MARKETING & CUSTOMER SERVICE NEWSLETTER
ISSUE
10 OCTOBER 2012
this issue Marketing P.1 Customer Service P.1 Tool, Tidbits, and Trends P.2 The WOW Factor P.2 Upcoming Events P.3 Web Hits P.3 Key Marketing Dates P.3 Sponsorship P.4 TEAM FMWR P.6 Professional Development P.6
CUSTOMER SERVICE FOCUS ON CUSTOMERS
A sale is not something you pursue, it is something that happens to you while you are immersed in serving your customer. OPEX & OPEX REFRESHER TRAINING DATES
OPEX 30 Oct 0730-1630 AMCC
OPEX Refresher 31 Oct 0800-1130 or 1300-1630 AMCC
Remember space is limited to 28 per session so please get your staff registered now. The Refresher is for front line staff. Anyone who is a rater is to attend the Sustaining the Covenant Management Workshop.
TEAM MEMBER ORIENTATION Held at Audie Murphy’s Community Center
Oct 10-12 Nov 14-16 Dec 12-15 TMO is required within the 1st 90 days of hire. Contact Ruby O'Dell to sign up your new staff for training!
Customer Service isn’t a department, it’s an attitude!
Customer Retention Strategies It cost 5x more to recruit a new customer then to retain one. A tiny change in customer retention can cascade through a business system and multiply over time. 1. Reducing Attrition Most businesses invest an enormous amount of time, effort and expense building that initial customer relationship then let that relationship go, even losing interest as soon as the sale been made, only to have to spend another small fortune to replace that customer. The easiest way to grow your business is not to lose your customers. 2. Sell and then sell again So many people do an excellent job of making the initial sale, then drop the ball and get complacent. Selling has actually only just begun when someone makes that first initial decision. Lock in that sale, and all of the referrals and repeat business that will flow from it, dispel your customers’ fears, thank them and remind them again why they’ve made the right decision to deal with you. 3. Frequent Communication Avoid losing your customers by building relationships and keeping in touch. Build an email list, send follow ups, a thank you, reminders of upcoming events & specials. People not only respond to this positively, they really appreciate it because they feel valued and important. It acknowledges them, keeps them informed and makes them feel part of your business so that they want to come back again and again. 8. A complaint is a gift 96 percent of dissatisfied customers don’t complain, they just walk away, and you’ll never know why. While they may not tell you what’s wrong, they will certainly tell plenty of others. Customers who complain are giving you a gift, they’re giving you another opportunity to return them to a state of satisfaction and delight them and the manner in which you respond gives you another chance to show what you’re made of and create even greater customer loyalty.
4. Extraordinary Customer Service The never-ending pursuit of excellence to keep customers so satisfied that they tell others how well they were treated. Key facets include: dedication to customer satisfaction by every employee; providing immediate response; no buck passing; going above and beyond the call of duty; delivering what you promise before AND after the sale/event; an error-free-delivery process and recruiting outstanding people to deliver customer service. Extraordinary service builds fortunes in repeat customers, whereas poor service will drive your customers to your competition. 6. Courtesy system Improve interpersonal skills of your team and change the spirit of your team. Speak to colleagues politely and pleasantly, without sarcasm or parody, and treating them at least as well as you would want them to treat your customers. This will help your team to feel worthwhile and important, which makes for pleasant social contacts at work. It also motivates them to provide extraordinary service, encourages them to be consistently pleasant in all of their dealings and to relate to customers in a warm, human and natural manner. This results in better, warmer, stronger, more trusting relationships and longer term bonds with your customers.
7. Product or service integrity Long-term success and customer retention belongs to those who do not take ethical shortcuts. There must always be total consistency between what you say and do and what your customers experience. Your product or service must be of the standard your customers want, need and expect. Service integrity is also demonstrated by the way you handle the small things, as well as the large. Customers will be attracted to you if you are open and honest with them, care for them, take a genuine interest in them, don’t let them down and practice what you preach … and they will avoid you if you don’t.
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THE “WOW” FACTOR! Find a signature service attribute that is uniquely you, then try to creatively find ways to WOW your customers with it.
SEPTEMBER “WOW” EVENTS!
TOOLS
TIDBITS
TRENDS
OPERATING GUIDANCE & MARKETNG
NETWORKING DAILY
EARNING TRUST
1 October, the FY13 Operating Guidance will be in effect. For the first time, Marketing is mentioned in the Operating Guidance, Chapter 27 The following are the paragraphs relating to Marketing only: e. Program managers will not budget for marketing services; however, they will receive a statement for marketing support particularly printing and advertising expenses incurred by the Marketing department. f. Program managers are prohibited from going directly to external printing sources without giving the garrison marketing office the right of first refusal. Program managers must coordinate any web-based printing services with marketing prior to purchasing. Even though programs will not actually be charged for the marketing services provided, the “statement” will show how much the service costs.
Think about the number of people you interact with on a day-to-day basis, even when you’re doing the most mundane things. I know that I’ve had long conversations with people at the salon, Wal-Mart, and the commissary. Any of these interactions can potentially lead to new business. You all know about six degrees of separation, the idea that we are all six steps away from any other person on Earth, we just need to meet the right first “step” to start the chain of introductions that will lead us to our desired person (or customer). Therefore, the more people you meet, the closer you are to their friends, their friends-of-friends, etc. It’s a networking numbers game and it’s all about quantity. Ask someone you meet what they do for a living (everyone loves to talk about themselves), they will, in turn, ask you what you do. From there you can treat the interaction as a typical networking event. Give your business card, get theirs, and follow up afterwards. You’ll be easy to remember because you’ve met at an atypical “networking event.” It’s worth a shot – if nothing else, it’s more entertaining than talking about the weather. Source: Lillian Osborn, Gossett Marketing
Here’s the new reality consumers will never again revere brands the way they used to: Only 47% of consumers around the world say they trust paid media (television, magazine and newspaper ads), a decline of over 20% since 2009. 92% of global consumers say they trust earned media (word-of-mouth and recommendations from friends and family) above all other forms of advertising, an increase of 18% since 2007. Online consumer reviews are the second most trusted form of advertising with 70% of global consumers trusting them, an increase of 15% in four years. Source: Nielsen, April 2012 COMING SOON: An Online Customer Review page for our MWR facilities! On www.fortleonardwoodmwr.com ____________________________ WIN 59 – Finish the sentence ~ A sale is not something you pursue …
Email the answer and be entered into a drawing for a 59 minute card! megan.j. odonoghue.naf@mail.mil Last month’s winner: Shanon Borek Answer: People tend to support that which they help to create
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ADVERTISING
KEY DATES Marketing:
Upcoming Events / Spread the Word! ALL MWR Events & Flyers are online
Jan Marketing Requests
For a link to ALL HALLOWEEN Events click here
are due by Nov 1
click here
OCT 12 & 13 LORA’S 5th ANNUAL HAUNTED HAYRIDE 7pm – 10pm. Event is FREE and open to the public. The Lake of the Ozarks Recreation Area is located on 789 Olney Circle, Linn Creek, MO. 573-346-5673.
~ 1 New Year’s Day ~ 3 Fruitcake Toss Day
OCT 19 B.O.S.S. HAUNTED HOUSE 2350 Louisiana Avenue (located in the warehouse area near the rail road tracks), times vary - see below. Entrance fee is $5. Open to the public. Parental guidance strongly recommended. 596-6912. Dates: Oct 19, 20, 26 & 27 - 6pm-10pm / Oct 31 - 5pm – 9pm
~ 21 Martin Luther King Day
~ 28 Fun @ Work Day
are due by Dec 1
OCT 21 ZOMBIE 3D ACHERY AND PAINTBALL SHOOT Outdoor Adventure Center. 10am – 2pm. Zombie Archery Hunt is $5 for youth and $10 for adult. Zombie Paintball Hunt is $10 to play and $20 if you need paintball gear. Open to the public ages 10 and up. 596-4223.
~ 2 Groundhog Day
OCT 23 PUMPKIN PAINTING CLASS Arts & Crafts Frame Shop 6pm – 8pm - $7.50 per person. 596-0242.
~ 3 Super Bowl XLVII
OCT 24 FALL FESTIVAL FUN NIGHT Pippin Youth Center - 6pm – 8pm, ages infants to 5 years. A variety of activities including bounce house, face painting, games, a maze and much more. Dress up for a costume contest. Event is FREE and open to the public. 596-0238.
Feb Marketing Requests
~ 14 Valentines Day ~ 18 President’s Day To capitalize on our Marketing efforts, Marketing Requests are DUE a MINIMUM of 45 days out! Getting the request at 45 days or EARLIER ensures that the Marketing Office can meet all our advertising deadlines to maximize exposure of your event, program or facility. •Requests will be accepted at anytime however you may miss out on many advertising avenues.
OCT 27 PUMPKIN FEST Rec Plex - 640 Constitution Avenue. 11am – 3pm. Family activities, contests and costume parade. $5/person, $15/Family of four ($3 for each additional Family member) children 3 & under free with a paid adult. Event is open to the public. To sign-up for contests, visit our website at www.fortleonardwoodmwr.com. 596-6913. OCT 27 ANNUAL SPOOKTACULAR HALLOWEEN BASH BlackJack Bar & Grill - Bash begins at 8pm. NO cover charge. Event is open to the public, 21 yrs. and older. 329-2455. OCT 28 THE GREAT PUMPKIN SHOOT Outdoor Adventure Center 11am – 4pm, $5 per person. 596-4223. OCT 28 NIGHT GOLF Piney Valley Golf Course 5pm. $35 per non-AGFP, meal included. Open to the public. 329-4770. OCT 31 SPOOKTACULAR BOWL-A-FUN Bowling Center. Games are $1 / $2 shoe rentals with costume. Costume contest 5pm, winners will be announced at 8pm. 596-1498/329-2477. OCT 31 TRICK OR TREATING 6pm-9pm on Fort Leonard Wood.
WEB HITS – SEPTEMBER 2012 Check your web sites, patrons are lurking! FORTLEONARDWOODMWR.COM TOTAL HITS: 766,674 AVG HITS PER DAY: 25,555 AVG PAGES VISITED PER DAY: 461 TOTAL PAGES VISITED: 26,771 EZINE READERS: 5030
TOP 10 PAGES REQUESTED
MWR SOCIAL MEDIA VISITED FROM MWR WEB FACEBOOK: 15,222 FLICKR: 15,244
1. MWR Home Page 2. Outdoor Recreation 3. LORA 4. Sports & Fitness 5. Calendar 6. Flyers/Events 7. ACS 8. ITR 9. CYS Services 10. Employment
TWITTER: 15,292 YOUTUBE: 14,934
TOP 4 FLYERS DOWNLOADED 1. LORA
2. Oktoberfest
3. Taste of Arts
4. MWR Ezine
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SPONSORSHIP KEY DATES Sponsorship: Be sure to get your Sponsorship requests in as early as possible
FY13
CASH
IN-KIND
TOTAL
SPONSORSHIP FINANCIALS AT A GLANCE FY13
EVENT MONTH
REQUEST DEADLINE
Dec
Sep 3, 2012
Jan 2013
Oct 1, 2012
Feb
Nov 1, 2012
Mar April
Dec 3, 2012 Jan 9, 2013
May
Feb 1, 2013
June
Mar 1, 2013
July
Apr 2, 2013
Aug
May 1, 2013
Sept
Jun 1, 2013
Oct
Jun 29, 2013
Nov
Aug 1, 2013
Reminder: Sponsorship is a benefit to both the sponsor and the program receiving sponsorship. Sponsorship is not a guarantee – but will be sought if all requirements are met.
Shereece Spain Sponsorship Manager (573) 596-0147 shereece.n.spain@us.army.mil
NOTE: Amounts reflected in the chart at the left are not indicative that funds have been deposited. If they have been deposited and it’s prior to the month of the event, funds are held in GLAC 267. The funds will show on your income statement in the month of your event as “Sponsorship Income,” GLAC 553.
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SPONSORSHIP EVENTS & PROGRAM OVERVIEW
FY13 PROGRAM
CASH
IN-KIND
TOTAL
SYNOPSIS As of 1 OCTOBER 2012
Ft. Leonard Wood Area Hotels Events/Programs Discussed: Advertising – Follow up meeting 10/9/12 Contract Status: N/A Payment Status: N/A Sellers-Sexton and Mid MO Credit Union Events/Programs Discussed: October CG Scramble Contract Status: Pending Payment Status: Pending Red Bull Events/Programs Discussed: Gaming Tournament Contract Status: Pending Payment Status: N/A
SPONSORSHIP COMPARISON FY 2010-2113
Armed Forces Benefits Network Events/Programs Discussed: Pumpkin Fest Contract Status: Working with BLO to determine if this financial institution is reputable. Payment Status: Pending Little Patriots Embraced Events/Programs Discussed: Pumpkin Fest Contract Status: Signed Payment Status: N/A
Shereece Spain Sponsorship Manager (573) 596-0147 shereece.n.spain@us.army.mil
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TEAM FMWR
CATCH US AT OUR BEST Professional Development
EMPLOYEE HIGHTLIGHTS – MWRRRRR AWARD CEREMONY Employee Recognition: September 25, FMWRrrrr - fun on the high seas! Pirate Style!
Leadership Award - Brenda Riker Arts & Crafts Frame Shop Manager - CRD
Dream Team Award - Bowling Center Staff -BOD Kyong Bourret, Sherry Gilliam, Catina McReynolds, Chad Patterson, Charittee Deloney, Cassie Westfall, Chun Pierpoint, Pamela Rout, and Chana Randall
Unsung Hero Awards
Corlette Stubbins – CYSS
Wadeana Porrett – CRD
Amber Munson – CRD
Robert Steinmacher- CRD
CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS Courses you have attended through the MG Robert M. Joyce Installation Management Academy, School for Family and MWR may have continuing education unit(s). The School for FMWR is an authorized provider by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). In obtaining this approval, the School for FMWR has demonstrated that it complies with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/IACET Standards which are widely recognized as standards of “best in class” and the latest best practices in adult learning. The IACET CEUs provide employees with recognition for their efforts to update and/or broaden their knowledge, skills or abilities. Additionally, employees can develop and achieve long-range educational goals through a variety of options. Progress towards educational goals can be demonstrated and documented on your individual development plan (IDP). For more information, visit the IMCOM Academy website or the IACET website.
Nichole Walter - CYSS Citizenship Award Connie Obermuller
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