I'm Tired Of ( & Exasperated With) Marketing
April 03, 2009
By Guest Blogger, Mary Schmidt, Marketing Troubleshooter
In his post today, Seth Godin notes that, "Selfish short-sighted marketers ruined it for all of us. The only way
out, I think, is for a few marketers to so overwhelm the market with
long-term, generous marketing that we have no choice but to start
paying attention again."
Hmmm..."generous marketing" - plays right into my tag line "Everything you do is marketing." And, why am I rolling my eyes (again)? Between what I do for a living (duh, marketing stuff) and my "life" as a customer...I'm overwhelmed with the tired, trite (and selfish) marketing that is still so prevalent. Companies yammer on and on about "trust," "customer commitment," "integrity" and "quality." We. Do. Not. Believe.Them.
I recently switched insurance companies. I paid Celtic for a year and when I went to use it...whu-oh, couldn't use it. When I emailed about the problem, I got a canned "do not reply" apology and abdication of responsibility. Their motto, "Earning Your Trust, Every Day." You betcha.
So, what does this mean to your marketing? Here are two rules to live by:
Rule #1: Don't Be A Marketing "Expert's" Victim. If you don't like it, don't do it to your customers. Just because the "expert" is promising great results doesn't make it the right thing to do. Example: Robocalls. We've got a glitzy guru here in Albuquerque whose big schtick...wait for it...is ROBO CALLS! Yes, indeedy. You''ll make millions. (Not.) Another is pitching email blasts like they're the greatest new thing! Right. We all so love to be blasted, don't we? And, spam is again at an all-time high.
Rule #2: Don't Be Afraid. Yes, if you're generous, you're going to get scammed on occasion. But, the positives will outweigh any momentary hit to your revenues. If you make a "special" offer, make sure it's really "special." Lose the fine print. Take returns without a receipt. Offering a rebate? Don't make people jump through hoops to get it; give it to them at time of purchase.
Trust goes both ways. And, you have to earn it.
Everyone is feeling it on every corner today. Exactly the reason me and some friends are thinking about doing something different for us as a community of online shoppers.
Posted by: DanG | April 06, 2009 at 05:13 PM
Email blasts aren't effective? Say it ain't so, Mary! LOL We recently were approached by a local company offering a really fantastic list for a pretty reasonable price. I asked if the people on the list had opted in to receive third party emails and...was met with, "Ummm...well...no...not really"...
Thank goodness I did not buy that list and spam all those business owners. I shudder to think of how many uninformed people did buy the list.
Posted by: Yvonne DiVita | April 04, 2009 at 11:23 AM
Hear, hear! I strive to make customer service #1 in my small business and think I've made my customers feel special. Let's hope it catches on.
Pat
Patricia Rose-A Potpourri of Fabric, Fragrance and Findings
www.patriciarose-apotpourri.com
www.patriciarose-apotpourriof.blogspot.com
Posted by: Pat Morello | April 04, 2009 at 12:43 AM
Happy Friday Mary,
LOL. How about being tired of "bad" marketing, just like being tired of "bad" customer service. Of the latter I am remarkably tired. Disgusted, really.
So cheers to any and all of us who practice good service and good marketing, good manners. May we set the bar high and watch others follow suit.
Enjoy the weekend,
Ardith
Posted by: Ardith | April 03, 2009 at 09:48 PM
YAY! Bravo! Thank heavens! When will it end?
Posted by: Dan Auito | April 03, 2009 at 09:31 PM