The single most important number that directly impact your profitability doesn’t even appear on your financial statements: Customer Satisfaction. Our Ask Ms. Jones™ process provides you with prompt, actionable information so you’ll know exactly what your customers are saying about you, which positions you as a problem solving expert armed with answers that can laser guide your store to the top of the heap.
Our furniture-exclusive process, based on the Net Promoter Score (or NPS®), is a straightforward metric that holds you accountable for how you treat customers. The concept was first popularized through the book The Ultimate Question, and has since been embraced by leading companies worldwide as the standard for measuring and improving customer loyalty. It has gained popularity thanks to its simplicity and its linkage to profitable growth. Employees at all levels of the organization understand it, opening the door to customer- centric change and improved performance.
How to Calculate Your Score
NPS is based on the fundamental perspective that every company’s customers can be divided into three categories: Promoters, Passives, and Detractors. By asking one simple question — How likely is it that you would you recommend [Company X] to a friend or colleague? — you can track these groups and get a clear measure of your company’s performance through its customers’ eyes. Customers respond on a 0-to-10 point rating scale and are categorized as follows:
Promoters (score 9-10) are loyal enthusiasts who will keep buying and refer others, fueling growth.
Passives (score 7-8) are satisfied but unenthusiastic customers who are vulnerable to competitive offerings.
Detractors (score 0-6) are unhappy customers who can damage your brand and impede growth through negative word-of-mouth.
To calculate your company’s Net Promoter Score (NPS), take the percentage of customers who are Promoters and subtract the percentage who are Detractors.
This is not a traditional customer satisfaction program, and simply measuring your NPS will not lead to success. You’ll need to follow an associated discipline to actually drive improvements in customer loyalty and enable profitable growth. You must have leadership commitment, and the right business processes and systems in place to deliver real-time information to employees, so you can act on customer feedback and achieve results.
HIGH POINT — Three of the industry’s top technology specialists have formed a partnership to provide an e-commerce offering for retailers hoping to attract and serve consumers shopping on the Internet.
The partnership includes Colorado-based PROFITsystems, North Carolina-based MicroD and Ohio-based The Lively Merchant. Together, the companies have developed an advanced Web solution called e-Showroom.
The process basically allows retailers with no Web sites or Web sites that need improvement to get a turnkey enhancement. The process starts with an assessment of what the retailer really wants his Web site to do (The Lively Merchant) and continues through the creation of catalogs and room-planning capabilities (MicroD) and setting up a system to run it on (PROFITsystems).
While all three companies provide different technologies, “not one of us really provided the complete solution on our own,” said Shelley Parlin, PROFITsystems’ COO. “We thought that putting together the three companies that each excelled in a different area gave the clients the best opportunity for something that would really meet their needs.”
e-Showroom enables retailers using PROFITprofessional software to integrate and cross-reference their inventory with vendor catalogs and display them directly on their new e-commerce Web site, which runs on the ePiphany platform developed by MicroD.
“Through e-Showroom, our clients can establish brand awareness, increase traffic levels and maximize their advertising dollars by adding the equivalent of a second store without the building expense,” Parlin said.
Manoj Nigam, MicroD’s president, said the partnership “gives retailers the strongest possible solution” for establishing an effective Internet presence.
“We can help them connect to their customers and provide an easy-to-use shopping experience. Retailers will have control over their Web site, e-mail marketing and products shown without having to invest excessive time to maintain it.”
He said e-Showroom is a complete package that offers configurable and non-configurable catalogs, an integrated room planner, e-mail marketing system, free Web-needs analysis, Web site development, search engine optimization and social networking tools.
In addition, retailers will be able to select vendor catalogs or even have their own private-label catalog built so that shoppers can easily search through products without leaving the Web site and create wish lists or make purchases.
“Once the retailer has his site up and going, that retailer can figure out what the top 10 items are that are looked at on the site. Or he can look at what the top 10 companies are on the site,” said PROFITsystem’s Parlin.
“He may go, ‘Isn’t this funny? I deliberately put all my stock items on the front page but all the items people are clicking on and spending time with are on the third page. Maybe I should move those forward.’ We can actually get some analytics as a decision-making tool on what people are using the Web site for.”
While partnerships are not unusual for retail technology companies, three separate companies banding together for one purchase is unusual. Parlin said PROFITsystems has worked with both MicroD and The Lively Merchant in other venues so getting the three parties together was not so hard.
“It took a while to work out — who’s going to set it up; who’s going to support it; who’s going to do the billing? The relationship is working brilliantly.”
By Gary Evans — Furniture Today, September 21, 2009
HIGH POINT — Three of the industry’s top technology specialists have formed a partnership to provide an e-commerce offering for retailers hoping to attract and serve consumers shopping on the Internet.
The partnership includes Colorado-based PROFITsystems, North Carolina-based MicroD and Ohio-based The Lively Merchant. Together, the companies have developed an advanced Web solution called e-Showroom.
The process basically allows retailers with no Web sites or Web sites that need improvement to get a turnkey enhancement. The process starts with an assessment of what the retailer really wants his Web site to do (The Lively Merchant) and continues through the creation of catalogs and room-planning capabilities (MicroD) and setting up a system to run it on (PROFITsystems).
While all three companies provide different technologies, “not one of us really provided the complete solution on our own,” said Shelley Parlin, PROFITsystems’ COO. “We thought that putting together the three companies that each excelled in a different area gave the clients the best opportunity for something that would really meet their needs.”
e-Showroom enables retailers using PROFITprofessional software to integrate and cross-reference their inventory with vendor catalogs and display them directly on their new e-commerce Web site, which runs on the ePiphany platform developed by MicroD.
“Through e-Showroom, our clients can establish brand awareness, increase traffic levels and maximize their advertising dollars by adding the equivalent of a second store without the building expense,” Parlin said.
Manoj Nigam, MicroD’s president, said the partnership “gives retailers the strongest possible solution” for establishing an effective Internet presence.
“We can help them connect to their customers and provide an easy-to-use shopping experience. Retailers will have control over their Web site, e-mail marketing and products shown without having to invest excessive time to maintain it.”
He said e-Showroom is a complete package that offers configurable and non-configurable catalogs, an integrated room planner, e-mail marketing system, free Web-needs analysis, Web site development, search engine optimization and social networking tools.
In addition, retailers will be able to select vendor catalogs or even have their own private-label catalog built so that shoppers can easily search through products without leaving the Web site and create wish lists or make purchases.
“Once the retailer has his site up and going, that retailer can figure out what the top 10 items are that are looked at on the site. Or he can look at what the top 10 companies are on the site,” said PROFITsystem’s Parlin.
“He may go, ‘Isn’t this funny? I deliberately put all my stock items on the front page but all the items people are clicking on and spending time with are on the third page. Maybe I should move those forward.’ We can actually get some analytics as a decision-making tool on what people are using the Web site for.”
While partnerships are not unusual for retail technology companies, three separate companies banding together for one purchase is unusual. Parlin said PROFITsystems has worked with both MicroD and The Lively Merchant in other venues so getting the three parties together was not so hard.
“It took a while to work out — who’s going to set it up; who’s going to support it; who’s going to do the billing? The relationship is working brilliantly.”
Retail automation vendor Profitsystems has partnered with MicroD and The Lively Merchant on e-Showroom an advanced Web solution designed to help their customers sell additional product, more effectively and efficiently.
e-Showroom enables retailers using Profitprofessional software to integrate and cross reference their inventory flawlessly with vendor catalogs and display them directly on their new e-commerce enabled Web site. The partnership will utilize the ePiphany Web site platform developed by MicroD.
“Retailers can harness the power of three industry leaders in one Web solution,” said Shelley Parlin, COO for Profitsystems. “Through e-Showroom, our clients can establish brand awareness, increase traffic levels, and maximize their advertising dollars by adding the equivalent of a second store without the building expense.”
“This partnership gives retailers the strongest possible solution for their internet presence,” said Manoj Nigam, president of MicroD. “We can help them connect to their customers and provide an easy to use shopping experience. Retailers will have control over their website, email marketing, and products shown without having to invest excessive time to maintain it.”
David McMahon, director of e-solutions for Profitsystems said: What this means for retailers is that they can have a web solution that is easy to maintain with product that can be sold. From Web site development, provided by The Lively Merchant, to customer follow-up, this one solution can meet all of the retailer’s needs. Their website is now relevant to the customer and salesperson. That allows for a huge ROI in terms of increased sales and decreased cost.”
What would it look like if your online strategy worked perfectly?
Site visits? Catalog pages? Phone calls to your store? Sign-ups for your online newsletter?
In retail, “wins” are often defined by someone other than the business owner. Vendors design product they want to sell at price points that allow them to make money. Advertisers tell the owner they should say this, or do that in terms of marketing. Sales people explain how they “don’t feel comfortable” working in your selling system. Customers do what they want and buy what they like regardless of your opinion or your inventory.
Online presentation seems to be following suit. Retailers aren’t controlling the outcome. Retailers are being told an online “win” is a high number of site visits, or the number of phone calls they receive as a result of website traffic, or maybe it’s the large number of vendor photos they can promote on their retail site. While all of these are good, none directly support sales.
We heard from a Wizard of Ads partner last fall something that won’t let go of me. He said, “If your website isn’t selling as much as your weakest salesperson, you should fire it.” I agree.
Never lose sight of the primary goal of retail: to sell as much product as possible at a profit. If your web designer and web developer aren’t constantly talking about selling product, I would suggest they deserve the same fate as you worst salesperson.
Check out the paid ad FeedBlitz, another email marketer, inserted at the end of this email I received today.
Tell Ms. Jones™ is different in a lot of ways, one of them being that we will never humiliate you or infuriate your customer with ads for “daytime shock-value strip tease” – or anything else, for that matter. These “ad-funded” emails can cost less – but really, what price would you pay to avoid this?
Tell Ms. Jones™ is only $100 each time you send an email to your entire mailing list, no matter how many names. Our customers report that it yields the highest rate of return on any of their marketing.
Hugh MacLeod said, “The old ways are dead. And you need people around you who concur. That means hanging out more with the creative people, the freaks, the real visionaries, than you’re already doing. Thinking more about what their needs are, and responding accordingly. Avoid the dullards; avoid the folk who play it safe. They can’t help you anymore. Their stability model no longer offers that much stability. They are extinct, they are extinction.” How To Be Creative
Many in the home furnishings industry are still trying to figure out how to best use the internet to boost the bottom line. To simplify the complex world of online marketing, home furnishings retailers, manufacturers, representatives and suppliers will gather at an Industry-Wide Web Summit on February 8, 2009, in Las Vegas.
The most pressing issues in the home furnishings industry are increasing expenses and decreasing revenues. Being online is the solution to both. We’ve broken online marketing down to its basic fundamentals. After four hours of teaching and an hour of interactive discussion, you will better understand the whole because you’ll understand the parts.
1245 Intro://Las Vegas Room@Harrah’s
1.oo Recipe for Online Content://Rick Doran/ President.CEO@RAMarketing.com
2.oo Simplifying PPC and SEO Marketing://Mark Phelps/President.CEO@PartnerMarketing.biz
3.oo The Power of e-Marketing://David McMahon/Director.E-Commerce@PROFITconsulting.com
4.oo What You Had Better Know About e-Commerce://David Lively/President.CEO@TheLivelyMerchant.com
All segments of the home furnishings industry are invited to learn how to improve their business through online marketing. The agenda is filled with valuable content that guarantees you will not be disappointed in what you hear. Seating is limited. Registration is required for this free event.
October 1, 2008,— PROFITsystems, Inc., the leading software provider for the retail furniture industry, and The Lively Merchant, a consulting firm offering a variety of business building tools, have formed a new working relationship.The synergy of the products that the two companies offer makes this a win-win situation for retailers.Wayne McMahon, VP of PROFITconsulting and David Lively, owner of the Lively Merchant, are combining their years of experience in business analysis to provide retailers with expertise in specialized areas of their business.
Lively specializes in generational transfer consulting, which PROFITsystems and The Lively Merchant are making available to their clients. McMahon stated, “Many owners of businesses in the home furnishings industry are second and third generation.Being able to offer a clear plan on transitioning the business to the next generation is vital to the continued success of these businesses.”McMahon continued, “Providing a path to this transition will be a huge benefit to our clients.”
The two companies will also be joining efforts in developing marketing campaigns for retailers.PROFITsystems’ e-Marketing is designed to offer retailers an organized way to utilize their client base for specified marketing efforts and The Lively Merchant has a unique copyrighted 47 point how-to manual for big event sales.These will be offered as an exclusive mix that will highlight the best of both programs.Lively said, “Advertising and marketing are evolving at an incredible pace.Many business owners are busy keeping up with the retail furniture industry and just do not have the time to keep up on all of the new avenues available in the advertising and marketing arenas. Our two companies have a unique opportunity to do the work that is necessary to bring the newest and most successful campaigns to the retailer.”
PROFITsystems and The Lively Merchant will remain independent companies although future projects will be developed to capitalize on the strengths of each.For additional information on The Lively Merchant or PROFITsystems please visit their individual websites: www.thelivelymerchant.com or www.profitsystems.com.
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Hypotheses
The day will come when, after harnessing space, the winds, the tides and gravitation, we shall harness for God the energies of love. And on that day, for the second time in the history of the world, we shall have discovered fire.
The single most important number that directly impact your profitability doesn’t even appear on your financial statements: Customer Satisfaction. Our Ask Ms. Jones™ process provides you with prompt, actionable information so you’ll know exactly what your customers are saying about you, which positions you as a problem solving expert armed with answers that can laser guide your store to the top of the heap.
What would it look like if your online strategy worked perfectly?
Many in the home furnishings industry are still trying to figure out how to best use the internet to boost the bottom line. To simplify the complex world of online marketing, home furnishings retailers, manufacturers, representatives and suppliers will gather at an Industry-Wide Web Summit on February 8, 2009, in Las Vegas.
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