When you communicate with customers, how do you talk to them? Do you make it all about your company, or all about them?
It’s not that customers and clients don’t care about the integrity of your company. They do. But your business is much more likely to succeed when you front-load your conversation — no matter what your communication channel — with how your product or service benefits the customer.
To some, this may seem counter intuitive, especially when your business has received awards or accolades. But a humble approach makes your company more approachable and attractive. I’m not saying not to mention it, just lead with the customers’ needs.
In today’s super-busy world, you have mere seconds to effectively show your potential customers that what you offer has relevant benefits that suit their needs. To help you do this, avoid mass mailings and e-mails, as well as other random marketing techniques. In other words, do your research to determine who is likely to appreciate the benefits you offer before you attempt to reach them.
Of course, you must first have a crystal-clear definition of these benefits yourself. And they have to be authentic. If you’re claiming your third-party iPhone case is the best — make sure it’s the best! Although easier said than done, when we strive to improve the integrity of our products and our business, the customer notices.
Think about the people over at Pixar. This company accepts nothing short of their best. They work as a team to create fantastic, story-driven films that offer benefits to audiences of all ages. With Pixar, the benefits often go beyond “entertainment” value, touching the lives of children and adults, alike, in meaningful ways.
When building a relationship with a customer, filling their need is top priority. Even if it’s a one-time transaction, an excellent experience with you can get communicated to hundreds of friends, family members and business associates on social media sites — which is just a really effective form of old-school word of mouth, right? Give your customers more than good reason to talk, and make sure that talk is positive by making it all about them.
May your business always experience abundance, growth and prosperity …
Just about any company can benefit from having a blog. In many cases, it can help grow your business by increasing sales or your client base. In all cases, it can raise the credibility of a company — especially when you’re providing relevant, high-quality content. But writing blog posts, even good ones, isn’t enough. You also need readers.
DailyCandy.com is running a great contest for fledgling professionals called 
A marketing industry survey released this week by MerchantCircle finds businesses are shedding the use of traditional print channels and opting for less expensive web alternatives such as Facebook and search engines.
The internet has fundamentally changed the way in which businesses market to consumers. Now, instead of relying on ad copy and TV commercials, marketing exists in social networks, mobile devices, email inboxes, search engine results and quick response codes.
Especially within the last few years, with the advent of game-changing technologies and innovations ranging from quick response codes to mobile advertising, a slew of buzz terms have graced the business marketing scene and turned the heads of industry leaders.
A lot has been said about direct mail marketing in recent years. On the one hand, there are the consumers that denounce it as junk mail that immediately goes in the trash and serves to do little more than provide environmental waste.
Most analysts have argued that as the economy improves, businesses, particularly small ones, will renew their marketing, PR and promotional strategies. Due to the recession, many businesses cut back on their marketing initiatives in light of sales slumps and poor credit.
American Express OPEN is teaming up with Facebook to give five small business owners a Big Break. You could win an all-expense paid trip to Facebook headquarters for a two-day, one-on-one business makeover and a $20,000 cash prize to help grow your business with social media. Entrants must submit responses to 3 questions by May 20, 2011. 
Continuing the U.S. Postal Service’s push to reinvigorate the direct mail marketing sector, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe called upon businesses and advertisers to consider the medium in developing their promotional strategies for the rest of the year.
