I remember a time when people used to take pride in giving good service, making a customer feel important and building a good relationship. Sadly these traits seem to be going by the wayside as customer service in this country sinks to all time lows.

As sales people and marketing professionals we have all forgotten the little things that make the big difference. Time constraints and extreme competition have sent most sales and marketing professionals into fire drill mode. We are all so busy and rushed that we haven’t taken the time to hone the core skills needed to make better connections with our customers.

Our consumers are deluged with non-personal interaction such as the drive thru, walk up, self checkout, online checkout, live chat, interactive phone menu and on demand video tours.  Today’s consumer seldom has to interact with a live person and when they do, the experience leaves them less than impressed.

Even the deli counter in my local supermarket has become automated with touch screen order placement. I never even see the person slicing my bologna (not a euphemism), when my number is called over the PA system I just go and pick up my meat (also not a euphemism). I then proceed to a self checkout line and out the door I go without ever interacting with one single live person. Sure, this is a great convenience and a savings to the store but at what cost?

By losing the personal connection with customers we are losing valuable loyalty. I no longer have the personal interaction with anyone in the store. No one knows my name and I don’t know there’s so how are they any different than any other market in the area? The people are the difference. Their experiences, stories and personalities are the glue that builds customer loyalty. Without the personal connection there is no bond.

I recently went on a Caribbean cruise. On a cruise you spend a good deal of time on the ship. These ships are like floating cities, 138 thousand ton, 15 story cities complete with 4 themed restaurants, 6 bars / lounges, a movie theater, rock climbing wall, 4 pools, casino and ice skating rink.

Out of all of the impressive things a cruise ship of this magnitude has to offer there was one thing that impressed me the most – the crew. Every crew member whether a waiter, bartender or stateroom attendant strived to make a personal connection with me. They were always pleasant, smiling and made me feel like each day was greater than the next. Customer service was top priority and it showed.

One crew member stood out far above the rest (at least to me). His name was Donny. He was the bartender at one of the many lounges on the ship. I watched Donny masterfully make a connection with every customer. He immediately made it a point to remember the names of every person (over 3000 people on this particular cruise) that ordered a drink from him. Not only that but he remembered the drink they ordered as well.

Donny made me feel like Norm from Cheers as I strolled by and he yelled my name and by doing so he made a deep connection with me. Whenever I wanted to have a drink, no matter where I was on the ship I went to see Donny because he knew me. I never visited any of the other 6 lounges on the ship because Donny and me were buds! And guess what, everyone else must have felt the same way because Donny’s bar was the busiest on the ship.

Donny mastered name memorization techniques to better connect with his customers, which in turn led to more sales and larger tips. The time it took him to master this technique more than paid for itself.

I have personally taken a memory skills training program created by a friend of mine named Ron White. Ron is a great guy from Texas who is a Guinness world record holder for memory. Ron’s program allows me to memorize names in meetings, at networking events and my speaking engagements.

By using his techniques I have made solid connections with people. When you know someone’s name they connect with you. This simple skill is one worth learning if you are in any form of sales and marketing. We need to remember that the only thing that makes our products and services great – is us. Our unique personalities allow us to connect with customers on a deeper level than will ever be available through an automated system.

Buying is an emotional process, it’s a personal thing. Selling and marketing requires a personal touch in order to succeed. Don’t forget to hone the skills that have stood the test of time.

Ron White will be speaking at a Move Ahead 1 Success Expo in Piscataway, NJ on February 27^th. I have seen this presentation 3 times and each time I have left with a great new memory skill. I highly recommend seeing Ron; the skills you will leave his seminar with are truly invaluable.

Yes I meant “revolutions” it’s not a typo.

A revolution can be defined in many ways but it can only mean one of two things. An overthrow of an established system / procedure or, course back to a starting point.

Only one type of revolution can help you make the upcoming year one to remember, at least from a marketing perspective.

Many companies get caught in a trap when it comes to marketing. They keep doing the same things over and over again. Round and round our marketing goes when it makes money we never know. The world changes too fast for anyone to think that doing the same old thing will produce new results. When it comes to marketing, that type of, “revolution” is the one to avoid.

Our customers are changing; in fact, you might even say they are creating a revolution of their own. There is no denying that the Internet has changed the face of business and marketing forever. One of the biggest changes brought about by the Internet is in customer behavior. We live in an on-demand society, a clickable culture where everything a customer wants is only a mouse click away.

Our customers have more choices and they can have whatever they want any way they want it whenever they want it. This limitless choice has created a very competitive environment for every type of business on the planet. You either work within the clickable culture or lose business to armies of competitors who are very anxious and willing to take your best customers.

In order to grow in the competitive Internet marketing landscape you are going to have to start your own revolution this coming year. Here are my 3 Internet marketing tips that will help you create a marketing revolution for your company.

Tip # 1 - Think like a customer

Sounds simple but in actuality it is very difficult. You must separate yourself from your products, services and solutions. Throw away what you know and put yourself in your customers place. When people search for products and services on the Internet try and remember that they do not search for the solution, they search for the problem. If they knew what the solution was they would not need you.

Does the content on your website speak to the problem or jump right into the solutions with industry jargon and other language a client may not connect with? Simplify things and get to the heart of the matter. What are the client’s needs, wants and overall issues that brought them to your site in the first place?  Review all the content on your website and make sure it speaks to the customers needs. Shake things up and start to change your writing style and messages to be customer centric or bottom up as opposed to top down.

Tip # 2 – Step out of your comfort zone

In today’s competitive marketplace a website alone just won’t cut it. We have to expand our reach and use more diverse methods to connect with connected customers. We’ve all heard of Blog’s and Podcasts, YouTube videos and MySpace pages but did you know that a lot of these communication tools are great ways to connect with customers? It’s true, corporate Blogging alone is one of the fastest growing marketing vehicles on the web.

Start using some of these tools. Look into creating a Blog, see what others are doing on YouTube and Facebook. Familiarize yourself with some of the new media tools and figure out how you can use them in your marketing. If you don’t step out of your comfort zone, your competition is going to step all over you.

Tip # 3 – Seek out opportunity

The best information to help your business grow will come form outside your industry. Stop looking at your competition when deciding what type of marketing to do or what should be on your website. The dumbest thing you can do is to do something just because a competitor is doing it.

When I sit with clients to help them create Internet marketing strategies they always give me the list of things their competitors are doing as if to say, “They are doing this so we should too”.

How do you know if what your competition is doing is actually working? Will they tell you? Probably not. You will end up spending time and money to create something that was doomed before you ever got started.

What you really need to do is figure out what your competitions not doing and then do those things. If your competitor has written testimonials on their website, you create video testimonials. Is your competition Blogging? No, then start a Blog. Are they Podcasting? No, do that.

Look beyond your industry for ideas. Seek out what has been successful for other industries that service your customers. If everyone is doing something and you do it to all you do is level the playing field. If you find something no one else is doing, you’ve found an opportunity.

Those are my tips that should help you break the oppressions of old tired marketing and get started on your New Year’s Revolution! Remember, most revolutions are started with a desire for a change from the norm; it’s only when you take action that true change takes place.