Why Relationship Marketing?

Have you ever considered why your customers or clients remain loyal over the long term, or perhaps others keep coming back periodically as a need presents itself? In part, it’s because you’ve invested energy and time in building a relationship with each of them. It goes deeper than “just” needing and liking your products or services. It’s also the personal touches you’ve added to your marketing efforts along the way that have helped build long-term relationships.

Your clients have more options than ever before, and you want to continue servicing them despite those other options. The human connection is powerful, and there’s a fact to remember: People like doing business with people they like!

If you haven’t thought about further building and strengthening those long-term relationships, now is the time to start. There is one key element that will help you, and that’s to provide extraordinary and personalized customer service.

Once you’ve secured a relationship with a client or customer, don’t stop marketing to them. Continue to work diligently to retain them, day in and day out. Actively communicate with them, and do it often. Let them know you are serious about helping strengthen and grow their businesses, solving problems and creating new business opportunities for them. There are many ways you may achieve this – use social media platforms to your advantage – and gifting is a memorable, personal touch. Gifting keeps you top-of-mind and can go a long way toward creating, building and sustaining a positive relationship. And, it’s sure to make them feel important!

If you think relationship marketing has no benefit, think again. It’s a win-win for everyone. Your customers have a reliable service provider and you have a loyal client or customer who will promote your business by word-of-mouth – now that’s priceless free advertising!

The concept behind relationship marketing is to create customer loyalty. A loyal customer is one likely to stay with you and your company, and refer others to your business. The reality is that it takes time to cultivate a relationship. Take the time today. Remember, your company’s success is all about relationships, relationships, relationships!

So, how much have you invested in customer retention?

Quote of the week:

Great companies that build an enduring brand have an emotional relationship with customers that has no barrier. And that emotional relationship is on the most important characteristic, which is trust.
Howard Schultz

Marketing in Difficult Times - Double Down

Since the beginning of the pandemic, I’ve touched a time or two on marketing philosophies. One of those is that even the darkest of times, it’s helpful to find a bright spot...either find one, or create one.

You and your team are surely already over-performing on many fronts, maintaining your accounts, and striving to perform for and keep existing clients, as well as fill your new business pipeline. As importantly, you’re making adjustments to your products and services and how you deliver them. At the same time, you’re working hard to reassure and thank your team for all of their efforts.

As a partner in marketing for many clients, we are doing the same, and I’d like to share some of what we know to be true and effective in that realm.

There’s no better time than in difficult times to market your firm. Competitors have cut their budgets, and many marketing channels are not as cluttered with messages. It’s simply easier to “cut through.” At the same time, there are bargains to be had. One of our clients had been eying a particular billboard at $2,500/month. Last month, we were able to negotiate that billboard for $750/month, because of a flurry of advertising cancellations. Their message is now getting out, and they have been able to tie new customers to seeing and acting on that board’s message.
Other clients have shifted more of their marketing budgets to online/digital efforts. With more people working online, those targeted audiences can be reached more often and cost-effectively. With a mix of platforms, we’re able to target specific industries and audiences like never before.
Paid advertising isn’t the only way to maximize your presence, of course. With the written word (articles, blogs, interviews, and public relations), you can position yourself and your firm as a thought leader and expert in what you do. Upgrading your website and social media landing pages with meaningful content and posts helps to build your presence, and ultimately, attract new business.

As you march forward through the times we’re in, seek the bright spots for your business, your team members, and your long-term success. Let what you do today, in part, create your tomorrow.

Quote of the week:

Businesses that maintained or increased their ad spend during the recession averaged higher sales growth both during the recession and in the following three years.
Professor Andrew J. Razeghi
(at the Kellogg School of Management, citing a McGraw-Hill Research study of over 600 businesses)

STAR Power and How to Get It

Everyone knows that reviews are important for businesses, but a lot of people don’t realize just HOW important they are. Positive reviews can influence purchase decisions by allowing potential customers to read feedback during their research phase. People are more likely to trust a brand with comments from previous customers that have had pleasant experiences than a brand without. Why? Credibility. A business with positive reviews increases credibility, and at the end of the day, consumers want to trust the businesses they are engaging with. Valued high-star ratings build trust with potential clients prior to even having a conversation with them. In addition:

Reviews also build a business’ reputation and increase visibility on the web, which in turn, helps in SEO and ranking efforts. Particularly with Google reviews, a business’ search ranking improves when Google sees engagement, relevance, and consumer confidence.
Responding to reviews in a timely manner is important. Clients appreciate the effort made in personal and thoughtful responses to each review that is left. It is especially important to respond to negative reviews. Potential customers want to see how a business addresses a negative experience, and since the occasional negative review is inevitable, remember to respond promptly and professionally.
There is value in a positive review regardless if it is on Google, Facebook, or any other social media platform. Online reviews are the easiest and most authentic promotion for your brand because it is coming directly from the mouths of people who have worked with you – a third-party endorsement, if you will.
Always take a negative review response offline by replying with a request to have the person contact you via phone or email. Never engage in an online argument as you will never get the last word, and it doesn’t sit well with people evaluating your business – you’ll likely come across as difficult to deal with. By simply requesting that the person contact you, any rational consumer will view this as you taking action to rectify a poor experience. No response looks like your company doesn’t care – a big turnoff to those perusing your reviews.
While most review platforms discourage soliciting reviews, Google embraces it and will typically post straight to your Google My Business location page. Talk with us about a service we offer to streamline this process.

Due to all of the benefits of positive reviews for your business, remember to ask your clients if they would leave a comment and/or rating describing their experience with your brand. There are platforms and processes that can help with measuring, building, and managing your company’s overall online reputation. We have a powerful solution that can help make review harvesting CIMple. Call us or email me, and we’ll be happy to help.

Quote of the week:

My advice is to answer every customer, in every channel, every time. This is different from how most businesses interact with customers, especially online, which is to answer some complaints, in some channels, some of the time.
Jay Baer

Key Lesson from Marketing 101

There’s a wonderful book from the late 1990s, Who Moved My Cheese? Cheese is used as a metaphor for something related to our livelihoods – our jobs, our relationships, our industries, for example. It tells an interesting story of dealing with change, how change can be embraced or shunned. In the end, change is generally unavoidable. Lesson learned? Expect change and adapt, or one day you’ll find yourself (or your company) left in the dust.

A Marketing 101 course covers a lot of ground, running through theory and strategy, research, analytics, marketing platforms, and dozens of tactics to consider for a given company to use. As marketers in the day-to-day for our clients every day, we know that what works today will change. Yellow Pages, anyone? That was the top tactic, consuming a large chunk of a diversified marketing budget, for some of our clients in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Why? It’s the tactic that caused their phones to ring and brought in 50+% of their business.

One key lesson from a Marketing 101 course withstands the test of time, and simply does not change: A business succeeds only when it has something to sell that people want or need, and are willing and able to buy. You can have the greatest employees in the business, the best website, the lowest prices, the greatest value, the highest ratings, and reviews, and the happiest customers…but if you don’t have a product or service people need and want to purchase, your business won’t be viable for long.

So, while you’re keeping an eye on the many, many facets of running your business (operations, marketing, sales, HR, etc.), never lose sight of what you’re offering, and make sure you continue to align your offerings with what consumers demand, or will be demanding as time goes on. Take the time for ongoing reviews of where you are, and where you need to be, so you won’t wake up one day to find that your “cheese” has been moved.

Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life
by Spencer Johnson, M.D.

Quote of the week:

Every success story is a tale of constant adaption, revision, and change.
Richard Branson

Don't Rule Out DM!

By DM, I mean direct mail. Do you ever feel overwhelmed by your email inbox? Maybe you’re thinking, when don’t I feel that way? If we thought we were receiving more than enough emails before the pandemic, you’re not imagining that it’s increased significantly since then.

At CIM, we’ve been following another tactic, one that’s had its own trend for decades: Direct mail. Peaking in the 1990s, direct mail filled physical mailboxes, and people tired of “junk mail” at home and work. With online communications taking off, many predicted that direct mail would be on a downswing, and it did decline. It has since increased and declined based on the economy and postage rates.

But something else happened. As people grew tired of their overloaded email inboxes, many rediscovered enjoying receiving physical mail to go through – actually paying attention to what they receive in the mailbox.

Direct mail has remained a successful tactic for a number of our clients for multiple reasons:

Direct mail serves as a physical touchpoint with clients.
Very targeted lists can be secured or purchased, sending your message to specific neighborhoods or ZIP codes.
There are creative options to make a mailpiece stand out: Special postcard shapes and sizes, for example. In addition, pieces can be printed using variable data to personalize a mailer per recipient.
Surveys show that people like to have a choice in how they receive communications from a company. We often send printed and email newsletters to the same recipient audiences, letting them choose how they wish to read the message. Some will delete the email as they clear out their inboxes, but may glance the hard copy.
With less mail in mailboxes, what is there has a better chance of standing out, and being read and acted upon.
Direct mail is now trackable using tracking phone numbers or unique web page URLs, so you can maintain lead tracking.

For many companies, direct mail remains a marketing tactic that has a place in a diversified marketing approach. If you’d like assistance in evaluating options to reach and capture your market, that’s what the CIM team does every day.

I hope you enjoy the July Fourth weekend by celebrating our freedom and independence.

Quote of the week:

Freedom lies in being bold.
Robert Frost

Importance of SEO vs. PPC/SEM

Again last week, I had a conversation that reminded me that there’s ongoing confusion about two marketing tactics: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Pay Per Click (PPC)/Search Engine Marketing (SEM). That’s not surprising for several reasons:

The marketing landscape continues to evolve at an incredible pace. Tools, platforms, tactics, and options are introduced or changed at every turn. Just keeping up requires our team to divide and conquer by specializing and focusing on different areas so we can stay abreast of the latest trends and identify true opportunities.
Operationalizing SEO and PPC/SEM have changed, both in their complexities and the required ability to properly employ and manage them.

At the very least, I recommend you be aware of the two tactics. Both are important tools in our marketing toolbox, and we use them for certain clients when they are the right fit given particular business goals. Here’s a one-page summary to review.

If you do implement either or both of these tactics, remember, they can be an effective addition for general brand building. Should you like to discuss your marketing tactics, please reach out.

Quote of the week:

Nobody reads ads. People read what interests them. Sometimes, it’s an ad.
Howard Gossage

The Power of Memorable Moments

It was quite a memorable moment when I finished reading a great book, The Power of Moments. What an impact can be made with some simple, implementable tips. Here’s a summary that I hope will inspire you to create memorable moments for your customers, employees, and clients.

What’s a Defining Moment?

We tend to remember the best or worst moment of an experience, as well as the last moment, and forget the rest.
We all have defining moments in our lives – brief, memorable and meaningful experiences that stand out in our memories.
The book outlines four elements that play a role in a memorable moment: Elevation, insight, pride, and connection. All four needn’t be present to create a particularly memorable moment. The book also contains a number of inspiring examples.
A good surprise is one that delights employees, as well as customers. We recently mailed care packages to clients during the COVID-19 crisis, touchpoints they enjoyed receiving, and our team was delighted with the feedback we received.

A bit of attention and energy can transform an ordinary, forgettable moment into an extraordinary one.

Start by thinking about and recognizing some memorable moments in your life. Surely, you have some standouts in your personal and professional interactions. How has a business delighted you? How did someone please or surprise you?

Now, look at your interactions with your team and those you serve. Brainstorm to create touchpoints to wow both. Remember, in marketing, meaningful moments matter; don’t miss a huge opportunity by leaving them to chance.

If you would like to discuss how we could help you create meaningful moments for clients, please reach out.

**The Power of Moments**
by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

Quote of the week:

The best things in life aren’t things. They are moments.
Unknown

Perception vs. Reality – What do your clients think?

So, you think you know your buyers, customers, or clients. But do you?

Perhaps you and your company have done what you do for many years, and you’ve surely gotten a lot right to have been this successful. Let’s take a peek at a handful of ways to truly get to know your buyers, from simple and fast, to more extensive, but very important:

Satisfaction surveys: These can be simple to orchestrate and will provide feedback quickly. You can create printed surveys to hand out or mail with a postage-paid return envelope. Alternatively or in addition to that, you can create an online survey (think SurveyMonkey). Offering a range of options to provide feedback will be most effective. Don’t have too many questions, and include a question mix that allows various types of responses – yes/no/1-10 scale and open-ended where answers are typed in.
Focus groups: This is formal research where about 10-12 people are recruited to physically go to a location for a 90-minute conference table discussion about a company, product, service, or concept. Focus groups can also be held virtually. The participants usually do not know the company behind the event, so the open discussion can be encouraged. Specific, non-leading questions are gone through to pull information, viewpoints, and competitor insights from the group. We’ve seen the results of what was learned during a focus group literally save our clients hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Buyer personas: Simply put, these are detailed profiles of your ideal buyers. The process is to interview several actual clients and others whom you think are your ideal target buyers to dive deep into their psyches to find out what is most important to them when seeking your products or services. This involves scheduling and having a detailed, one-on-one conversation/interview with them to ask a series of questions to get at the root of what they want and need, and why. After the interviews are completed, profiles are created outlining what these individuals look like (demographics) and details about their key decision factors, concerns, likes, dislikes, and priorities.

The insight gleaned from any type of marketing research can yield a treasure trove of information that can be incorporated into your business development and client care initiatives: Website content, marketing collateral, digital outreach (email campaigns, newsletter content, online advertising), etc.

Invest in the time to truly know and understand your customers and prospects so you can “speak” to them in the most effective way possible. If you need any help with marketing research, please reach out to me.

Quote of the week:

Marketing without data is like driving with your eyes closed.
Dan Zarella

Chaos Resets the Playing Field

We’ve all been experiencing a world of chaos over the past few months, and in a recent peer group, we discussed how chaos resets the playing field. It reminded me of a tool we use at CIM to work through problems and frustrations, whether at home and/or work. Wouldn’t it be nice to take control and bring back some stability? It’s time for a reset.

When we aim to solve a problem, it’s most effective to first well-define the problem so we can start to outline a path to solving it. We created a tool, Frustration 2 Success, to help identify and work through frustrations you may be experiencing. As you’ll see, it’s pretty straightforward... and that simplicity can help you more easily take charge of resolving problems and minimizing frustrations you experience.

Frustration 2 Success — Click image to download worksheet

Here are a few tips as you sit down with the worksheet:

Brainstorm frustrations and write them down. Some may be minor; others may be more significant.
As you look at the “realistic strategy” column, keep in mind that you don’t have to solve the issue by yourself. Who else is involved with that frustration? Consider involving that person in solving the problem.
If the problem is significant or complicated to resolve, break down the action tactics into manageable steps. Chip away at the problem.
Best case scenario, you completely remove the frustration. On the other hand, if you can’t completely “fix” the problem, your action tactics can perhaps minimize the problem.

In a leadership program I’ve been involved with for nearly two decades, one quote I’ve never forgotten is Progress, Not Perfection. Taking action steps to improve our lives makes a huge difference in the long term. I hope this worksheet inspires you to take charge in ways that are helpful and meaningful to you.

Quote of the week:

To conquer frustration, one must remain intensely focused on the outcome, not the obstacles.
T.F. Hodge

Synchronize Your Brand

You’ve heard me say it: Branding is Everything. Your brand is the core, the foundation of all that you are and do for clients. This week, we invite you to take time to review your brand, in particular, where and how your logo and its branding elements are being used and seen in the marketplace. To help you do that, we created a Brand Synchronization tool.

What is Brand Synchronization, and Why is It Important?
When a company has been around for years and has had a number of employees come and go, there’s a pretty good chance that your brand (that is, your logo and branding elements, such as colors and marks) may not always be used appropriately. Typically, over time, when there isn’t a diligent effort regarding brand usage, your logo may be used in the wrong color, it may be stretched, it may not be used in the proper resolution, etc.

Download Brand Synchronization Document

We encourage you to use our tool to review the state of your company’s brand and then commit to shoring up any weaknesses. If you have any questions or would like help synchronizing your brand, we’re here to help.

Quote of the week:

A great brand is a story that never stops unfolding.
Tony Hsieh