Last Sunday I heard a story about the Izzy scoop. What is it? It’s a small scoop of another flavor of ice cream added on top of the ice cream ordered to encourage customers to be adventurous and try another flavor. The ordered scoop is a generous serving. Seeing the small scoop perched on top of the order is attention-getting. “Gives ‘em a chance to try something new without committing to a huge portion,” notes Jeff Sommers, who owns Izzy’s with his wife Laura.
Jeff and Laura came up with the Izzy scoop, which is just one of their many successful ideas. Jeff was a middle school teacher, and Laura was an attorney. Eleven years ago, Jeff bought a book on how to make ice cream from amazon.com. He followed that with a two-day workshop, and, four months later, Jeff and Laura started selling ice cream. “We were doing what we knew from our guts,” Jeff states.
Ever since, they constantly dream up new flavors of ice cream which they sell at their store on Marshall Avenue in St Paul, Minnesota. Their ice cream has been proclaimed the best ice cream in the nation by Readers’ Digest and Bobby Flay, Food Network’s toughest critic. Along with the usual flavors, Izzy’s features some very unusual ones: Salt Water, Cranberry, Norwegian Chai, Graham Cracker, Blue Mountain Spice, and Mango Django, to name a few. Mango Django includes honey, balsamic vinegar, poppy seeds, a dash of cayenne pepper, and ground pink peppercorns. It was the Best of Show Winner 2011 at Izzy’s 9th People’s Flavor Awards, an ice cream tasting event.
In 2006, Hot Brown Sugar took the top prize. The idea came from Jane Carlson, an Izzy’s customer. It features brown sugar burnt caramel ice cream with praline pecans toasted in cayenne pepper. “Wow! It just tastes so great!” Jane responded the first time that she sampled her idea.
Izzy’s uses this contest to solicit ideas for new ice cream flavors from its customers. The rest of this year’s winners include Upside Down Delight by William Turner, a vanilla ice cream with crushed pineapple, buttery yellow cake, and caramelized brown sugar; CH-CH-Cherry Bomb by Nicolas Larkins a Japanese plum wine with grenadine-cherry; Slow Your (Nut) Roll by Markda Awada, vanilla ice cream with crushed Pearson's nut roll, caramel, nougat, and fudge swirls; Fruit! Bomb! by Maggie Baxter, lemon flavored ice cream with frozen strawberries and apricots; and Caramel Coffee Swirl by Amelia Odens, caramel ice cream blended with coffee infused cream and a fudge swirl.
Out of its current 120 flavor selection, Izzy’s features thirty-two flavors at any given time, which are listed on its Web site and updated every three minutes. Jeff searches for the finest ingredients to use in creating these ice creams. He and Laura have decided not to expand beyond one store so that they may maintain their high standards of ingredients and flavor.
Through this attitude, Jeff and Laura remind us what is important in business: creating a product or service that our customers want and delivering it consistently. They involve their customers with an annual contest to get new flavor ideas, and then they follow through on their customers’ suggestions. They innovate with these customers’ ideas as well as many of their own. They top this off with an Izzy scoop, giving their customers an opportunity to be adventurous and sample new flavors. Their customer focus is a recipe for success.
How can you use Izzy’s recipe in your business?
Friday, August 19, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
The Impact of Video
When I was a wet-behind-the-ears TV sales representative, I received some advice from a man I respected who had sold TV advertising for many years. “Everyone wants to be on TV. You just have to find a way to help them do it.”
I embraced his view, approached my sales with that attitude, and sold a great deal of advertising. I helped business people find a way to be on TV.
Looking at his words today, I wonder, “Why did everyone want to be on TV?”
Now I would revise his statement to “Everyone wants to use the impact of video, but they don’t know how to do it.”
What is the impact of video?
First, video is visual. You can communicate a great deal and do so more quickly though visuals. Showing has always been easier than telling. Words can be interpreted different ways, and noise can affect them. Usually, what you see is understandable without interpretation.
Second, video gets our attention and holds it. We are more likely to watch a video than to read a note. The two may take the same amount of time, but video will trump written or spoken.
Third, video conveys emotion. Through video, we can get in touch with the emotions of our customers. We can project credibility and further trust in our businesses. We can speak to our customers on a person-to-person level.
Fourth, video uses movement. We like to see movement. We like to see how something moves. Even seeing normally non-moving items such as text put into moving effects helps us notice and retain the message. Consider the two strongest mediums that we use everyday, television and the Internet. Both use video, and both show movement, don’t they?
Today businesses have the opportunity to use video beyond television. They can set up a channel on YouTube which can be watched by anyone, anywhere, and at any time, 24/7. No longer are businesses restricted to a slot on television which airs at a particular time that is watched by an audience limited by reception and personal schedules. In addition, today’s videos can be part of a two-way conversation with customers. Videos can be used to further relationships with customers, thereby increasing sales.
Cost-wise, videos are inexpensive. YouTube charges nothing to host an unlimited number of videos. You can shoot a video with a digital camera that costs around $100. You can upload what you have shot in moments without any editing. Of all the ways that you can market, video costs very little.
Yes, businesses want to use the impact of video. However, most don’t know how. If you want to learn how, do so. Read a book, go online, or find a resource from which to learn. I am offering my new seminar, How to Use the Visual Impact of YouTube, for just that purpose. I invite you to attend. Whether you attend or not, do use video in your marketing.
Online or off, video is the most effective way to communicate.
I embraced his view, approached my sales with that attitude, and sold a great deal of advertising. I helped business people find a way to be on TV.
Looking at his words today, I wonder, “Why did everyone want to be on TV?”
Now I would revise his statement to “Everyone wants to use the impact of video, but they don’t know how to do it.”
What is the impact of video?
First, video is visual. You can communicate a great deal and do so more quickly though visuals. Showing has always been easier than telling. Words can be interpreted different ways, and noise can affect them. Usually, what you see is understandable without interpretation.
Second, video gets our attention and holds it. We are more likely to watch a video than to read a note. The two may take the same amount of time, but video will trump written or spoken.
Third, video conveys emotion. Through video, we can get in touch with the emotions of our customers. We can project credibility and further trust in our businesses. We can speak to our customers on a person-to-person level.
Fourth, video uses movement. We like to see movement. We like to see how something moves. Even seeing normally non-moving items such as text put into moving effects helps us notice and retain the message. Consider the two strongest mediums that we use everyday, television and the Internet. Both use video, and both show movement, don’t they?
Today businesses have the opportunity to use video beyond television. They can set up a channel on YouTube which can be watched by anyone, anywhere, and at any time, 24/7. No longer are businesses restricted to a slot on television which airs at a particular time that is watched by an audience limited by reception and personal schedules. In addition, today’s videos can be part of a two-way conversation with customers. Videos can be used to further relationships with customers, thereby increasing sales.
Cost-wise, videos are inexpensive. YouTube charges nothing to host an unlimited number of videos. You can shoot a video with a digital camera that costs around $100. You can upload what you have shot in moments without any editing. Of all the ways that you can market, video costs very little.
Yes, businesses want to use the impact of video. However, most don’t know how. If you want to learn how, do so. Read a book, go online, or find a resource from which to learn. I am offering my new seminar, How to Use the Visual Impact of YouTube, for just that purpose. I invite you to attend. Whether you attend or not, do use video in your marketing.
Online or off, video is the most effective way to communicate.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Body Language
When I stopped at a red light yesterday, I noticed a tent with a sign “Free Windshield Chip Repair * See technician for details” on the grassy area between the road and a gas station. Underneath the tent, a guy was sitting in a chair with his feet up on a tub reading a book. He was dressed in quite casual attire: khaki shorts, a tan shirt, and sandals. His shirt did not have a logo or any way to identify his connection with a business.
“What a wasted opportunity!” I thought.
If he and the business he represented had realized the message that he was sending, he would have acted differently. Fortunately, no one could tell what business he represented.
What message did he send?
His message was “I’m supposed to man this tent for a certain amount of time. What a bore! I’ll read a book.”
Somebody at his office heard of the opportunity to set up a tent in a high traffic area and offer free windshield chip repair. I don’t know if this repair happened on the spot or not. I assume that was in the “*See technician for details.” In typical knee-jerk marketing fashion, the boss said, “Let’s do it!” and ordered this guy to man the tent on that particular day. The boss implemented the idea with no thought as to how to do it well.
If you or your employees are taking time to market in this fashion, do all you can to get sales from it. Don’t use it as a time to catch up on your reading. That sends the wrong message. Even worse, it doesn’t get what you want, sales.
This is a time of the year with a great deal of roadside sales and marketing. To be successful, this type of marketing requires active involvement. Realize that 85% of our communication is nonverbal. Roadside marketing offers the opportunity to use nonverbal communication to the max.
To do so, the guy in the tent could have stood up and faced the traffic. He could have smiled and waved at the drivers. He could have held up a sign further detailing the offer. He could have promoted the business on the sign, his shirt, or a hat. He could have engaged potential customers and worked the crowd of drivers with nonverbal communication.
Whenever you market at a roadside stand or a booth, work it by actively using positive nonverbal communication. Smile, look inviting, and make customers feel comfortable. Use body language to increase sales.
Don’t look like the customer will be interrupting your reading.
“What a wasted opportunity!” I thought.
If he and the business he represented had realized the message that he was sending, he would have acted differently. Fortunately, no one could tell what business he represented.
What message did he send?
His message was “I’m supposed to man this tent for a certain amount of time. What a bore! I’ll read a book.”
Somebody at his office heard of the opportunity to set up a tent in a high traffic area and offer free windshield chip repair. I don’t know if this repair happened on the spot or not. I assume that was in the “*See technician for details.” In typical knee-jerk marketing fashion, the boss said, “Let’s do it!” and ordered this guy to man the tent on that particular day. The boss implemented the idea with no thought as to how to do it well.
If you or your employees are taking time to market in this fashion, do all you can to get sales from it. Don’t use it as a time to catch up on your reading. That sends the wrong message. Even worse, it doesn’t get what you want, sales.
This is a time of the year with a great deal of roadside sales and marketing. To be successful, this type of marketing requires active involvement. Realize that 85% of our communication is nonverbal. Roadside marketing offers the opportunity to use nonverbal communication to the max.
To do so, the guy in the tent could have stood up and faced the traffic. He could have smiled and waved at the drivers. He could have held up a sign further detailing the offer. He could have promoted the business on the sign, his shirt, or a hat. He could have engaged potential customers and worked the crowd of drivers with nonverbal communication.
Whenever you market at a roadside stand or a booth, work it by actively using positive nonverbal communication. Smile, look inviting, and make customers feel comfortable. Use body language to increase sales.
Don’t look like the customer will be interrupting your reading.
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