Your Olympic Gold!

Every day, your team’s performance is measured by the toughest judges in the world: your customers. Picture this: If you earn Diamond Certified, you’ll find yourself standing on top of the podium with Diamond Certified Gold gloriously resting on your chest! Cue the Olympic theme music. Raise both arms above your head and wave your hands. Now flash a big smile as you catch the eyes of your team members and think of all the work you put in together to become good at satisfying your customers. While victory is sweet, you know keeping your team focused on customer satisfaction day after day, year after year, is only achieved by strong leadership. Victory, repeat, three-peat, four-peat…eleven-peat. America is the land of “What have you done for me lately?” so you’d better bring your A-Game every day!

Now What?
If you qualify, you’ll harness the raw power of the Diamond Certified Program. In its eleventh year and backed by more than $35 million in local marketing, Diamond Certified has grown in stature and power with a record 74% influence rate among local consumers. Here are three major ways Diamond Certified companies are turning their awards into new, high-margin revenue and a long-term increase in company value.

1. Daily use
Your team’s job is to communicate well. Yes, I know you actually perform a service that takes a lot of expertise, but my point is that no company can earn and maintain Diamond Certified by performing well and communicating badly. Managing expectations is the foundation of customer satisfaction, and it requires excellent written and verbal communication skills. If you qualify for Diamond Certified, you’ll:

• Use your Diamond Certified status on the phone to increase shopper confidence in your team.
• Hand out your custom brochure to each prospective customer to prove your quality pricing is worth it.
• Put the Diamond Certified patches on your employees’ uniforms or have them wear the new Diamond Certified pins on their shirts to signal your company’s Highest in Quality rating to customers.

2. Digital use
If you qualify for Diamond Certified, here’s how you’ll build a digital advantage:

• Increase the power of your emails by always including a link to your web-based Diamond Certified Company Report page, which contains an animated Diamond Certified Ratings Dashboard, a Diamond Certified Video Profile and researched articles.
• Grow your Facebook and Twitter following by adding the Diamond Certified Tip of the Day to your feed. Take a look at a few companies that are already using it on their Facebook pages: Mike Testa Plumbing, Inc.; North Coast Carpet Care, Inc.; Kaljian Construction; and B & J Transmissions. Take a look at a few companies using it on their Twitter feeds: @CarmenMiran, @SheltonRoofCo, @LarasConcrete, and @HawkinsPools.
• Add the Diamond Certified Widget to your website to maximize trust, prove your top-rated accomplishment and turn more web shoppers into new customers. Take a look at a couple companies that are already using the Diamond Certified Widget on their websites: www.advancedautogroup.com/about and www.rogersremodelinc.com/marin_green_builder_remodel/diamond-certification
  

3. Brand building
Brand development is the most misunderstood marketing concept for local companies. Most owners think of the next sale, not their brand. Brand building is essential to locking in customer loyalty and referrals and increasing sales at quality pricing levels. How would you like your brand to grow in your local market in the next 10 years? Grow your brand’s meaning and awareness and you’ll increase the future value of your company.

• Be consistent in messaging. If you qualify, we’ll consistently present your message as a quality brand to local prospects and customers via the Diamond Certified Directory, our popular ratings website and our newspaper partnership.
• Use brand validation. Michael Phelps with no medals wouldn’t even be a footnote in our consciousness, but he was able to add validation to his brand with each medal he won. Michael Phelps and his 22 Olympic medals is now an extraordinary brand. If you qualify for Diamond Certified, you’ll use this quality pedestal to enhance and validate your company’s brand.
• Each interaction is key. Every interaction with your company in any medium moves your brand up or down the quality meter. So, work with your team to make sure they embrace the reality that every contact is a “moment of truth” for your brand!

By: Jim Stein, Founder/CEO of American Ratings Corporation, creators of the Diamond Certified Program.

You should follow me on twitter here: twitter.com/jimsteindc