(Time to read this Blog is about 3.5 minutes)

1. My Quote of the week:
   “Determining the future of our business and our bottom line is not a guessing game…it’s a committing game.  In a ‘guessing’ scenario, we make a guess and then wait to see what happens.  In a ‘committing’ scenario, we make a reasoned commitment…and then we proactively do the work to make it happen. Are you ‘guessing’ or committing?”   
   
   …Donald Cooper.
    
2. BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

The Donald Cooper 6-Star
‘Accelerate Your Business’
Boot Camp Cruise – March 13, 2023

 

I first had this idea years ago and never found the right partners to create an amazing, transformational experience and value.  Now, it’s coming together.  Here’s the scoop…

1. What: A 10-day Caribbean Cruise on the 6-Star, all-inclusive Regent 7 Seas Navigator combined with a Donald Cooper ‘Accelerate Your Business’ 6-Session Boot Camp…plus several opportunities for 1-on1 and small-group coaching.

Bonus: This transformational program includes 4 monthly follow-up strategy & implementation Zoom Sessions with Donald following the cruise to make sure that real progress is being made. 

2. When: Departs Miami Monday, March 13, 2023 on the 490 passenger 7-Seas Navigator.  Strictly limited to 20 businesses.
3. The incredible deal: By partnering with the experts at Cruise Connections (Canada’s largest cruise-only travel agent) and 6-star Regent Cruise Lines, this amazing ‘all-inclusive’ 10-day cruise and transformational Management Boot Camp is just $5,399 Cdn per person for a Deluxe Veranda Suite (for our American fans, that’s about $3,800 US) plus $2,800 for the entire Boot Camp Program.
    
   Spouses are invited to attend the Boot Camp Sessions at no additional charge.
    

   This fee includes return air fare to Miami from key gateway cities, all Shore Excursions, all specialty dining, unlimited complimentary beverages of all kinds, all gratuities, free internet and cancelation insurance.  For more information about the ship, the cruise itinerary and the incredible all-inclusive cruise package, go to Cruise Connections

    
   Note:  This past Spring, Wanda and I did a 20-day Mediterranean cruise on the sister ship of the 7 Seas Navigator. It was remarkable in every way.  You’ll learn much about the value of high standards and delivering extraordinary customer experiences, just from being on the ship.  

4. For whom is this Program designed?
   1. This highly interactive Program is specially created for the owners and senior managers of businesses doing from $5 million to $80 million in sales who want to sell more, manage smarter, build a stronger and more accountable team, grow their bottom line…and have a life! If you have next-gen adult ‘kids’ in your business, this will be a transformational learning experience.  Sort of like a ‘floating MBA’.

   I’ve worked successfully with businesses in over 40 industries throughout the world, so my insights and strategies are absolutely universal as to industry and geography.

   Note:  If your business is a partnership or family business, you may want to have more than one couple attend, if it’s in the budget.  Although I’m not an accountant, because of the intensive business content being delivered, I believe that this is a legitimate business expense.  Ask your accountant.

Click Here to download the complete Info Sheet for this extraordinary Cruise Boot Camp Program…or call me in Toronto at 416-252-3703. 

Now, to this week’s important topic:

Cooper’s breakthrough process for creating compelling Customer Value & Experiences:

Every industry and every market is over-served and under-differentiated.  Whatever product or service you sell, there are too many other people selling it.  And most of you look alike and sound alike…and change about the same price.  So, the key to growing your sales, market share and profitability is to create and consistently deliver compelling value and experiences that ‘grab’ your target customers, clearly differentiate you from your competitors, make you ‘famous’…and grow your bottom line.  Mediocrity is no longer an option!

The process shown below will help you create dozens of ways to deliver compelling customer value and extraordinary experiences that will clearly differentiate your business!  As you work through the 6 questions, make a list of every ‘value & experience’ idea that comes to mind.  Then, choose the 10 most impactful and create an Implementation Plan for each.  Specially, what will be done, by whom, by when, at what cost, with what results, measured how and rewarded how?

Then, choose the next 10 most impactful and repeat the process.  If you’d like help with this important exercise, I’m easy to reach at donald@donaldcooper.com  

Understanding our target customers on a whole new level is the 1^st step to creating compelling Customer Value & Experiences:

The process starts with defining who our target customers are and what life’s really like for them. To understand our target customers on this whole new level and start creating compelling value, start by sitting down for 2 hours with a few of the best minds and hearts from different areas in our business to ask and answer the following 6 questions.  Think and feel like a customer. 

This transformational process may take a few 2-hour sessions, but the results will be extraordinary.   

The 6 key questions:

1. Who are our ‘sweet spot’ target customers? We’ll welcome others if they choose us, but on whom will we focus our clear and specific value and experiences?
2. When choosing, buying, using, maintaining or disposing of what we sell:
   1. what are they really trying to do (*functionally, emotionally & financially),
   2. what do they fear,
   3. what do they need or want to know,
   4. how do they want to feel…
   5. and about how much do they expect to pay?  
       
      Note:  When developing insights for this section, it will be helpful to understand these 2 key concepts: 

1)  *There are 3 kinds of value:

• • • • Functional Value (we’ll offer products, services and experiences that ‘work’ for our target customers),
      • Emotional Value (our customers feel better about themselves and the world every time their life touches us in any way)…and,
      • Financial Value (our customers believe they paid a good and competitive price for all the functional and emotional value they got from us).

2)  There are ‘4 Currencies’ in our customers’ lives: (a ‘Currency’ is anything of value to our target customers that they don’t have enough of).

Those ‘4 Currencies’ are:

• • • • Money,
      • Time,
      • Feeling Safe (physically & emotionally safe)…and,
      • Feeling Special.

Question:  What insights come from these 5 questions in this Section #2 and what vqalue and experience’ ideas come from those insights?  Ideas that will amaze and delight our target customers and clearly differentiate ourselves from our competitors?

3)  What help might our target customers need in finding us, having confidence and trust in us, and knowing about all the value we offer? (think of all the places that your target customers may be looking for you, or someone like you. Places like your physical location, your website, your videos or social media, your booth at a Trade Show, etc)

Question:  How can we creatively and profitably deliver some of that ‘help’ that our target customers need to find us, have confidence and trust in us, and to know about all the value we offer?  How will we do that in a way that will amaze and delight them and clearly differentiate ourselves from our competitors?

4)  When our target customers are:

a) trying to understand the products or services we sell,
b) deciding whether to buy,
c) choosing which to buy,
d) making the actual purchase transaction,
e) transporting or receiving,
f) using,
g) maintaining, updating or renewing,
h)  and, finally, disposing of or terminating…

…the products or services we sell, what are they confused, uncertain or stressed about? 

Note:  The products or services we sell might not have all of these touch point ‘steps’ listed in a) to h) above.  Just ignore the ones that don’t apply.   

Question:  What do the insights developed in answering points a) to h) above tell us about what value we can add, clarity we can create, confusion and stress we can reduce, experiences & convenience we can deliver and relationships we can build that will makes us the clear ‘wise choice’ and trusted and respected ‘preferred supplier’?   How can we become their ‘Caring Coach’?  How can we add joy to every transaction?  Whatever we sell, people come to us for that, plus joy!  If we ever underestimate the power of the ‘joy’ part, we make a huge mistake.   

5)  Which part of each of those ‘steps’ listed in Section #4 above do our target customers not know how to do, don’t like to do, don’t have time to do…or simply don’t want to do?

Question:  How can we creatively and profitably add value and reduce stress by bundling into our offering some of the tasks that our target customers not know how to do, don’t like to do, don’t have time to do…or simply don’t want to do?

6)  What:

a) expertise,
b) talented & committed team members,
c) training & communication,
a) empowerment,
d) technology, systems & processes,
e) culture,
f) rewards & acknowledgement…and,
g) consistent proactive marketing…

…do we need to deliver and communicate our compelling value and experiences? 

In conclusion:  So, there you have it.  Seven questions to guide you through this powerful process of understanding your target customers on a whole new level that will lead to dozens, if not hundreds, of innovative ways to ‘grab’ your target customers, clearly differentiate you from your competitors, make you ‘famous’…and grow your bottom line!  

Being extraordinary takes creativity and courage.  Do you have the creativity and the courage to be extraordinary?

     

That’s it for this week…

Stay safe…live brilliantly!       

Donald Cooper 

 

Donald Cooper speaks and coaches internationally on management, marketing, and profitability.  He can be reached by email at donald@donaldcooper.com in Toronto, Canada.

October 12, 2022