Marketing Done Modern

Business is Like a Relationship, We Look For A Great Personality

Ok, so you've started your own business and you're pretty successful.  Business is good, your product is selling well, and you're making enough money.  But would you like more business?  If the answer is no, then just stop reading.

This may sound like common sense, but there is something really simple you can do to help your business.  It's simple when it's second nature, but getting there may be a little difficult.  But you must get personal with your clients.  And I'm not talking about creating a personalized product, although that is important.  But you need to get to know your clients.  Talk to them, get to know them.  Customer experience, at times, may be more important than the product itself.  People like returning to a store that has a staff that have good personalities.  This is important in any kind of business. 

For example, let's say you own a coffee shop and bakery.  You notice the same elderly couple comes in every day around 10 am for coffee and a bagel.  You could very easily say that you notice that they come in frequently and would like to introduce yourself.  This gives you a way of finding out their names so that when they come in, you can greet them personally.  There are other ways to personalize.  You may notice that the lady often orders different flavored lattes.  Let's say you're developing a special flavor, like an almond joy mocha.  It includes shots of almond and coconut flavorings as well as the regular mixings of a mocha.  The next time they come in, ask the lady if she would be interested in trying your drink, on the house.  The reason you are giving it on the house is because it isn't exactly what she was probably planning on ordering, plus, you're getting an opinion from an obviously loyal customer.  This is actually an example from my younger days of working in a bagel  shop. We were developing new coffee concoctions and one of our loyal customers that came in daily helped us to develop a really delcious mocha. 

I know everyone isn't the best at talking with people, but there are great ways to overcome this.  I am currently taking a Dale Carnegie course.  His book, How to Win Friends and Influence People is really great.  I was a skeptic at first, but have found it to be very useful, especially in my personal life for relating and working with other people.  If you really wanted, you could take a Dale Carnegie course, or even a public speaking course at a local community college.  But getting out there, getting to know your customers, and using their loyalty to your advantage can really be a win win situation.

Happy Marketing

Let Others Do Your Work; Why Public Relations is Worth It

Especially with the current economy, many companies are pouring money into advertising.  However, this won't last long.  Companies will soon learn that their return on investment for their ad dollars won't be what they anticipated.  But there is a way to increase business without spending hundreds and thousands of dollars on goofy TV ads or annoying radio commercials.

Public Relations

I am currently reading a book called The Fall of Advertising, The Rise of PR. It discusses how advertising is a great tool for maintaining a brand, but that using PR is the best recipe for building a brand.  While, I wouldn't use the book as a manual on how to launch and build a product, it does carry some very interesting points.

A third party can really create buzz about a new product.  For example, there is the Oprah Effect.  Look at her book club for one example.  Many titles that had never been heard of by many people are now best sellers.  Just today when looking at amazon.com, the first thing that pops up is "Kindle is Oprah's New Favorite Product."  My bet is that sales of this little gadget will increase significantly, now that it's been endorsed by Oprah.  If you aren't aware of what a Kindle is, it's a wireless reading device that is a product of Amazon.

While Oprah is a big and famous name, she's not the only one that can create appeal for a product just by talking about how great it is.  Many people look to Consumer Reports when they are trying to determine which product to buy.  But PR is not limited to well known names.  It could be as simple as an article in the local newspaper or a story on a radio station.  Sometimes we can't control the PR we get, but other times we can by supporting a little league team, sponsoring a cancer walk event, or even providing a prize for a local fund raiser raffle.  We have to remember that advertising isn't the only way to get our name heard and remembered.

Happy Marketing!