In this age of technology and instant communications, this article really hits to the point. We cannot forget that all important handshake or personal relationship.
Take a read... Conversation Agent
Had coffee yesterday with a friend of mine from the Annuitas Group. They specialize in lead process management for increasing sales and marketing ROI. Great conversation on how the world of marketing is changing, and how rapidly it is happening. The biggest thing anyone can do is simply keep up. If you don't you're done. You can lead the charge, follow the charge or get out of the way (if you don't you're going to be run over).
The use of technology, lead nurturing, marketing automation, variable data printing is very important, but the human touch cannot be forgotten. It's the little things that matter to people. In this world of the iPhone and smart mailboxes, when's the last time you hand-wrote a note and really thought about your professional relationships? People buy and do business with people they like.
How likeable are you? What ways can you or do you bring the human touch into business?
It constantly amazes me on how many agencies simply take their clients for granted. Dropping back into that mode of project work rather than strategic partner. Why does that happen? Your customers are the bloodline to your organization. Take care of them. And that doesn't mean a fancy holiday gift. Take care of their marketing. Think with them and counsel them along the way. You are the marketing expert and have a wealth of knowledge. Use that and become an invaluable partner for your clients. Strategize with and for them, plan with and for them, just help them succeed. If they succeed, then you succeed and they will cherish that more than you realize.
In corporate America, marketing departments and budgets have been slashed and burned beyond recognition. These marketing managers and directors are left with next to nothing but yet still need to deliver good, solid, creative and thoughtful marketing. More and more metrics are coming into play, as well as they should. How do you know marketing is working without metrics? Each and every dollar spent now needs to be accounted for and maximized. If your clients marketing ROI isn't there, ask yourself why and then fix it. Help them squeeze every penny out and make it count. Don't do an ad for the sake of doing an ad. How does it fit into the overall campaign or strategy? How are you leveraging other resources and maximizing efficiencies?
By helping them and working with them, it will make a world of difference.
Great quote I ran across from Lester Wunderman.
"Advertising becomes a dialogue that becomes an invitation to a relationship."
So true. Advertising is the first step to any product-customer relationship. Through your advertising and throughout the relationship building process, Starbucks has some great principle's to keep in mind.
- Be Genuine - Customers aren't looking for best friends; they just want a positive connection and their needs to matter.
- Expectations and Service: Connect - Beyond the formulaic greeting is what customers look for.
- Discover - Seek to understand the customer's needs and your audience's situations and challenges. How then can you help them alleviate the pain?
- Respond - Don't just act like customer's needs are important, act on them. And do so in a genuine fashion.
Take these into account, and interject your brand through this entire process. Your brand is your foundation for all communications and touchpoints to your customers.