Tuesday, March 8, 2011

What are you selling...

When you visit a massage therapist and receive a massage it feels great at the time, it’s a combination of the touch, the feel, the attention and the hope that it is actually making you better. It does loosen the muscles and temporally take away the tension and pain. It does not however deliver any long lasting results. From the moment you step down from the table you will put your muscles through the same stress and tension. Most people get a massage once or twice a year.

It applies to all industries...Advertising is like giving your brand a massage, it feels good at the time to see your add on TV, hear it on radio or see it in a big glossy mag. You might get some attention out of it and it may or may not deliver results. Chances are the moment you go to work the next day, you’re delivering the same message and attitude to your clients/consumers and the advertising has had no long lasting results. Most brands advertisers once or twice a year.

The focus should be on retention or diversifying your product offering. Imagine, upon leaving the massage table the masseuse gave you a little talk about how you feeling, what to expect and what to work on during the next fortnight. The following day/week the masseuse gives you a call to see how you are feeling, tells you to drink lots of water (not too much) get lots of sleep and continue stretching. You would feel the attention, and you would refresh your hope that you are actually feeling better.

Same goes for Advertising, you receive a call from the advertising manager, he asks you if you saw/heard your advertisement, how are you feeling, he proposes a strategy to build on, and mentions two or three learning’s that he gathered from other clients advertising with him. The problem is that this doesn’t happen, the speed of business is quick, the thinking shifts to the next client and the new dollars.

A local mariner in Australlia has just over 3,500 members with only 375 berths for boats and yachts. Every month they have a lunch with a guest speaker, twice a year an open day, four times a year a family day. Yes it’s a yacht club, but this isn’t the product they are selling, they are selling the community. Long gone are the days when they were trying to sell yearly (or 5 yearly) memberships to owners of boats, when they are whole heatedly remembered for the community they have built above and beyond the berths.

The secret here is the product you are selling, really isn’t the product you are remembered for at all. You will be remembered for how much you care, your attention, your diverse product offering and integrity. You can’t put a dollar value next to these products but you sure can measure it when your old clients/consumers keep coming back and spreading the word for you.

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