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March 20, 2006
Suzanne Somers and fan clubs
Sometimes, the next course of action is so obvious, so undeniably simple, that customer after customer will tell you. Their unsolicited feedback is a gift.
Suzanne Somers, as quoted by the current edition of Inc., illustrates this:
In our database, we have the names of almost a million people who've purchased at least one thing directly through our website. Add in the people who've bought something from me on HSN and the 10 million people who have bought the books, and you're talking millions of women. They all want to start a fan club, but I don't want to start a fan club. What's the end point of a fan club?
What's the end point of a fan club? After wiping the spewed coffee from my computer monitor, I came up with this answer:
There is no end point of a fan club. It's a church of customer worship. It's a community of validation. It's official recognition of a relationship. It's a relationship network. It's a word-of-mouth ecosystem. It's the test-marketing forum for new ideas, products and strategies from which Somers could learn how to grow her company.
A fan club is an illustrious outcome for any business, organization or institution that's working hard to create ongoing word of mouth and evangelism.
Technorati Tags: Suzanne Somers, Fan clubs, Evangelism, Word of mouth
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It's amazing that people don't start great things because they don't understand the future value...or...in my case I did start a community and was blown away by the incredible impact it has had on my business and my life!
I'm only midway through "Creating Customer Evangelists" and have been applying everything! Thanks for teaching me that people are "loyal to people" - not products or businesses, and how important it is to make my companies (especially my software company) real and personal and always value added!
Blessings,
DJ
btw...when I first started the community I was clueless and thought I was just doing it for fun! ...and it's still fun but incredibly valuable and profitable too!
:)
Thanks, David! Your Open Source Photo community is very impressive. David has a cool music video of his work at his personal site: http://davidjay.com/.
David, if you haven't already, you should upload that baby to YouTube and GoogleVideo, too.
This is so cool. I hope to be able to interview Suzanne Somerson June 6 in Torono for a book project I am working on. Maybe I will pass along your advice to her.
Visit my blog to learn more.
http://remarkablelives.blogspot.com/
Give her a copy of the book too -http://www.creatingcustomerevangelists.com/aboutthebook/
You should interview Ben McConnell for your book!
Paige -- She's quite the businesswoman. She would probably be a great case study, too. (Even better if she had a fan club.)
Ben,
As I read the quote from Suzanne Somers I was struck by what seemed to be her motive—money. More money. Maybe I am judging her too harshly, but it sounded like she didn't see the 'financial' end to a fan club. Sad really, for her fans that is.
The advise she is receiving is not saavy enough-- she needs new blood, and someone who is smarter and more-forward thinking than the current staff. At least that what it seems. She's probably not the kind of person who wants to invest in something long-term, another example would be a blog. -- John
Did any of you know that she has started an in home consultant business. It started in Michigan in October. A leader from Alticor left to join her in starting Suzanne. She has told us that she will be taking her products off TV and stores sales over the next few years in order to go strictly through consultants. Check out the site and share it will all of her fans. We have started our own fan club and I believe that you will find that the money is not all her motive but helping women is. She had just been involved in starting this new business and was busy. Check out the site at www.suzanne24.com/aseiler. Come join my fan club.
Hey guys! Check this out! Suzanne Somers will be on Larry King Live Friday 3/16 talking about the SUZANNE Business and she will be on Ellen Monday 3/19 talking about the SUZANNE Business!!
Also, Available the end of March new spring products including 12 new spring jewelry fashions, protein bars and freshening body products.
She's no dingdong but she doesn't empower women like she promotes. Suzanne Somers started a new business late in '06 claiming to help women make money. Not only does she compete with them, the compensation plan is for peanuts to put it nicely. Suzanne Somers has several companies and has investments in other companies which sell the same products as her representatives. Just Google FaceMaster and you'll see the various entities that sell this contraption. Food is overpriced, jewelry made from China is KMart quality at Neiman Marcus prices. She has built nothing other than another avenue for personal shoppers, not a business which empowers women. Many women have invested thousands of dollars into developing their business and Ms. Somers hasn't dropped a dime into national advertising to help kick it off the ground. She's well aware of the money women have spent, time invested, and yet continues to ask them to buy more of her crappy products. She promotes natural health and beauty products yet she herself admits to receiving Botox and fillers on a regular basis. It's hard to sell those products when the spokesperson doesn't even believe her own garbage! It's a shame she let down and disillusioned so many women who have followed her over the years, without any remorse for her bad behavior.
I HAVE FELT FOR YEARS THAT SUZANNES CLOTHING IS NOT WELL MADE AND VERY OVERPRICED.THE JEWELRY IS A JOKE, JUST JUNK AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED AND SUZANNE KNOWS IT, SHE'S LAUOGHING ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK,IT'S AMAZING TO ME HOW WOMEN IDOLIZE HER, AND NEED TO FOLLOW IN HER FOOTSTEPS,,,SHE EVIDENTLY HAS A VERY GOOD BUSINESS MIND, AND HAS COME A LONG WAY FROM THREE'S COMPANY,I GIVE HER CREDIT FOR THAT,,,,SHE'S ENTERTAINING TO WATCH, HAS A GOOD PERSONALITY,BUT I WOULD NEVER ORDER ANYTHING FROM HER LINE....WOMEN WAKE UP,BE YOURSELF,SUZANNE IS JUST ONE OF US,,ONLY DIFFERENCE IS, SHE HAS YOUR MONEY!!!!!
