Andy Warhol and Eleanor Roosevelt: Strange bed fellows! OK, not literally, but they are in cahoots here. And the two of them sum up my lesson today splendidly.

In 1990, I sent a placemat, pictured below, and promotion out to 6,000 of my customers. My men's retail shop needed an injection and I found the idea to do exactly that (and wish I could take credit for coming up with it!). 

Here's the thing: There is no Square Peg's Diner. Perception is Reality! 

It's All About The Customer
The whole idea of sitting at a diner and getting an idea and writing it down while it is fresh (as fresh as those delicious pancakes) is plausible, possible, and very real. 

I thought about what my customers would want from me and hypothesized that they'd want close, personal communication: not a lengthy, jargony direct mail letter, but something they could believe came directly from an owner of a store to their personal mailboxes. 

The placemat was that idea.  

Break The Rules...If It Pays Off
I guess we broke some marketing rules, though I haven't figured out which ones...but Eleanor Roosevelt did once say that "if you obey all the rules, you'll miss out on a lot of fun."

See, while it may not be corporate and some may classify it as "unprofessional," the placemat conveys relationship, warmth, a personal touch.  

There is certainly a place and time for professionalism, but I diagnosed my store's problem and fixed it: handwritten, off-the-cuff, I branded myself as an anti-chain. And my customers loved me for it.

The response to this "promotion" was beyond my highest expectation. We just didn't stop ringing that cash register!  

Just wait til I tell you my airport story. 

Here's What To Do Now
So, what's the take away here?

The takeaway is that I've accumulated enough stories and on-the-floor experience to work with your goals and objectives, to get people through your door, in to your waiting room, your pews, in front of your merchandise, or to keep them as loyal donors.

As a life coach, I will help you identify the obstacles, remove them, and achieve your objectives. Let me help you diagnose so I can work with you to solve.

Let's get you excited again about your goals. We have to meet at the diner to enhance and inspire, to rekindle that spark. 

Andy Warhol said it best: "You need to let little things that would orindarily bore you suddenly thrill you."  Like a placemat.

Let's have coffee, and maybe some pancakes, at the diner. I'll buy...you leave the coffee stain. (Look for it on the front of the place mat...it's real!)   

So here I am a "Life Coach"... always answering the question: What the hell is "Coaching"?!

And, as I have written previously in this blog, coaching often entails uncovering solutions and achieving goals. The problem is that these phrases often result in people thinking about pretty dramatic stuff: chemical dependency, emotional and sexual abuse, marital relationships...the stuff of therapists, social workers and psychologists. 

Let me be clear, that stuff ain't for me, the Life Coach. 

My Focus
I am about...
 * donor, patient, client, customer and congregant loyalty
 * retaining and increasing your following
 * dealing with vocational transition
 * getting started in your career

Sleep Easy Knowing You've Got A Plan
I help with your sleep-depriving thoughts from"should I get a dog?" to"I don't want my son to choose the military as a career after he graduates from high school." 

Don't laugh; these questions are very real.

A client called me for a meeting and said, "Larry, I want a dog, have never had a dog, and am scared of having a dog. The thought alone intimidates me, worries me.  But I want a dog. What should I do?"

The question seems so fundamentally different from the "what am I going to do now that I am fired" situations or the "why am I not growing my business?" dilemmas.   

There's A Root Of Every Obstacle
And it's true that while thinking out all the possible outcomes, I certainly had to consider the dog itself: will she bite, run away, endeavor to procreate...

But first and foremost, I had to consider the client. We came up with a list of things to do to determine if he was ready to become a dog-owner. 

When helping the parent of a future marine sergeant, I certainly couldn't speak for the boy (well, actually the man) himself. My focus was asking the right questions of my client, the parent. I wasn't satisfied with the refrain "my son is not mature enough to make this decision."  It's deeper than that.

We came up with a bevy of ways my client should address her struggles with her son's desire to fulfill his potential. We address the roots of problems, not the mere symptoms.  

You Are Why I Love Coaching
That's why I love coaching: dogs and the military. They seem like they have nothing to do with jobs or referrals. But, just ask me, and we'll work together to increase the loyalty of those you care about and those who care about you. 

Together, we can evaluate your options and come up with an aggressive action plan to help you overcome challenges. No matter what those challenges are. 

I remember getting a lesson in marketing back in the 70's.

A Can't Miss Sale
I managed a conventional men's retail retail shop and had recently purchased some preppy, Ivy League shirts, exactly the type of merchandise my clientele was used to seeing in my store. I marked them at $9 and strategically placed them, professionally folded, pinned and packaged, in a classy display case right up front so customers could see them as soon as  they walked in. 

A can't miss sale, I thought.

I proceeded to watch all of them continue to go unsold day after day, (except for the one I bought) week after week. Not one shirt left the shelf.  

Out Of My Hands Means Out Of My Stock
A close friend of mine who owned his own counter-culture, typical 70's styled store, a "boutique," was passing through my store.  After a brief discussion about these "winners" of mine (who were actually losing), my buddy rescued four dozen of these shirts from me, saying, "wow, I can really use these in my shop." 

Now, I wasn't entirely sure what he intended to do with them but out of my inventory means not my problem. I carried them to his car quickly and thought I had heard the end of it. 

One Man's Trash...
About a week or so later I get a call from him, this very hip(pie?) merchant buddy of mine, and he says, "I need more shirts, Larry. They're blowin out the door!"

Says me, "fantastic! How much did you have to mark them down?"

"Mark 'em down? Are you crazy? I marked them up to $15 and only got a few left...Get me more shirts!" 

I had another dozen or so of these beauties way way way back in my stockroom. So curious to see this chapter of Marketing and Merchandising 101 was I that I personally delivered the remaining stock to his store. 

There's ALWAYS An Opportunity
Here's what I learned that day: Jerry had unwrapped and unpinned these gorgeous shirts and tied them in knots. 

He washed and dried them in that condition and hung them on a clothesline...A CLOTHES LINE!...in his store. 

They were disheveled, atrocious, and just plain unattractive. Standing next to this display was a hand painted sign (forbidden, by my standards) that blared in deep red:  WILL SOMEONE BUY THESE F_______UGLY SHIRTS?  ONLY $15! 

He sold every one...including the dozen I delivered.  And I'm still not over it.

Post Script: RSS Available
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The operative word in all the literature out there about client relationship management is "care." Every consumer wants to feel cared for. They want to believe that their best interest is being considered as they make their purchase. But caring for your clients entails authenticity. And impostors are sometimes easy to spot.

Creating Moments of Truth
The opportunity to help create authentic caring moments is one of the reasons why I love coaching. Hall of Fame stories, like the one I share below, demonstrate that there is always room to create a Moment of Truth for the consumer, always a place to hook 'em for life. And it starts with genuine, authentic care. 

Making Us Sweat
So, get this: some time ago, a physician - internationally recognized for both his professional skills and success in outcomes - is now an hour and forty five minutes behind schedule. My wife and I are among the many who are frustrated and angry in the over-crowded, TV blasting, full-of-four-month-old-magazines waiting room. Moreover, we're a bit nervous because of the reason for our visit: the swelling in her neck, which we just know is a malignant lump. 

At that moment, it was rather hard to be impressed with this super human, first-cousin-to-the-Almighty, positive-results doctor. We had one thing on our minds and nothing among our surroundings was helping to create a positive environment for us.

Make no mistake about it: he had lost us as customers. When you keep your clientele waiting for this long, you will lose business.


Genuine, Authentic Care
From the depths of darkness, however, things turned around. 

The doc walked into that ready-to-explode waiting room (there were actually fears worse than ours waiting frantically), plants a chair in the middle of the floor, sits down and declares, "I know how aggravated you all are about this huge delay. You've been sitting and waiting. You're nervous. You're behind your own important schedules and obligations. I don't have to imagine that you're hungry and probably just plain mad!"

He went on.

"I am truly sorry, but you know, I am a specialist, seeing serious and severe conditions. I take my time with every single patient. And you will be no exception. When you walk into my office, I treat you as if you are the only patient I have; I answer every question in detail; I try to diagnose, treat, and comfort, all with the utmost sensitivity. This takes time, an amount of time that I cannot and will not predict. My receptionist is going to take lunch and beverage orders and get what you need at our cost. And when your name is called, I will not hurry."

This a WOW! moment. That was "my doctor" talking.

A Meaningful Relationship
He owned us...then and forever. We would have waited another two hours. Because, when it comes down to it, he cared for us. And was authentic and empathized with us. That's all we needed.

A relationship was cemented.

My wife's swelling was not a lump. But I tell everyone I can about my doctor's waiting room speech...even before I tell them about our blessed result.

Are you creating Moments of Truth for your customers? Do you let them know that you care?

I’ve been enjoying writing this blog and have been flattered by your responses and emails. As I continue to write and share some of the best practices I’ve encountered over the course of my professional life, I intend to dive deeper into subjects and topics you’re interested in; I will continue to offer guidance and experience that will spur new thoughts, ideas, and strategies that you can implement to help you grow.

But the truth of the matter is that while this blog can serve as a thorough resource, it is specifically through life coaching that I can be of most help to you.

The Key To Success
Where the blog provides general direction, coaching provides specific attention and focus. The most frequent question I’ve been getting is “what can coaching do for me?” My answer is always the same: Coaching, simply put, is the catalyst that will enable you to uncover solutions to your problems and achieve your goals. 

Coaching is about you. It takes place when it's convenient for you, over the phone or in person, regardless of geographics.

What obstacles are in front of you? What is stopping you from doing more business, from forming deeper connections to your clientbase that will inevitably result in a higher return? No matter if you’re a sales rep, member of the clergy, fundraiser, or in the interview stage of your next job…coaching can help you overcome the challenges in your way.

I Can Guide You
I work with fundraisers a lot. And when I do, I teach them how to develop stronger relationships with their donor-base, which leads to consistency, retention, and growth.

When I coach salespeople and retailers, I teach them about techniques and practices that will increase the volume of both sales and customers. And when I meet with clergypersons, I help them create stronger allegiances with their congregants; it leads to more people in their pews and a growing following.

Whether you’re a healthcare professional or real estate mogul, you want more people in your waiting room and in your properties. I can help you “get ‘em the door” and keep them coming back.

Put Me To The Test
Coaching is about redefining the overused and underachieved words “customer service.” In fact, those words will become taboo and a new standard will become your mantra. 

You can become the benchmark of excellence. Let me help you get there. 

Contact me today to schedule a coaching session or to learn more about the process. It begins with one phone call; you'll be inspired by the results.