Unselling: The New Customer Experience

UnSelling is about everything but the sell. We put all of our focus on the individual purchase transaction, while putting the rest of our business actions second. We've become blind to customer service, support, branding, experiences and even product quality. Sixty percent of a purchasing decision is made before a customer even contacts you. We have funnel vision, and it needs to stop.

Unselling is about the big picture: creating repeat customers, not one-time buyers. Create loyal clients that refer others, not faceless numbers. Becoming the go-to company for something, before they even need you.

You don't need social media, but you can be connecting with your clients socially. Your video doesn't have to be viral in front of a million people, just contagious in front of your specific market. Content, connection, engagement. It's time to separate from the pack of noise. It's time to UnSell.

SCOTT STRATTEN & ALISON KRAMER are cohosts of not only The UnPodcast, but five children, two dogs and two cats. This is their fourth bestselling book together, which represent their thoughts on the changing world of business through their experiences of entrepreneurship, two degrees (Alison), not lasting long as an employee (both) and screaming at audiences around the world (Scott, Alison is more polite). They were put on this earth to remind the world that not all Canadians are passively polite. Businesses like PepsiCo, Saks Fifth Avenue, Cirque du Soleil and others have been brave enough to want their advice, to the point that Scott has been named one of the Top 5 Social Media Influencers in the world by Forbes.com. They now spend their time keynoting conferences around the world and realize they rank 10th and 11th in order of importance in their home.

1 UnSelling 1

2 Joshie Is Branding 3

3 Funnel Vision 11

4 Remedies for Funnel Vision 16

5 Pulse 18

6 Air Canada versus WestJet 21

7 External Pulse Factors and Trends 26

8 Our Return Policy Is for You Not to Return 31

9 Taking the Customer Pulse 35

10 Are You in the Customer Tolerating Business? 39

11 Internal Factors and AIM 42

12 Aspiring to Be a Jedi 44

13 Information 51

14 Motivation 55

15 Why Boston Will Have Fewer Check-Ins 60

16 Brand Flatline: It’s Not Me; It’s You. 63

17 Avoid the Brand Attack 66

18 The Three Types of Pulse We Need to Pay Attention To 70

19 The Game of Loyalty 72

20 What Really Matters in Branding 77

21 The Pulse of an UnAwesome Industry 81

22 Flying the Kite of Community 84

23 Taking My Pulse 88

24 Big Ass Chapter 95

25 Direct versus Moral Offense 99
26 Offensive Real Estate 101

27 The Moral Offense 103

28 The Politics of Engagement 107

29 Insubordinate Customers 112

30 Outrage Outreach 115

31 The Impenetrable Brand 119

32 Pivot 122

33 Hiring at Rock Bottom 125

34 From the Walkman to the iPod 128

35 Why I Didn’t Invent Spanx 131

36 What Happens When You Pivot and No One Notices? 134

37 Netflix versus Blockbuster 137

38 The Secret World of Book Publishing 140

39 Crowdfunding 145

40 Customer Reviews: The Good, the Bad, and the Future 152

41 Beware of Mountain Climbers Who Sell Equipment 158

42 Social Media by the Dozen 161

43 What Really Matters in Social 168

44 Who Polices the Police Presentations? 171

45 How Not to Apologize 173

46 Lack of Tartar Sauce Tact 178

47 Your Community Is an Allen Key 180

48 Return the Brand High Five 184

49 Stopping the Share 188

50 The Value of a Read: AKA Sensational Headlines Are Evil 194
51 Avoid the Cleanse: How to Keep Your Subscribers 198

52 Should You Trade in Trade Shows? 204

53 What Really Matters in Speaking 207

54 What Really Matters in Podcasting 209

55 What Really Matters in Blogging 211

56 Company-Created Community 215

57 Up the Customer Creek 217

58 Passive versus Active Exposure 220

59 The Inner Social Circle 223

60 Social Media Success Is None of Your Brand’s Business 226

61 Conclusion 228

Index 231

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