In this issue: we'll talk about using your eNewsletter to communicate with your clients when something goes wrong.

Don't forget to read the P.S. message.

As usual just click "reply" and send me your thoughts.


Marcos J. Menendez
President
LCG


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Using eNewsletters For Damage Control

One of the main problems with living in Miami, FL are that you are the personal tour guide of every visiting, friend, family and business associate. Yup, if you live here you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Some weeks ago my wife's cousin was visiting from Texas and she wanted see the new Parrot Jungle Island. After taking her and my wife to see every single mall South Florida offers, the Parrot Jungle seemed like a refreshing alternative.

During the main attraction, the world famous "Winged Wonders" show at the "Parrot Bowl", everything was going as planned. The cockatoos rode in their mini-bird bikes and the macaws flew in on cue.

All's well with the show until the main character appeared, an impressive King African Vulture, the largest of the vulture family, with a wing span of over 10 feet. On this day Mr. King African Vulture decided not to cooperate with the show and go about on its own --literally flying the coop.

The vulture flew around the audience's head (thankfully not "dropping" anything) and then opted to leave the show and fly out from the auditorium on to the next door marina.

From that point on the show was pretty much done. Even though the trainers did their best to keep our attention, the rebellious vulture was too much to be ignored and the show got cancelled.

Most of the audience left the bleachers and went on to the other attractions, except for some, who like me, decided that this was by far the best part of the show. We continued to watch the vulture hop around the marina's parking lot.

That bird was really giving it to them, ignoring the trainer and continuing to screech and go about, like if it were saying "I'm finally free and you can't catch me". We supported the African native like a bunch of jailed cons rooting for an inmate that broke loose.

After some minutes the trainers stoped calling the bird back and decide to go get it. It was fun to watch but not so fun for the Parrot Jungle staff and ticket holders who did not get their full money's worth.

Here's the point.

The story illustrates what has happened, can happen and will happen to our businesses. At some point things will not go as planned. But it is how we handle the situation that sets us apart from the competition.

First and foremost we need to accept responsibility for the mistake, even if it hurts our ego and our pocket. Then we immediately need to communicate the solution.

Here is where your eNewsletters pays for itself triple-time. You have been sending your eNewsletter out to your prospects and clients for a while now. The read it, appreciate it, trust it and buy from it.

But today you have to let them know widget "A1" or "Winged Wonders" show is bad and needs a recall. Instead of waiting to see what happens and letting the newspapers and reporters say whatever they please about your company, you take the initiative and write an explanation and solution to the problem.

Then you send it out in your eNewsletter. In just a few minutes you took immediate action and controlled the message. Now your clients and prospects know what's going on and how to solve the problem. This way they don't have to wait for the shocking "this just in" newsflash surprise.

That's one of the many values that can be extracted by using eNewsletters as a communications and relationship building tool. The two-way channel between you and your clients is established and open. The majority of the time you're going to use your eNewsletter to help educate, support and sell. But perhaps someday you'll use your eNewsletter for damage control -- to protect your customer. Even from insubordinate vultures.

If you are considering an eNewsletter program contact us, we can do wonders with them.

Let me know what you think. Just reply with your comments.

If you liked the article so will your friends.

I'm probably the first person to wish you a Happy Halloween... we like to plan ahead. Have a happy and safe Halloween!

Marcos and Group- making eNewsletters that keep our clients in touch with theirs.

P.S. Don't forget to rate this article using the box on the left hand margin.