Jim Kukral - Latest Comments in Businesses Don’t Get Customer Evangelism

Re: Businesses Don’t Get Customer Evangelism

Warenwirtschaft — Thu, 29 May 2008 11:03:32 -0000

Well some companies try it with "Tell a friend", "Write up a friend and get cash" and similar programs. Some are quite successful with it

Re: Businesses Don’t Get Customer Evangelism

Jim Kukral — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:40:48 -0000

Jackie, if you'd just send all of them a copy of your book we wouldn't have these problems. Get on that would you? :)

Re: Businesses Don’t Get Customer Evangelism

Jim Kukral — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:40:06 -0000

Yeah. I don't think companies can afford to stay that way long term though.

Re: Businesses Don’t Get Customer Evangelism

Jackie Huba — Wed, 28 May 2008 11:48:00 -0000

Nice video Jim! The control issue cannot be underestimated. Marketers have been doing outbound broadcast-style marketing campaigns for decades. It's difficult for companies to change to model of forming relationships with customer evangelists one at a time.

Re: Businesses Don’t Get Customer Evangelism

Teddy Carroll — Wed, 28 May 2008 09:47:07 -0000

Definitely fear of losing control. Companies look at growing brands by tight-fisted control not by true growth strategies. Nurturing evangelists cedes control to others they cannot completely control. Kind of like turning your carefully cultivated English garden into a wild flower garden. The results are more than some companies can bear.

Re: Businesses Don’t Get Customer Evangelism

Mike_Beck — Tue, 27 May 2008 19:34:26 -0000

One word. "Attorneys"

Re: Businesses Don’t Get Customer Evangelism

Jim Kukral — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:44:14 -0000

You would think, eh? :)

Re: Businesses Don’t Get Customer Evangelism

Jim Kukral — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:43:48 -0000

Thanks Merrell. I hear that at least once a day.

Re: Businesses Don’t Get Customer Evangelism

Merrell — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:21:46 -0000

I bought my Flip after hearing you evangelize about it.

Re: Businesses Don’t Get Customer Evangelism

Mike1115 — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:45:44 -0000

I don't get it either. I almost feel guilty that I bought a Flip on your recommendations. Companies that do not understand what brand/product evangelism is are also missing the boat with social media. There have been enough studies done that show social networking is not chaotic and getting a positive review from an influencer with a large social network can be a tipping point for the product. You'd think companies would have seen this enough with the cult of Apple. People buy more Apple products based on recommendations from customers than any other competitor. This turned into Apple = cool so now when a new product release, it's selling itself.

Re: Businesses Don’t Get Customer Evangelism

Lyndon — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:39:31 -0000

You wouldn't think a company would have a problem with someone promoting their product ?

Given how competitive the business world is, how slim profit margins can be, free positive advertising should be the least of your problems.

Re: Businesses Don’t Get Customer Evangelism

Jim Kukral — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:25:49 -0000

Great story, thanks for sharing.

Re: Businesses Don’t Get Customer Evangelism

richpalmer — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:17:11 -0000

Customer evangelism built the free trade market! We all know the cliche'. The best marketing is by word of mouth.
My grandfather was a blacksmith. He operated a shop on his own property and had customer coming from counties beyond his own. I asked him when I was a kid why so many people were always coming to him... "why didn't they go to other blacksmiths where they lived?"

He said, "One thing I've always believed in is doing the best job I can. I do a little extra for the customer and he tells a friend. When that friend comes and asks me how much something will cost I'll ask him how much he thinks its worth. If he doesn't think the job is worth what I would normally charge, I charge him what he thought is was worth, but I ask him to bring me some extra [eggs, corn, wheat, etc.] the next time he comes by. Oh, and I ask him to tell three or four other people about my work if he's been satisfied."

My grandfather understood the value of having other evangelize about his trade. He didn't use that word, obviously, but the concept was solid.

The difference between my grandfather and these companies? Too much hierarchy creates too many levels of "command" and control. Each level wants to control a bit more than the level below them. Ultimately, the lose touch with their true purpose, which is to provide product and service that benefits their customer. Their customer, of course, is their income source... and their customer will say positive or negative things about the company if the see reason to do so. Get enough frustrated customers and you'll have no need for that hierarchy of control anymore.

Re: Businesses Don’t Get Customer Evangelism

Jim Kukral — Tue, 27 May 2008 12:55:18 -0000

I get that laurent. I just don't "understand" it. It's not just social media either.

Read Jackie's book, great stuff.

Re: Businesses Don’t Get Customer Evangelism

Jim Kukral — Tue, 27 May 2008 12:47:12 -0000

I have heard that the Pure Digital people are pretty understaffed, so I do give them some slack. But now, competitors are starting to pop up and well, maybe those companies understand customer evangelism? We'll see.

I will only evangelize about products/services that I love. Otherwise, it's just advertising, right?

Re: Businesses Don’t Get Customer Evangelism

laurent — Tue, 27 May 2008 12:45:56 -0000

Jim, I like your video, entertaining and interesting! Companies are built on hierarchy and control with managers paid to oversee....That's the structure they're comfortable with. Social media looks like chaos, has no structure, almost no rules....or i should say a social onse which isn't based on hierarchy and control but value, relevance and trust. Hard to leap from one to the other.

Re: Businesses Don’t Get Customer Evangelism

Jim Kukral — Tue, 27 May 2008 12:45:00 -0000

I hope they do finally. Meanwhile, if you're a company that gets it, contact me. :)

Re: Businesses Don’t Get Customer Evangelism

Jim Kukral — Tue, 27 May 2008 12:43:38 -0000

Exactly. I have to admit, that I do believe there's a bit of an ego play here as well. Some people don't like it when you market as good or better than them.

Re: Businesses Don’t Get Customer Evangelism

Tim_Jones — Tue, 27 May 2008 12:33:10 -0000

We deal with this all the time with a brand that we sell. Often, we are stopped in our tracks promoting their brand in a positive way. It sometimes even seems that they want to prevent us from selling their products and services -- all while continually being a top level performer/seller for them. It really just boils down to a control issue and a lack of foresight. Good post!

Re: Businesses Don’t Get Customer Evangelism

Michael Brito — Tue, 27 May 2008 12:32:59 -0000

Excellent video Jim. You are absolutely right. I think smaller companies like the two you mentioned are still trying to understand the impact/benefit of customer evangelism. Someday I am sure they will "get it". Keep up the good work.

Re: Businesses Don’t Get Customer Evangelism

asimpson — Tue, 27 May 2008 12:31:39 -0000

Excellent post. I have to add and say - i've hardly seen any great marketing activity from the flip people - which is odd considering how good their product is at that price bracket. (I bought a competitor @ similar price and hate it!)

Your site, the daily flip vids and the amount of ranting you do about this product on twitter for example has undoubtably resulted in a boatload of Flip Camera Sales. Maybe you should get everyone who's bought one of their gadgets from your evangelism to email the flip people to show the power of evangelism ;)

Keep up the good work - and hey if you ever feel like becoming a T-shirt evangelist ..... We'll welcome you no worries :)