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Build Your Business by Building Relationships
People do business with people that they know and trust. As a solo entrepreneur, your goals will be to make yourself known to your target market and then elevate the relationship to the trust level. This process of building relationships can...
Corporate America's Scary Pension Tactics. Why You Should Look Online To Insure Your Future.
Let me ask you a question. What's your freedom worth? How about your livelihood? Lately floating around in the headlines United Airlines has cut pension benefits causing mass concern to blue collar workers in the United States. The court ordered...
"Marketing as a Spiritual Practice II: Unearthing Your Potential"
Marketing as we know it is over. Done. Finito.
People the world over are bored and spammed to the brink of tears. But there is good news: There’s a better way to connect with precisely those you wish to reach … and it works far better than...
Marketing The Real You
I often wonder how the practice began of pretending to be someone else in order to market your business. You know what I'm talking about -- it's the marketing face, the selling voice, that you often put on in order to attend a networking event...
Today's Definition of Marketing. Has it Changed?
With the continued proliferation of the Internet, the meaning of the word "marketing" also proliferates. There seem to be as many definitions of marketing as there are marketers.
Many see marketing as a series of tactics or gimmicks. Some...
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Why Santa's Marketing Works Better Than Yours
Santa Claus Inc. is well and profitable, right through
recessions, depressions and just about any economic scenario.
The reason why his marketing strategies work better than yours,
is because he uses solid, dyed-in-the-wool psychology. He knows
he doesn't have to use new fangled techniques, when his simple
marketing has stood the test of time.
If you don't believe in Santa, you'd better change your mind,
because the fat man from the north pole rocks on and you too can
do the same if you stick to the basics. Find out if your product
or service matches up by reading the article below.
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle All the Way...
you go to the heart of Santa's marketing, the one word you come
away with is 'consistency'. Generation after generation have
been exposed to one brand, one message, and the same powerful
imagery. Just like Mercedes own the term 'luxury' and Volvo owns
the term 'safety', Santa owns the word 'hope'. Every kid worth
his Nintendo, hopes he's got enough points on the goodness scale
to justify a mountain of gifts.
Yet, most companies get tired of their own brand. They chop,
change and pour thousands (if not millions) of dollars into a
bottomless pit of mindless change. Take a look at McDonald's
advertising, for instance. McDonald's own the word family outing
yet their ads have been straying down the teenager path. Does it
make sense to consistently occupy one niche? You bet it does!
Families go out with their kids to McDonalds. These kids sprout
into budget-conscious teenagers that hang out at McDonalds. They
have kids and grandkids and guess where they all end up. At the
big yellow 'M', that's where!
Santa doesn't waver. His customers are kids. Like several
marketers, he might have been sorely tempted to enter the gift
market. With bad advice, he would have tried to get to
teenagers, adults and everyone. Can you see the magic still
working? Even the tiniest of niches is huge and niches have a
way of expanding by themselves.
At the end of the day, it's the consistency that takes the
jingle all the way to the bank. Too many companies lose focus
and give you seven reasons why you should buy from them. Santa
sticks to one: Be a 'good' kid or you can keep hoping!
You Can Spot Him in the Middle of a Crowded Sky
Do you know anyone who comes to visit on a sleigh in the middle
of the night? With reindeer and gifts? The reason why Santa
stands out so vividly in our memories is because he's different.
The postman does the same thing, but leaves without the flourish.
It's really important to work out how your marketing message
differs. Santa's core marketing term is not built solely on
consistent branding but also on a very hard-nosed
differentiation. Too much communication out there fits in with
what's safe. Customers have just one slot in their mind. You
have to enter that slot at such an obtuse angle that they
remember you for life.
Rose Richards runs Office Doctor. The term that set her apart
from all the rest of the administration crowd is the term, Small
business pain relief. Can you imagine your reaction when you
hear something like that? The human mind is intensely curious
and a marketing statement like that is pure bait. You want to
know what pain relief she brings and how she goes about
it-specially if you're the one in pain. That's only half the
story.
The construction of the message elevates her from simple number
crunching to brain surgery and makes her unique.
If you want differentiation you need look no further than the
guiding light of Santa's sleigh-- Rudolph, with his shiny nose.
Can you even remember the names of the rest of the eight
reindeer?
One very important point, however, is that the marketing message
isn't just different, but also customer-oriented. Rose takes the
clutter out of administration and Rudolph provides a beacon for
clearer navigation.
If you don't have a benefit for the customer, just being
different is going to get you nowhere.
Give and You Shall Receive
How many of you are out there networking like crazy? Trying
desperately to fill in your steadily depleting bank reserves?
You want, want, want! Take a look at Santa's style.
He's into giving first. If you probe deep into your mind,
you'll find the people you like best are those who have given
you their time, their money or their knowledge. You trust them,
and it's very hard to say no when they ask you for a favour in
return.
The deepest core of human emotions is fear. Every single product
or service, without exception, is sold on the basis of turgid
fear. The only known antidote to fear is TRUST. When trusts
struts upwards, fear banishes itself to penguin land. The more
you pile up the trust, the more you can do business.
Wouldn't Santa be able to sell you just about anything? Would he
be able to cross-sell and up-sell product? Santa could knock on
your door next summer and you'd be more than happy to have him
join your barbeque.
It's up to you to build up the trust one Lego block at a time.
Identify your clients and see what you can give them. It could
be information, time or even a chocolate covered scrumptious
cookie. It's the old 'What's in it for me?' theory. If you can't
find something calorie-ridden for their minds or bodies, they
won't want to see you.
Play Santa. It works.
He Knows if You've Been Bad or Good...
Heck Santa knows his customers. He even knows when you are
sleeping, or awake.Then, there's you. Look at your biggest
customer. What's her name? When is her birthday? Does
she like
Indian curries or sushi? In curries can she handle hot or
medium? What does she think about you? What doesn't she like?
You're guessing for sure. You can't be dead certain because
you've been so busy looking at dollar signs that you've missed
the plot completely.
The reason why Santa's marketing works is because he intimately
knows your individual needs. If you want a drum kit, you get
one. If you want a Barbie, you don't end up sulking with a
xylophone.
Santa knows because he's interested in giving. To give, you have
to know exactly what the receiver wants or your gift is not
worth the packaging it's wrapped in.
Some people worry about invading personal privacy. Hogwash! When
was the last time you got upset because a supplier turned up
with a big chocolate cake (your favourite) for your birthday? or
with rare stamps for your son (because he loves collecting
stamps)?
Santa's invades our privacy gently and uses it to give, not to
take. That's why we don't mind it. The tax department on the
other hand, uses our information to take and therein lies the
principal difference.
Once a Customer, Always a Customer
Santa Doesn't Lose Customers. Period.
One of the primary reasons why he's able to achieve this amazing
feat is because he thinks of his customer's customer. His
customer is the kid, who in a few years gets a little wiser
about Santa and his customer's customer is the parent who has
the amazing power to get their children to be nice not naughty,
if only for a short while.
Since the concept works in their favour, they do all the
advertising. Without TV, radio or the internet, Santa's message
gets a grip on millions of kids around the planet. These kids
grow up and the marvel of Santa is handed down through the
generations.
While It's OK For Santa, How Would This Work In The Real World?
Say, If You Sold Jeans.
Jeans West, a jean retailer, has several of the answers. I
needed one pair, but Stephanie (the sales girl) sold me two--not
by hassling me, but by gently reminding me I would get $20 off
the second pair. Then, with my purchase, she gave me a gift
voucher of $10, for my use or to pass on. They, also signed me
up for a loyalty program that offered to give me a 10% discount
if I purchased over $250 worth of product in the next 6 months.
This Is Effectively What Jeans West Did to Make Me a
Permanent Customer.
Step 1: The sales person asked the right questions to find out
my need. Step 2: She up-sold the product giving me good value
for money. Step 3: A gift voucher with a validity date, ensured
an additional purchase. Or even better, the chance for me to
pass it on to another person thus 'creating a customer' for
Jeans West. Step 4: Tying my fickle consumer head into a loyalty
scheme. They wanted me to stay with them forever.
Santa's steps may vary, but in essence he ties you into a solid
loyalty program that is near impossible to get off. It's
'customer get customer', rather than 'advertising get customer.'
It's cheaper and it works!
In conclusion here are the main points why Santa's customers
keeps coming back. These concepts may sound old, even trite, but
have been proven time after time to work well. Test them against
your company and brand to see where you can learn from the man
from the North Pole.
1) Solid branding: We're not talking lease here. Consistency is
the key. This applies everywhere from networking meetings,
advertising to any sort of communication that goes out. Keep
hammering home the same unique message and put it up front. The
weather changes all the time which is why we can't trust it.
If you must change, it's because your old message isn't doing a
complete job. I changed our first baseline from 'Recession proof
business principles' to 'Reactivating dormant business clients.'
The proposition was the same but the second line got 10 times
the response.
2) Differentiation: Santa knows he can be a courier with a
difference. You, too, can create your own legend. Nike used Just
Do It. Coke threw in the concept, Rum and Coke, indelibly
burning the word classic into our consciousness. Sameness is in
your mind. No matter how many brands exist on the market, your
product has a fingerprint of its own. You just have to dig deep
to find out.
3) Build trust by giving first. Life is all about sowing, then
reaping-but sowing comes first. If you don't give first, you
will only get limited results. The more you stop thinking of
yourself and focus on what the customer needs instead, the more
you are trusted. Business is all about trust. If you don't have
it, you're yesterday's soup.
4) Know your customer... Like you know the hair on your head.
Data collection and its optimum usage will get you right into
their minds and keep you permanently rooted in. Every time they
see you, they should think you are Santa coming to town.
5) Reactivate dormant clients They are all volcanoes. Sitting
there with the power to erupt mightily. Figure out who they are
and how you can work in tandem with them. Forget your product or
service. That's a given-- It has to be good. Find out the
'everything else' factor and you will keep them for life.
Like Santa does...
About the author:
©Psychotactics Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Wouldn't you love to
stumble upon a secret library of small business ideas? Find
simple, yet electrifying ideas, on copywriting, public speaking,
sales conversion, marketing strategy,psychological tactics and
branding. Head down to http://www.psychotactics.com today and
judge for yourself.
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