, he got himself a button that said, “I refuse to participate in a recession.” Then, he told potential clients that real estate was now on sale! 50% off! If they missed this chance, they’d regret it.

He changed the story from a problem to an appealing offer.

So, how will you make your story different from all other stories?

diongillard

Poisoning the Well, Muddying the Waters

Posted on April 7, 2009 by Jodi Kaplan

Seth Godin’s post on poisoning the well reminded me of the movies. How?

For weeks, the local AMC theatre was full of advertising material for Monsters vs. Aliens. They had stickers on the doors and the floor, big banners hanging from the ceiling, posters, cardboard cutouts, trailers, all sorts of stuff. Finally the movie opened — at the City Cinema down the street — thoroughly confusing AMC’s patrons, who, naturally, expected the movie to appear at the theatre that had been advertising it so heavily.

Now, why would the theatre, the distributors, or the movie studios want to spend so much time promoting a movie at a theatre that won’t be showing it? It’s confusing to people who show up at the wrong place, probably irritates the theatre staff, and may lose customers for the movie.

Are you confusing your customers too? Is your Web site hard to buy from? Do visitors have to click through three or four pages before they see your products or services? What about your voice mail system? Does it require an extension to leave a message? If so, is there a directory? Is your store easy to navigate? Are the options for the services you offer clear? Are you driving customers to look elsewhere?

Take another look. Don’t spend your money driving people to your competition!

Photo: neils photography

We’re Number One!

Posted on April 6, 2009 by Jodi Kaplan

Today on Morning Joe, a Republican strategist was complaining that when President Obama spoke in Strasbourg, he admitted past arrogance, but also urged Europe to be aware of its own anti-Americanism. The strategist was upset because she thought he ought to have said, “We’re not perfect, but we’re the greatest country in the world.”

I’m not pointing this out to be political, but imagine if he had done that. He wants (and needs) Europe’s help in Afghanistan. Being boastful probably isn’t the best way to get it.

Likewise, proclaiming to your customers (over and over) how great your company is, how it’s number one in sales, or you’ve been in business 50 years, etc. may not be the best way to impress them. In fact, someone under 30 recently told me that his generation would look askance at a company that boasted of longevity; figuring they must be out-of-touch and old-fashioned. Instead tell your customers something that speaks to their needs, wants, and hopes. Share how you can meet those needs, make their dreams real, or improve their lives (not yours).

allygirl520

Direct Mail Isn’t Dead!

Posted on April 3, 2009 by Jodi Kaplan

Image via Wikipedia

Some people think that direct mail is old-fashioned, a dinosaur in an age of Twitter, Facebook, and e-mail.

However, The Wharton Business School reported last year that the “Dead-Tree Medium” Often Beats Digital.

Why paper is better

The report noted that approximately 103 billion pieces of mail were sent at the standard (third-class) rate in 2007. Why? Because paper feels special. It can be personalized, it’s more flexible, and you can make it longer.

Mail can’t eat your computer

Emails are perceived as cheap, or free, sent without thought or consideration. Readers toss email without thought (but they spend a few precious seconds looking at your mail piece).

People hesitate to open emails from “strangers”, fearing viruses, pitches for drugs, or worse, but mail is danger-free. Open it and read it (or even toss it) without fear of catching anything.

Once it’s open, it may catch your reader’s attention. It takes more time and effort to write and mail a letter. When people feel you have invested in them, they are more willing to invest in you.