What's Your Purple Goldfish? How to Win Customers and Influence Word of Mouth Read online

  PRAISE FOR WHAT’S YOUR PURPLE GOLDFISH?

  "Influence isn't a score, it is the ability to cause, effect or change behavior. Phelps shows marketers how to add that 'little something extra' that influences consumer behavior and drives word of mouth."

  - Brian Solis, Principal Analyst at Altimeter Group

  Author of The End of Business as Usual, Named a Top 2011 Business

  Book by Publisher's Weekly

  “What's Your Purple Goldfish? is the new benchmark for customer service and experience excellence. The single source for numerous concepts and innovations that can help build the foundation for a world class brand! (I just hope my competition doesn't find this book.)”

  - Chris Zane, Founder & President of Zane’s Cycles

  Author of Reinventing the Wheel - The Science of Creating Lifetime

  Customers

  “Companies often benchmark their customer experience against competitors, leading them down the certain path to mediocrity. Stan’s approach of delivering the unexpected, lagniappes, is a great way to break from the pack and instill a mindset of customer delight across your company.”

  - Bruce Temkin, Managing Partner, Temkin Group

  Author of The 6 Laws of Customer Experience

  "What’s Your Purple Goldfish? captures the essence of turning ‘lookers’ into customers. All of the real secrets of building a business are now out...thanks to Stan Phelps."

  - Stew Leonard, Founder of Stew Leonard’s

  Author of My Story

  “Your project has been an inspiration. I’ve talked about it many times, and included links in my articles. CEM can be complicated, but your examples show that with some creativity, companies can stand out by doing a little something extra.”

  - Bob Thompson

  CEO of CustomerThink & Founder/Editor-in-Chief CustomerThink.com

  The world's largest community dedicated to customer-centric business

  Author of CrowdService: Harnessing the Wisdom of Crowds

  “Painstakingly developed over years by Stan Phelps, a leading marketing practitioner, What’s Your Purple Goldfish? brings together strategies and tools that marketers need to succeed today.”

  - Bob Gilbreath

  Author of The Next Evolution of Marketing

  “What's Your Purple Goldfish? busts a myth and reveals a simple truth about customer service. Stan uncovers the recipe for creating signature added value that increases customer satisfaction and drives positive word of mouth.”

  - Barry Moltz

  Getting Small Business Unstuck at BarryMoltz.com

  Author of Bounce Crazy and B-A-M

  “What's Your Purple Goldfish? is unique in that it doesn't leave you asking ‘Now what?’ after you've read it. It's filled with actual illustrations of what successful businesses are doing right now to differentiate themselves and add value to their customers' experiences.”

  - Steve Curtin

  Customer Enthusiast!, Steve Curtin LLC

  “What's Your Purple Goldfish? is a great guidebook full of real-world examples business owners can use to increase great experiences to delight and surprise their customers. Two years ago when I first heard of this program, I begged Stan to stop at 100 examples, thinking there was no way he could ever find 1,001 stories. True to the lessons in this book, Stan delivered this and then some, and this book is sure to inspire you to give your customers some lagniappe. Read this book before your competitors do or be left in the dust.”

  - Phil Gerbyshak, The Chief Connections Officer

  Author / co-author of 10 Ways to Make it Great! and #Twitterworks

  “I have been a huge fan and contributor to The Purple Goldfish Project since inception because many companies talk about being ‘customer centric’ but few actually are. This project is a reflection of all those great companies that are getting it right every day, winning the hearts and minds of their customers, one customer at a time!”

  - Paul Dunay, CMO of Networked Insights

  Author of Facebook Marketing for Dummies

  “At the heart of the marketing lagniappe concept lies the truth that we cannot simply meet the expectations of customers. Every experience starts with a person who had a need they would trade something of value to have solved. Lagniappe can create the difference between needs not solved or solved poorly, and needs solved so well we happily tell others of the experience. Purple Goldfish, crafted wisely in customer experiences, can be the difference between mediocre and great business performance.”

  - Linda Ireland, Partner at Aveus

  Author of Domino: How CX Can Tip Everything In Your Business Toward

  Better Financial Performance

  “In an industry that relies on part inspiration and part perspiration, Stan Phelps delivers an inspiring piece on customer experience that will surely help marketers to craft their own best-in-class practices. Stan leads by example, and as a result motivates the reader to get to work re-creating their own brand experience.”

  - Jim Joseph, President at Lippe Taylor

  Professor at NYU

  Author of The Experience Effect

  “The reality is that your competition is probably delivering a very similar product or service as your company. In order to separate your brand from the pack you have to provide extra value to punctuate the customer experience. The funny thing is that going beyond a customer’s expectation is not very difficult. Stan’s concept of marketing lagniappe in What’s Your Purple Goldfish? nails the principle and proves that ‘tying the bow’ is just as important as the gift. If your organization delivers beyond its product or service, that will motivate customers to share their positive experience with others. When you can cultivate customers to become custodians of your brand you will beat out your competitors and grow revenues.”

  - Lou Imbriano, Former CMO of the New England Patriots, CEO at

  TrinityOne

  Professor at Boston College

  Author of Winning the Customer: Turn Customers into Fans and Get Them

  to Spend More

  “The concept of lagniappe is as old as the baker's dozen - and just as rare in business today! If you read just one book on customer experience all year, make it Stan Phelps’ What's Your Purple Goldfish? From its pages you and your staff will encounter countless examples of customer delight - well over the promised 1,001! If that isn't lagniappe, I don't know what is.”

  - Ted Coiné

  Business Heretic and Un-CEO

  Author of Five Star Customer Service and Spoil 'Em Rotten!

  Currently writing Catalyst

  “Ever wonder how so many $90,000 sports cars get sold by virtue of an $8 T-shirt – often size “child’s small?” Now you know. Stan Phelps’ What’s Your Purple Goldfish? compiles more examples of the decision trigger of reciprocity than I’m sure have ever been compiled in the civilized world. And, true to form, he throws in a bit of lagniappe here and there for the reader, too. Have fun! You’ll get more than you expected!”

  - Stephen Denny

  President, Denny Marketing

  Author of Killing Giants: 10 Strategies to Topple the Goliath In Your

  Industry

  WHAT’S YOUR

  PURPLE GOLDFISH?

  _____________

  How to Win Customers &

  Influence Word of Mouth

  This book is dedicated to my beautiful wife Jenn

  and our two boys, Thomas and James.

  Their support and love made

  the Purple Goldfish Project possible.

&nbs
p; © 2012 by Stan Phelps

  All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright herein may be reproduced, transmitted, stored or used in any form including but not limited to photocopying, recording, scanning, digitizing, taping, web distribution, information networks, information storage or retrieval systems, except as permitted by Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Published by 9 INCH MARKETING, LLC

  Norwalk, Connecticut

  Copy Editing by Jennifer Phelps and the 1 and only ‘Keith Green’.

  ISBN: 978-0-9849838-0-3

  1. Business. 2. Marketing 3. Customer Experience 4. Word of Mouth

  First Printing: 2012

  Printed in the United States of America

  What’s Your Purple Goldfish? is available for special promotions and premiums. For details call +1.203.847.9340 or e-mail

  [email protected].

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  FOREWORD

  INTRODUCTION

  PROLOGUE

  PREFACE

  PART I:

  WHAT IS A PURPLE GOLDFISH?

  Chapter 1 - THE BIGGEST MYTH IN MARKETING

  Tall Tales from NYC - Choose Your Path Wisely - Shareholders vs. Customers

  Chapter 2 - VALUE IS THE NEW BLACK

  Thank You Groupon - Pareto Principle - Revolving Door Effect

  Chapter 3 - WHY PURPLE AND WHY A GOLDFISH?

  Goldfish on the Brain - Mardi Gras, Seth Godin & Guppy Love Difference Between a Purple Cow & a Purple Goldfish - Purple Goldfish Strategy

  Chapter 4 - A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA

  What is Lagniappe? - Enter Samuel Langhorne Clemens - Acts of Kindness - Think of It as a Curly Fry - Plussing

  Chapter 5 - POWERED BY GIFT ECONOMY PRINCIPLES

  Exploring the Ideas of Surplus and Status - Can Marketing Lagniappe Live in the Middle - It’s More Than a Cookie - Greetings and Gifting

  Chapter 6 - ALL IMPRESSIONS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL

  V4 Principle - The Power of WOM - Are You Creating PROsumers?

  PART II:

  THE 5 INGREDIENTS OR R.U.L.E.S OF A PURPLE GOLDFISH

  Chapter 7 - RELEVANCY

  BMW - Toy Boat - Tiffany & Co.

  Chapter 8 - UNEXPECTED

  What’s a Schema? - Pepperidge Farm - Courtyard by Marriott - KLM

  Chapter 9 - LIMITED

  Fillmore West - Lou Mitchell’s - Four Seasons - Besito

  Chapter 10 – EXPRESSION

  Carnival Cruise Lines - Beep Free Products - BMW

  Les Schwab Tires - Four Seasons

  Chapter 11 – STICKY

  AJ Bombers - Pizza Shuttle - Westin St. Francis - Ray Catena Lexus

  PART III:

  12 TYPES OF PURPLE GOLDFISH

  Chapter 12 - THE VALUE / MAINTENANCE MATRIX

  Chapter 13 - #1 THROW-IN’S FOR GOOD MEASURE

  Zane’s Cycles - Southwest - Four Seasons - Wilson’s - Caledonia

  Moe’s Southwest Grill - Changi International Airport - Stripsteak

  Nails Plus - Lolita - Jim ‘N Nicks - Allstate - Alligator Lounge

  Stew Leonard’s - JetBlue - Umpqua Bank - KLM

  Chapter 14 - #2 THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOWL

  Johnny Cupcakes - Peter Millar - Perpetual Kid - Maroni Cuisine

  Michael Lynne’s Tennis Shop - Penzey’s Spices

  Rebecca Minkoff - Zipcar

  Chapter 15 - #3 THE LOWEST HANGING FRUIT IN MARKETING

  Sephora - Kiehl’s - Izzy’s - Bigelow Tea - Nagoya

  Josh Early Candies - Great Harvest Bakery - Starbucks

  Chapter 16 - #4 THE POWER OF PRIMACY AND RECENCY

  Hotel Murano - Hotel Burnham - Mountain View Tire

  Arigato Sushi - Hard Rock Hotel - Le Bistro Montage

  Chapter 17 - #5 STANDING BEHIND YOUR PRODUCT

  L.L. Bean - JanSport - Zane’s Cycles

  Chapter 18 - #6 PAY IT FORWARD

  Plaza Cleaners - liveGLOCAL - Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf - Chegg

  Disney

  Chapter 19 - #7 THANK YOU’S / FOLLOW UP’S

  Wufoo - Mitchells - Metropolis Performing Arts Center - United

  Rite Aid - Capital Grille - Advocate Lutheran General Hospital

  Shui Tea - Gumba’s

  Chapter 20 - #8 ADDED SERVICE

  Cartridge World - Zappos - Nordstrom - Safelite - Lacoste

  Boston Market - Porter Airlines - Salute - Horizon Air - La Pirogue

  Chapter 21 - #9 WAITING

  JetBlue - Great Wolf Lodge - Five Guys - Pacific Cafe - Lady Gaga

  ABT Electronics - J.Crew - Lexus of North Miami

  Chapter 22 - #10 CONVENIENCE

  Whole Foods - Trader Joe’s - Amazon - TD Bank - Thai Basil

  Campus Advantage

  Chapter 23 - #11 SPECIAL NEEDS

  Cafe Metro - Pizza Express - Hyatt - Rainforest Cafe - Marriott Virgin

  Chapter 24 - #12 HANDLING MISTAKES

  Nurse Next Door - 6pm.com - JetBlue - Wine Library Sur La Table

  Chapter 25 - LAGNIAPPE CATEGORY: TECHNOLOGY

  Izzy’s (RFID) - Taranta (QR Codes) - Tampa Bay Lightning (Chip)

  TOP 12 KEY TAKEAWAYS

  FINAL THOUGHTS

  ADDITIONAL INSPIRATION AND FURTHER READING

  ENDNOTES

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  LAGNIAPPE (a little extra or two thrown in for good measure)

  Foreword

  Have you ever met someone and within minutes of your first contact, you knew that you were kindred spirits? That’s how I felt when Stan first reached out to introduce himself.

  We first met a few years back when he was a brand new blogger. But I knew in an instant that he wasn’t brand new to marketing. He got it. Like most people will never get it – Stan got the secret to marketing success.

  He understood that marketing is about being so remarkable that people can’t help but talk about you. That if you absolutely delight someone – they will not only come back but they’ll bring friends. They become your sales force.

  Stan delivers this marketing truth over and over again in this book all wrapped in the idea of lagniappe. What’s so awesome about the whole notion of marketing lagniappe is that it not only teaches us what to do but more importantly, it reminds us that it must be done from the heart.

  True lagniappe can’t be faked or forced. We banter the word authentic around too much these days. But for lagniappe to work, it must be just that -- real and offered without expectation of anything in return.

  In other words – you do it because you want to, not because it’s in a marketing plan document or because your ROI calculator told you it would generate a 42.36% return. (And no…there’s no such thing as an ROI calculator!)

  As you read the stories that Stan has collected for this book, I think you’re going to be amazed at the creativity and generosity that many businesses have and in the end, I suspect you’ll be inspired to let your inner spirit of lagniappe loose.

  You’ll probably fill up a notepad with ideas of how you could do a little something extra to enchant your customers. When you’ve turned that corner and are thinking about them rather than what’s in it for you – you’re truly ready to practice lagniappe.

  I honestly believe that the guys in the white hats do win in the end. And companies that embrace the belief that if you give first and you give generously – you will earn customers for life are marketing’s good guys. This book shows us time and time again how to make that happen.

  In the end, this book is Stan’s own lagniappe for all of us. A genuine gesture of sharing what he truly believes with the hope that it is of great value to us. I’m so happy for you that you’ve found Stan, his book and are about to receive a gift that could, if you let it, change how you do business forever.

  Enjoy!

  Drew

  - Drew McLellan

  Top Dog, McLellan Marketing Group

  Author of 99.3 Random Acts of
Marketing

  Introduction

  “There is a place in the world for any business that

  takes care of its customers - after the sale.”

  – Harvey Mackay

  What’s Your Purple Goldfish? is not your ordinary business book. It aims to change the paradigm of how we fundamentally go about marketing our products and services.

  Let’s face it... we’ve lost focus in our marketing. We’ve been so laser focused on prospective customers that we’ve forgotten to deliver an exceptional customer experience once they’ve walked through the door. Advertising is no longer the answer. Traditional media is fragmented and for the most part ineffective. Customer support is non-existent, we’re too busy outsourcing it to India. We’ve developed complex loyalty programs that confuse customers and only promise future benefits. What we really need is a concept that promotes retention and generates word of mouth at the time of purchase. That concept is called “marketing lagniappe.”

  Turning back the clock

  I was first introduced to the concept of lagniappe (pronounced lan-yap) back in 2003 when I was part of a group called “on the edge.” The group consisted of five guys that would meet every couple of weeks to discuss life and our pursuit of pushing boundaries to stay... “on the edge.” I can distinctly remember the night fellow member Gene Seidman introduced the word. Gene explained that lagniappe was the practice of the merchant giving “a little something extra” at the time of purchase. He further relayed that in Louisiana the word is part of the vernacular and they have extended the meaning to any time someone goes above and beyond.

  It was one of those rare things that just clicked when I heard it. Over the next five years I would share the concept with friends and subconsciously I began looking for examples in the world of marketing. What I found was that very few businesses understood the concept of going above and beyond by giving that little unexpected extra.

  Enter Norwalk, Stew’s and Ritchie

  The same year I heard about lagniappe was the year I moved from living overseas in Amsterdam to Connecticut. Our house is just up the hill from the most profitable grocery store in the US per square foot, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Stew Leonard’s was founded by its namesake in 1969. If there is one place I’ve been that gets the concept of marketing lagniappe... it’s Stew Leonard’s. We’ll visit Stew’s a couple of times in the book.