Keeping in Touch With Customers

This article was contributed by Geoff Clynes. Geoff is a partner is Business Line, a Warragul-based marketing group offering help and advice on business development issues. This article is the seventh in a series of eight.

In today’s hustle and bustle, there’s always more to do than we have time for – unless we’re asleep, unconscious or otherwise out of touch. For that reason, finding new customers is a challenging task: catching their attention, reading their needs, earning their trust and winning their custom. Later comes loyalty.

That’s a key lesson for every business: communicating is connecting, is trading, is a life skill. Obvious as that may seem, there’s a great deal of science in doing it effectively. Your best option depends so much on the business you’re in, and what you want to achieve: and that changes over time.

For instance in the late forties, just after World War Two, everything was in short supply, and most people had very little money. The corner shop just had to open its doors, and retail tenants in larger centres only had to display the wares they had – the ones you didn’t need coupons to buy, that is. Fifty years later we have to be a lot smarter: the corner shop’s gone, every retailer studies window-dressing and display, chains and franchises all use at least four channels of market communications: like TV and press ads, letterboxing, loyalty schemes and web sites.

Which brings up another awkward truth in our busy life: one message, one time, is not enough to catch attention; further, you get huge reinforcement by delivering the message on several channels at or around the same time. To illustrate, let’s suppose your product is that great-looking diamond substitute, cubic zirconia. Ignore the street side spruiker on principle (I never trust those Bedouins; how would I ever claim a warranty?) but then the ad a week later in Women’s Day for a great-looking ring catches my eye. My subconscious rings a bell: seen that somewhere else recently. The advertiser has won a battle – she’s caught my attention, caused me to spend an extra second on her message. Now, next inch up the mountain, there’s just a chance I’ll read the message!

Tough market out there. Now you’ve got my attention, I hope your message is relevant: I mean, you’ve got this far into my consciousness – are you wasting my time?

You’re bound to fail that test with a lot of people when you use mass media (very few men buy toys, sanitary pads or washing machines, so why do those advertisers bother with TV?) but the medium is your choice: it’s your money, so look for the medium that gets most exclusively and authoritatively to more of your best customers. If only 1% of those who receive your message act on it, maybe that’s the best you can do. Real Estate and new car sales people can afford to think that way.

For you it might be better to speak at the local Rotary Club, rent a hoarding at the railway station, lobby the Shire – it’s your money, your choice.

Try this:

Think about a group of buyers you don’t much deal with now, but would like to.

Find out the main ways you have available to send those people a persuasive message. Rank the best five or so from Most direct access / least wastage to Least direct.

Then put it to use:

How will you catch people’s attention?

And then convince them your offer is a good deal?

Finally, persuade them to buy – now!

Which of your best-ranked channels are suited to each of these tasks?

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© Copyright Business Line 2003: This text is for use and publication by the Gippsland.com web portal, and may be reproduced and distributed without charge. It remains the property of Geoff Clynes & Associates (trading as Business Line), and may not be sold or distributed for profit without the owner’s express permission