There are far too many easy parallels to be made between business and relationships. The one that I am making today is in your marketing strategy. I have seen some very questionable marketing efforts from companies of all sizes that remind me of some guys and gals that you would rather not date for the long term. If your marketing strategies are like any of these guys, you may want to re-evaluate them.
That Guy #1- The Hunter
Do you spend tons of time, effort and or money hunting down new prospects? Beware of being “The Hunter”. This is the guy who spends all kinds of effort trying to get your attention and then once he has it, (and he will have it eventually- it’s inevitable, he’s relentless) he does virtually nothing with it. We see car companies do this all of the time- they spend millions upon millions of dollars to attract new customers, but once a customer is sold, they don’t do enough to retain them. If you have a customer’s attention, do you close the deal? Once you do, do you continue to make that customer feel like a VIP and that they are important to you? If you are just about the thrill of the hunt, but have no follow-through, you are “That Guy #1”.
That Guy #2- The Player
Who loves you baby? Not “The Player”, but that won’t stop him from saying that over and over again, because that’s about all he can bring to the table- slick lines that he hopes will trigger you to “buy” what he’s selling. Do you spend too much time focusing on splashy campaigns, tactics like neurolinguistic programming and selling more sizzle than steak? If so, while you may get some customers’ attention, you will have a hard time converting them to sales and will certainly have an almost impossible time creating a long-term valuable customer relationship. Focus on cultivating real benefit-driven relationships with your customers or risk being “That Guy #2”.
That Guy #3- The Climaxer
When your relationship efforts start at the top and have nowhere to go but down, you are in risk of being “The Climaxer”. This is the guy who wines you, dines you and brings you flowers when he barely knows you, but as the relationship develops, he slips into his old patterns and takes you for granted. Do you lure your customers in with a special deal and then rescind it, only to offer a similar offer to new customers? Do you pull out the welcome wagon for a new customer, but don’t repeat that service level over time? If so, you will eventually lose the customers who you lured in with a certain level of care, only to give them the bait and switch. Treat all of your customers like royalty or risk being “That Guy #3”.
Do you have any other “That Guy” marketing behaviors that drive you bonkers? Share below.
