December Madness

Christmas is no longer an interesting season for me probably because I am single and I need not worry about the preparations for the Christmas holiday. Sure, I will buy gifts and probably send cards to my friends abroad but I am not really compelled to make big preparations. This year, however, is very different for I am also turning 36, meaning I only have four more years left before I reach 40. This early, I am already thinking of celebrating Christmas abroad. I intend to give my staff long vacation starting from my birthday (December 21) until January 2. I am contemplating of going to Hongkong or Singapore but I want the atmosphere in Thailand. The major deciding factors are accommodations, quality of shopping, and moments to relax and become incognito. If budget is not an issue, I would choose Australia but some investments have to take a back seat if I pursue it.

Enough of the Christmas travels.

It only occured to me that my December will be very very full with activities. My high school batch is celebrating its 20th year anniversary, and as class president and ..ehem class valedictorian, I feel that I have a great responsibility to organize a small party and pay tribute to my alma mater. So next week I am driving to Quezon to meet my classmates and plan our event. I also need to renew my ties with my fraternity brods in Lucena for we are celebrating our 50th anniversary next year and I was tasked to help in the preparation of our website.

It would be a mad December for me.

My team is also rushing a lot of projects: billboards, radio campaign, packaging design, exhibit materials, website, ground breaking of a project, consultancy proposal, magazine etcetera etcetera. We are also pitching for a major account (international shoe brand) so it means that we will no longer sleep for the next few days. I am dying to get this account because we have already been shortlisted by the client. I pray that our creative juices and energy flow freely to win this account.

This month, I accepted the invitation by the hotel and restaurant association in Bataan to deliver a lecture/speech for their conference. It feels great to share whatever talent and knowledge I have to other people. I am also scheduled to talk at the Philippine Marketing Association (PMA) seminar on December 12, and I have already given my go signal for the Asia Pacific Marketing Educators Conference in Cebu sometime next year. It humbles me to be invited side by side with other marketing experts from the Asia Pacific Region. It would not be work to me but a rewarding experience to share my experiences with other experts in my field.

I just wish that as we work hard this month, our spirit will also be filled with joy and that we will be guided by God to do good to our fellowmen. Money is important but at the end of the day, it is the satisfaction that we get in making a big difference in the lives of others... in our country that really counts.

Christmas is about the birth of the Creator. I am sure, He will guide us to make our dreams happen this season.

Sun.Star Network Online --- E-magazine

Sun.Star Network Online --- E-magazine

The Daily Tribune <<< Without Fear or Favor >>>

The Daily Tribune <<< Without Fear or Favor >>>

Relationship Marketing 101 : Winning Back Your Customers

Whenever I get invited to talk on various marketing management concerns, my first priority is to put my audience at ease. I've attended seminars here and abroad and I hate it when the speaker seem to be enshrined in his own ivory tower. I was invited by the Philippine Marketing Association (PMA)in one of their paid seminars at the Dusit Hotel few months ago and it was a great experience. However, since i was only given an hour to lecture, I had to cut short the Q&A but I instead encouraged the participants to email me for their questions.

Through this blog, I intend to share my answers to some marketing-related questions I've been getting from various sectors.

QUESTION : Is it too difficult to win back a dissatisfied customer?

TIMCAP RESPONDS : "Win Back" is about keeping the door open for lost customers to come back, or offering compelling, individually relevant reasons to try the company again. The key here is to understand why customers defect and to take steps to avoid repeating the same mistakes- by conducting exit interviews with dissatisfied customers, for example.

Again-as in people's personal lives-- one bad experience does not necessarily mean the end of business relationship. Rather it can be an opportunity to respond quickly and win back customer by admitting the error and fixing the problem.

Communication remains key in this stage, since 55% of customers only complain "sometimes" when they are not satisfied, and eight percent never complain. Studies show customers who receive prompt and satisfactory resolutions to problems--once again, indicating a company cares about them-- will likely become even more loyal than before.