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| | The Marketing, Channels/Partnership & Sales Execs Network is not currently active and cannot accept new posts | | Appreciation Wins Over Self-Promotion Every Time | Views: 1129 | | Mar 29, 2007 9:17 pm | | Appreciation Wins Over Self-Promotion Every Time | # | 
Adam Herbel | | Think about that phrase…appreciation wins over self-promotion every time. What does it mean?
Ever since I could remember, marketing experts have talked about making sure that your brand or name is in front of your prospects and clients as much as you can possibly afford. Put your brand on notepads to hand out. Put your entire business card contents on your email or signature. Put your brand name on your packing tape that you use to seal your shipments.
While these methods will get your brand name out there, will it encourage people to buy your product or service? Will it encourage them to tell their friends about you?
Probably not.
Unless your customers like you and know that you truly appreciate their business and time, all your branding efforts will be in vain. Referrals will not flow and you will wonder why.
Try this experiment for 30 days and see what happens. Send at least one thank you card per day to a client of yours. Genuinely thank them for considering you and your product worthy. Tell them how much you appreciate their business and then just end it. Sign it with your name and phone number only. Don’t include your email address. Don’t put your website in it. Don’t put your logo on the envelope or on the card anywhere.
And this is the key. Don’t expect anything from it in return.
“What is this guy talking about?” you may ask. If you really appreciate their business, you will leave it at that.
People that know you appreciate them will automatically talk about you and your business. It’s that simple.
Thank you for reading this post. I hope your Thursday afternoon is sunny and mild.
Best wishes,
Adam
Private Reply to Adam Herbel | | Mar 29, 2007 10:04 pm | | re: Appreciation Wins Over Self-Promotion Every Time | # |
Linda van Dyk | | Hi Adam,
Thanks for the confirmation of my thoughts. Our society is to focused on money these days instead of remembering what business is all about, people. We need to take the time to say thank you and not with just a phone call, that doesn't take enough effort. It's good to know that what I was planning to do as my business grows is on the right path. Thanks for the post.
Linda Private Reply to Linda van Dyk | | Mar 30, 2007 3:48 am | | re: re: Appreciation Wins Over Self-Promotion Every Time | # | 
Denise Michaels | | Hi Adam:
What you say makes sense and I always tell my marketing mentoring clients and the groups I speak to that people do business with people they like. But there's a little "fly in the ointment" for me here... and I'm very open to discuss my thoughts about this. Just musing here.
While like you I question branding on every doggone thing - I look at large businesses and wonder. Let's take a national retailer like "Best Buy" for example. Every time I walk into that place I sort of cringe. (I like Office Depot better - but not much.) The people at Best Buy are rude, they don't adhere to any of the standards of professional conduct you or I would take for granted, they don't help worth squat (if you DO luck into someone who's helpful it's like a big shock) and the store is a confusing cacaphony of busy-ness that makes my head swim.
I don't like shopping there. But anytime I need something of a computer or tech nature - I go there. Why?
1. Because they're close to where I live.
2. Because it's the only place I can think of to buy a zip drive or a digital video camera or my last two laptops and printer or a dvd player - and the list goes on.
They've done such a good job branding that even though I don't like it - I buy there anyway. And scoot out as soon as possible and breath a sigh of relief.
Big companies have branded so powerfully that they're successful at squelching any complaints or consumer problems. Their advertising and brand seems to be louder than any of it. And this is not just with Best Buy - but lots of big, national chains.
If you ever read "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell or "The Anatomy of Buzz" by Emanuel Rosen - they both discuss how much faster bad news travels compared to good news about products, services and businesses. But the big retailers seem to be successful at keeping it contained because their voice as a "brand" is apparently much louder than the the person or persons who are not happy and who voice their displeasure.
Maybe it's comparing apples with oranges to compare a home-based business owner with a big national chain that spends millions just in print ad circulars every Sunday nationwide. Any thoughts?
All the best,
Denise Michaels
Author, "Testosterone-Free Marketing"
Visit me online at http://www.MentoringwithDenise.com
Private Reply to Denise Michaels | | Mar 30, 2007 11:49 am | | re: re: re: Appreciation Wins Over Self-Promotion Every Time | # |
Arun Kumar | | Denise,
I do agree with you about branding. I think it is as important as the point Adam has mentioned.
Personally, if I had the choice between known and unknown brand for buying a product - I would be more inclined to buy the known brand unless I have very detailed knowledge of the inner details of the product and am able to test the unknown brand to my satisfaction. I think most of us, when we make an investment, try to keep the risk at minimum. I feel going with a known brand is part of that process.
Just my thoughts.
Warm Regards,
Arun Kumar
Head - Marketing and Sales
Agni Software (P) Ltd.
http://www.agnisoft.com Private Reply to Arun Kumar | | Apr 02, 2007 11:30 pm | | re: re: re: Appreciation Wins Over Self-Promotion Every Time | # |
Adam Herbel | | Hello Denise,
You have some good points about big box branding.
I apologize for not making my post more clear. The intended audience was the sales professional and not the marketing directors or channel mangers.
Let me give an example...
Jane is selling software solutions to Bob. Bob buys a package that will put the latest edition of Jane's software on all 500 workstations at his company.
Scenario #1
Jane sends Bob an email that says:
Hi Bob,
Thank you for buying XYZ Software. If you have any more needs for XYZ Software, please call me.
(Click this link to buy more XYZ Software)
Thanks,
Jane Jones
XYZ Software
800-555-1212
http://www.xyzsoftware.com
janejones@xyzsoftware.com
XYZ Software - We bring you XYZ Products
Scenario #2
Jane sends Bob a card that says:
Dear Bob,
Thank you for buying XYZ Software. It was really nice
to get to know you during the process. Hopefully, I was
able to answer all your questions about the installation.
If not, you can always call me anytime.
Thanks,
Jane Jones (signed)
800-555-1212
Which one had more power?
Thank you for everyone's input!
Adam Private Reply to Adam Herbel | | |
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