Jay Baer has spent 23 years in digital marketing, consulting for more than 700 companies during that period, including 32 of the FORTUNE 500. His current firm – Convince & Convert – provides digital marketing advice and online customer service advice and counsel to some of the world’s most important brands like The United Nations, Allstate, Cisco, and Cabela’s.

His new book, Hug Your Haters, is the world’s first modern customer service manual, showing how companies large and small can benefit from the enormous increase in online complaints and customer feedback.

His second book, Youtility: Why Smart Marketing is About Help not Hype, was #3 on the New York Times business best seller list, and a runaway #1 Amazon best seller.

Jay speaks approximately 60 times per year world-wide, often with lessons about how businesspeople can use today’s shifts in technology and consumer expectation to gain or keep more customers.

Show Highlights:

80% of businesses say they provide superior customer service. 8% of their customers agree. @JayBaerYou need to respond to every customer on every channel every time. @JayBaerBusinesses focus too much time on customer acquisition and not enough time focusing on the customers they’ve already earned. @JayBaer30% of customer complaints are never answered or responded to. @JayBaerCustomer service is becoming a spectators sport. People can see when you don’t respond to complaints online. @JayBaerWe need to stop answering customers only in the channels we are comfortable with, and start answering customers on the channels they actually prefer. @JayBaerCustomer service is the new marketing. @JayBaerOnly 47% of the people who complain on social media expect a business to get back to them at all.Hug your onstage, online haters. Answer their complaints. It will blow their mind and win their heart. @JayBaerYou may not be able to out work your competition, but you can out love your competition. @JayBaerThe most overrated thing in the world is praise. @JayBaerInside every complaint is a kernel of truth and an opportunity to get better. @JayBaerHaters are our most important customers, but we treat them like our least important customer. @JayBaerSocial media doesn’t create negativity, it’s just puts a magnifying glass against it. @JayBaer

The Action Catalyst is a weekly podcast hosted by Dan Moore, President of Southwestern Advantage, the oldest direct-sales company in America, and Partner with Southwestern Consulting. With more than 45 years in sales leadership and marketing management, Dan has a wealth of knowledge to share on how to make better use of time to achieve life, sales, and other business goals. Each week, he interviews some of the nation’s top thought leaders and experts, sharing meaningful tips and advice. Subscribe on iTunes and please leave a rating and review!