Seasons are important.
Many small businesses do half their annual volume during ‘their’ season, whenever that is, and however long it lasts.
If you are involved in retailing… web-based or traditional, the last six weeks may have been your season.
If you are an accountant, your season begins next month.
Tourism, sports, construction, and recreation all have seasons, as do all of the businesses that support them.
Even churches have highs and lows during various times that roll around like clockwork each year.
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The key to doing well during your season, is to prepare like crazy in the off-season… to have your team ready to play… and to build your following.
Just as leaders have followers, businesses have customers.
Great leaders have followers who are loyal, who believe in the vision, and who promote it without being asked. They know, and are known by, their leader.
The same is true for great businesses, big and small.
Regardless of our industry, we are all in the marketing business… the business of relationships… between our market and our customers and our suppliers and ourselves.
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These relationships are not created by seasonal ad campaigns; they are not based on price.
They are created through the hard work and care-filled attitudes of every member of our staff, in every interaction and with every contact all year long… resulting in excellent customer experiences.
It’s about becoming the expert, and the source of valuable and helpful information. It’s about identifying the true needs of our customer, and putting their interest first.
It’s as simple as recognizing repeat customers and acknowledging them by name; and as complex as understanding individual and market behaviors, and global influences.
It is the essence of successful small business… and of truly satisfying work.
It is whole team marketing.
Principles:
Duplicating our marketing efforts through the activities of every member of the team is a powerfully effective and inexpensive way to deepen our relationships with our customers, to better understand their needs, and to create a memorable and meaningful experience that matters to them.
Whole team marketing requires upgrading the talent and thinking of each of our employees. It is what leaders do.
I look for to speaking with you.
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