Today the talk will be focusing on...

Changes in Marketing - Marketing in a Rapidly Changing World
Marketing, Customers, Consumers

Bad economy?  The media has accurately predicted 18 of the last 2 recessions!  You don't have to participate in the recession.

When you get up in the morning you better hit the ground running. 

Brian Tracy - Flight Plan (book)
Surviving today in business is similar to flying an airplane.  You have to have three elements: 

• You have to have a plan.
• Then you have to take off (get past the research and planning).
• Then make continuous course corrections.

Foundational rules for the successful entrepreneurs:

• Learn more stuff - The average American reads 2 books a year!
• Learn continuously - What we know today will be obsolete in 2 years.  What we use will be obsolete in 3 years.
• If you are not getting better today, you are getting worse. 

Creating and retaining customers is our job!

ACCEPT IT!  Everything is changing.

Traditional marketing does not always work today. - Because that's the way we've always done it.  Dos not cut it anymore!

The customers/consumers are changing.

• Do we know our customers like we used to?
• Do we even know our customers like we used to?
• Behind the lifestyle curve of our own prospects!

Think of it this way...It's a simple generational change.

Understand that old definitions are changing tool

• Good employees
• Happy customers service
• Desirable products & services

There are big companies out there (competitors) setting a standard business standard that allows 24-hour business access. - Self care is expected by consumers.

Changes are REQUIRED from you.  If you don't meet these expectations, they will see this as bad customer service.  If they don't get it from you they will find it elsewhere.  And they CAN find it elsewhere.

The customer base is "Fragile"

• It is a big mistake to equate customer satisfaction with customer loyalty.
• 93% of happy customers would leave for a discount of $15 a month.
• Customer satisfaction is worthless.  Loyalty is everything!

The critical oversight - BE(A)WARE

• You don't have to have the best website....Just be there!

Its all about the customer. - The secret to customer retention is to give them a reason to shop that fits their busy lifestyle.  Give them what they want when they want it. 

Focus your marketing strategy on your "High-Value" customers first.  TARGET! TARGET! TARGET!

If you don't focus on the "Acquirers" you will lose them.

They want business services on the internet...available at their convenience.  They want access to you!

An internet strategy with some sort of self care element....newsletter signup, etc.

If you utilize this service, for the first time you can take any ad and tie it back to your internet.  You extend the value and life of that ad.

Your marketing message better be clear.  If you don't know what it is, your customer won't either.

• Start with a powerful 15 second marketing message. - Then powerful 40 second marketing message.
• Require your employees to know that message.

When times are perceived as good buying is a reward...a sport.  When mass psychology changes, the story changes.  We buy out of defense to avoid trouble.  We buy smaller things with the same sense of reward.  It is not the thing so much as the story.  As business people we must change our story so our customer will change the story they tell themselves.

Positioning: The Battle for your Mind (book)
The most threatening aspect in our world today is the consumer attention span.  Why do consumers buy our stuff?  How do we win that war?  The human mind is bombarded with advertising impressions everyday.  The mind is full of clutter.  Why do we pick one product over another?

• The mind is like a file card system
• Limited space per cad, particularly in low interest/no interest categories
• Businesses live and die by positing

The Marketing Bridge

1. Unawareness
2. Awareness
3. Comprehension
4. Conviction
5. Action

When customers cross your marketing bridge what is your position on their file card...are you on at all?

Always, always, always have a clear call to action!  Ask them to do something.  Your wasting precious marketing dollars if you don't.

You must always answer two questions with all of your marketing...

1. So what?
2. WIIFM (What's in it for me?)

You may need to re-invent your business? 

• Position or re-position
• Totally re-work marketing
• Change your thinking
• You gotta be flexible
• You have to enjoy what you do

Don't forget about your existing loyal customers.

• Most businesses NEVER ask
• 50% of new annual business should come from your existing customers
• A satisfied is10x easer to sell to than a new customer
• a referral from an existing customer is 15x easier to sell to

You must learn to constantly and consistently stop and re-evaluate!

• QWINK - Zero-based thinking - Knowing what I know now...
• 3 Eyes of the Business Person - Many times owner acts like the technician.  Get stuck down there and lose that entrepreneurial eye.
  • Eye of Entrepreneur - always looking out
  • Eye of Manager - always looking back
  • Eye of Technician - [bloodshot] why did I get into business?

“Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, ''Make me feel important.'' Not only will you succeed in sales, you will succeed in life.”  - Mary Kay Ash

Its a "ME" world.  Its an online world.  The future...????

This is the greatest time in history to be in business.

Good luck!