The most important marketing lesson for every business…
Meet the new boss; Same as the old boss
The Who – Won’t get fooled again
Wow, I was just listening to the old song “Won’t get fooled again” by the Who. And let me tell you, it really brought back some memories from my youth (I guess that shows you how old I am).
At the end of the song, Roger Daultry sings “Meet the new boss – Same as the old boss” and it instantly got me thinking about marketing.
OK, I can already hear you saying… “What? How the hell can an old rock-n-roll song make you think about marketing? You friggin egghead!”
Well, maybe I deserved that… and maybe not. But at least let me explain where I’m coming from, before you feed me to the alligators…
I guess it’s because I see marketing everywhere. It’s like the old saying “when all you have is a hammer, the whole world looks like a nail.” And since marketing is what I think about most of the time, everything seems like a marketing lesson.
So those lyrics got me thinking…
The latest trend I keep hearing about in marketing is “customer centric relationship marketing.”
Well, without running that title through the corporate B.S. translator; it basically means putting your customer relationships at the center of your marketing strategies.
I guess in the corporate world treating your clients with respect is some kind of totally new concept?
But in my mind, that’s what ethical business has always been about.
Long term business building has always been about customer relationships. Because without customers, you don’t have a business.
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Oh sure, you can manipulate people to buy from you with psychological tricks, fancy advertising, and promises of great customer service.
But people will eventually figure out that you don’t really care about them, and your only agenda is to take their money; then you’ll lose them forever!
On top of that, they’ll tell everyone they know to stay away from you.
That will leave you constantly advertising for new customers. And marketing for new customers is always more expensive than marketing to repeat customers.
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On the other hand; earning your customers trust and proving you’re not out to cheat them, gives them every reason to come back to you whenever they need what you’re selling.
And they’ll usually tell friends and family to buy from you as well. (Also known as “word of mouth” marketing; which is the least expensive, highest-impact marketing you could ever wish for)
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The fact is… Every smart business owner knows it’s always way cheaper to keep happy, repeat clients; than to be constantly trying to attract new customers.
With that in mind…
I just want to finish this rant with a quote from Sam Walton (the founder of Wal-Mart)…
“There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.”
So, if you own a business, and you think you’re the boss…
Well; Meet the new boss – Same as the old boss!
until next time. Keep on marketing.
All the best,
SARubin
Direct Response Copywriter
Advertising and Marketing Egghead
www.sarmarketing.net
P.S. If you have any questions or comments, you can reply directly to this message and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
And just remember… Not every marketing idea will work the same for every business. But every proven idea has already helped other businesses grow.
So even if you don’t think these ideas apply to you right now, it’s still something you may want to use in the future – as your business grows and evolves. It’s always a good idea to keep your eyes and ears open for good, proven marketing strategies.
