Together is all about creative, targeted and effective
communications. For over 20 years we have been successfully helping organisations to gain, retain and develop both their customers and employees.
Organisations from FTSE 100 companies to owner-managed businesses. We work across all sectors from retail, FMCG, property and engineering through to housing associations, charities and social care. Whatever the organisation, whatever the communication requirement, you need to get Together.
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Posted 22.09.2011
On the way back from a client meeting last week and in a particularly bad traffic jam on the M25, I got to thinking about client relationships. More specifically what defines a client relationship, how they start, how they develop and what gives them value on both sides. It confirmed a fairly obvious but often forgotten fact. The definition of a client is not the retail outlet, the manufacturing site, the distribution centre or the charity's head office, but the people who work there. Admittedly I was on the way back from meeting a particularly long-standing, excellent and productive client. Someone I have known for over 15 years, her birthday, her kids' names, her love of skiing, her hatred of chinese food, and the fact she's a massive Take That fan. But that example helped me to focus on why that client relationship works so well for both of us and, in turn, where we need to work on developing client relationships elsewhere.
Admittedly everyone in our organisation needs to work hard on delivering the service excellence we pride ourselves on. That's where it all starts or, when you get it wrong, where it can all stop. But that can be so much easier and more effective if you have a quality, in-depth and trusted relationship with your client - the person and not the place. Knowing the organisation's latest share price or new store opening plan is good of course, but knowing more about your contacts, what makes them tick inside and outside work, how you can help them not only shine in their role, but smile when they go home is arguably even more valuable to you and your future business relationship with them.
I feel the need to go on a massive client development drive with my team. Who do we know, how well do we know them, how often do we talk to them...and I mean really talk to them, what have we learned about them this week, who trusts us and consults accordingly, who keeps us at arms length and just instructs us, who is hard work and why, who is a pleasure to work with and why?
Better, more knowledgeable and in-depth relationship building with the people we partner with must deliver better qualitative and quantitative returns. The client relationship - it's a human thing and not about bricks and mortar.
Colins
Scan, read, respond, simple
Posted on Wednesday 22.06.11
Now I’m not known as an early adopter of new things (the last time was when my Mum said I was walking at nine months), so I’m particularly pleased we’ve got our first client using a QR code in their offline advertising this month.
In short, QR or Quick Response codes use offline advertising or marketing messages to target a mobile audience, giving them immediate access to your online content through their smartphone.
It’s quick, neat, effective and the uses are too numerous to mention here. But for starters, we’re adding a QR code to a client’s press recruitment advertising campaign, allowing the reader to scan the code, access the jobs page, learn more about the opportunity and apply online.
More and more people carry smartphones and the application needed to scan the QR codes is available to download for free. It sits nicely alongside Angry Birds and the McDonald’s Finder and, like them, my kids have already shown an interest. Early adopters anyone?
Tuesday 02.03.11
Customer Relationship Management. One thing is for sure; you can guarantee every one of your existing customers knows less about your organisation and what you can do for them than you think they do. Guaranteed. Whatever fancy software you have in place to record the management of those relationships; however well-thumbed that Rolodex is (look it up, youngsters); whoever has CRM as their day job; your clients will always surprise you. “You mean to tell me you could have……….fill in the rest.”
70 clients spent money with us last year and a further 20 the previous year. They spent less than we would like, so if they’re talking to us less, we need to be talking to them more. How well do we keep in touch with them; striking the right balance between keeping the trail warm and stalking them? What’s the best way to keep in touch? Probably informing them of relevant things they didn’t know already. Things to make them more influential and their lives easier. Things that can all help to turn your relationship from passive supplier into trusted adviser.
Scan, Read, Respond, Simples
Now I’m not known as an early adopter of new things (the last time was when my Mum said I was walking at nine months), so I’m particularly pleased we’ve got our first client using a QR code in their offline advertising this month.
In short, QR or Quick Response codes use offline advertising or marketing messages to target a mobile audience, giving them immediate access to your online content through their smartphone.
It’s quick, neat, effective and the uses are too numerous to mention here. But for starters, we’re adding a QR code to a client’s press recruitment advertising campaign, allowing the reader to scan the code, access the jobs page, learn more about the opportunity and apply online.
More and more people carry smartphones and the application needed to scan the QR codes is available to download for free. It sits nicely alongside Angry Birds and the McDonald’s Finder and, like them, my kids have already shown an interest. Early adopters anyone?
Now I’m not known as an early adopter of new things (the last time was when my Mum said I was walking at nine months), so I’m particularly pleased we’ve got our first client using a QR code in their offline advertising this month.
In short, QR or Quick Response codes use offline advertising or marketing messages to target a mobile audience, giving them immediate access to your online content through their smartphone.
It’s quick, neat, effective and the uses are too numerous to mention here. But for starters, we’re adding a QR code to a client’s press recruitment advertising campaign, allowing the reader to scan the code, access the jobs page, learn more about the opportunity and apply online.
More and more people carry smartphones and the application needed to scan the QR codes is available to download for free. It sits nicely alongside Angry Birds and the McDonald’s Finder and, like them, my kids have already shown an interest. Early adopters anyone?