Kelly McDonald Consumer Trends, Marketing and Sales Expert

This session will show how franchise owners, brands and products struggling to differentiate themselves in a sea of sameness can foster long-term loyalty and brand preference with exceptional and customized customer service. KEY POINTS: • Learn the latest techniques that innovative companies are using today to train their staff to deliver exceptional customer service. • Best practices among leading companies and brands will be reviewed. • Learn how to listen for what a customer wants, not just what he/she may ask for. • Learn key insights into delivering terrific customer service to the Hispanic customer. • Specific strategies and tactics will be discussed as well as Do's and Don'ts.

It's getting harder and harder to connect with others because there are so many barriers to connection. Technology is our friend, but also our enemy as we have more and more ways to filter out the information and communication we don't want. So in order to connect with someone, you must learn to tap into relevant beliefs, values or habits. And that can be hard to do when someone is different from you. KEY POINTS: • Participants will learn key market segmentations and the values associated with each to better understand customers and coworkers. • Special attention will be focused upon key generational segments, African-American, Asian and Hispanic consumers and the importance of relating to different cultures. • Attendees will learn about the Four Levels of Acculturation. • Best practices from other franchise organizations and specific strategies will be shared to illustrate how you can better connect with others who are different from you.

Right now, your customers need you more than ever.  But not in the same old way.  What your customers want and expect from you now is radically different through this challenging time.  You must differentiate yourself and your organization on the experience that your customers have, rather than simply the products and services you offer. 

Right now, people feel anxious and scared – like they’re freefalling.  What they want is an experience that makes them feel SAFE.   This brings about a sense of CALM and TRUST – and that’s the foundation of your business success and how you’ll survive the next few months.

Doing business virtually poses challenges:  you may not get to meet your clients and prospects or even have the face-to-face interaction that’s so effective.  But that doesn’t mean that you can’t serve your customer in exceptional ways.

And, when the storm has passed, how do you seamlessly and QUICKLY transition back to your everyday business practices? It may not be “business as usual” or “back to normal”.  What new approaches will you keep?  What will this difficult experience have taught us that makes us better, smarter, and more effective?  And most importantly, how can you leverage new insights and changes to cement the bond with your customers for increased sales and loyalty?

This session will cover:

• How to re-engineer your solutions and approach to address the concerns your customers have right now
• How to keep selling and keep serving customers in a way that is relevant for virtual communication – without being tone deaf or insensitive
• How to stay visible without spamming your customers
• How to make virtual sales presentations helpful and EFFECTIVE
• 5 low-cost, no-cost action items that you can apply immediately
• What to do – and NOT do – when things go wrong. The 5 words that customers want to hear and that work every time
• How to prepare for the inevitable return to everyday business – it may come quickly and you need to have an action plan ready

It’s imperative that your customers and prospects know that you’re on top of tough situations and that you have their back.
Marketing and selling need to take on a different tone now, one that is about solving problems, not trying to simply move product out the door. People spend money on what they care about. And they don’t buy products, they buy solutions. Show your customers and prospects how you fit into what they need and what they value right now, and they’ll show you the money. By
acknowledging people’s emotions, fears and anxieties, and marketing with honesty and empathy, and by just tweaking your customer approach to reflect the times, you‘ll get the business.

Diversity marketing is the new norm, and this doesn't simply mean racial diversity. Diversity comes in many forms: gender, race, age, lifestage, language preference, sexuality, and hobbies or special interests are all ways in which people's differences are recognized. By recognizing these differences and tailoring your product, message or marketing efforts to reflect consumers' uniqueness, you are validating the importance of a consumer group. KEY POINTS: • Learn about the hottest new market segments and how they're shaping culture. • Learn the key emotional drivers for important target segments and how your business can leverage those in marketing messages. • Learn which group represents the largest opportunity for your business right now and which group will be your greatest opportunity tomorrow. • Specific strategies and tactics will be discussed for identifying your high-potential prospects and reaching them effectively.

You don’t have to be the boss to be a leader. In fact, now, more than ever, the way you approach your work, the business landscape and the very real challenges we all face define you as a leader – or someone who needs to be led. It’s time to step up and show your team, your customers and suppliers how you solve problems and keep the business moving forward.

Honesty, transparency and empathy work psychologically to calm people and make them feel safe. And when people feel safe, they get back to work. In this session, you’ll learn how to communicate those attributes in everyday business situations, while solving problems and moving the business forward. The result is a level of trust and loyalty that cannot be garnered any other way.

Kelly’s most popular topic, retooled to address exactly what managers and leaders need to do RIGHT NOW to rally their teams and get to work productively

As if managing people weren’t difficult enough already, today’s business environment now demands that you manage the crisis and hardships at hand at the same time. In times of stress, many leaders and managers resort to a “one size fits all” approach to work. But your diverse team requires a more effective, nuanced approach now.

This session will show you how to manage your diverse team in the most effective way to tackle the hardships we face now and create a dedicated, loyal, and purpose-driven team for the future.

Now, more than ever, it's imperative that you understand the changing demographics of the communities and groups you serve. How can you best serve a local community or organization if you don't know what your community looks like today? This presentation will focus on why changing demographics and diversity are business opportunities and how these changes affect your franchise today and tomorrow. KEY POINTS: • The four biggest findings from the 2010 Census and what they mean for your franchise right now. • Key market segmentations and the values associated with each to better understand customers and coworkers. • The differences between generational segments and how the varying wants and needs of generations impacts the service you provide. • Common obstacles will be reviewed in order to avoid communication or service mistakes, both internally and externally. • Specific strategies for developing effective diversity initiatives will be reviewed. Do's and don'ts will be covered.