Value of a customer

When you deliver what you promise, the result is loyal customers. Loyal customers who love spending money with you and in turn word of mouth advertising you can't buy.

Loyal customers allows you to spend a lot less on marketing and instead allows you to use those dollars to continually improve customer service.

It's a great cycle.

Where is your cycle?

Tony Mariani

Your brand will leave a mark

As I entered the coffee shop and got in line, I couldn't help but notice the tattoos on the guy's arms just above the back part of his elbows. Odd place for tattoos. Tim was on the right side and on the left was Sarah.

As he turned sideways I then noticed the tattoo of a girl's face beside the name Sarah and suddenly there was Sarah I guess coming back from the bathroom. I don't get the whole tattoo thing but to each his own. Getting rid of the tattoo still leaves a trace.

You still have to admire Tim's commitment. His whole life is going to revolve around protecting that brand despite the fact there is a better than 50-50 chance that brand is going to fail.

Knowing those odds, what are you doing to protect your brand? Do you really have the largest selection in the city?

You can buy all the advertising in the world but if you can't deliver what you say you do, its going to leave an ugly mark.

Tony Mariani

5 lines you should avoid using in your ads

5. Conveniently located
4. Lots of free parking
3. The sale has been held over
2. Friendly and knowledgeable staff
1. There has never been a better time to buy

All five are about you and not what you or your product can do for the customer.

Tony Mariani

Tell your staff you bought a big advertising campaign

The store employee looks like a deer in headlights.

They have no idea what you are talking about because management neglected to tell their staff they were blowing out all the unsold inventory to get ready for the spring arrivals.

Run the advertising campaign by your employees before the public sees its so your foot soldiers are ready.

Tony Mariani

Your still need a marketing plan

Its easy to get caught up in the whole social media, digital media and new advertising world.

You hear it a lot and it's today's version of "I need to be in the yellow pages because all my competitors are".

The digital world is in a constant change. Before you spend the kids college fund on redesigning a web page, step back a moment and review the way you do business. Putting up a new website without a plan to monetize it is just another website offering free stays at your hotel with multiple night bookings.

It doesn't matter the break neck speed the world is going at today in this new internet age. Check that marketing plan. You still have to give the consumer a compelling reason to do business with you.

Tony Mariani

Are you trying to win back the business

When you have messed up, are you really trying to fix the problem or take the cheap route out?

You are living in the past, if you are asking a customer to give you one more chance by offering to discount their next visit, or to charge a 20% re-stocking fee.

Word of mouth advertising is growing exponentially thanks to social media. That bad meal just got reviewed on the local restaurant review website and the the restocking fee gouge just got posted on a blog that or worse, the whole exchange was recorded and is on You Tube.

Free is the new monetary exchange and you will be amazed how much free will ring your cash register.

Tony Mariani

You cant handle the truth

How do you think this would go over at your next staff meeting?



Tony Mariani