Most of us are familiar with "The Donald" and his famous TV show, "The Apprentice". The show became an instant hit and "you're fired" was the buzzword of the moment. As the show grew and took on a life of its own, the show concept gradually changed and began to slowly lose its brilliance. At first, it wasn't obvious what was different but then it became clear that the show's very own tagline said it all: "It's not personal, it's just business."
That same tagline could have just as easily been used by Enron, Worldcom, Arthur Anderson, Jim and Tammy Bakker and many others that started with a personal commitment that gradually transformed to "it's just business." What these and many other businesses forget, as their companies grow, is that a business can become so much more if it is able to maintain that personal connection to its customers and employees.
Businesses are created with the basic idea of selling to make money. There's nothing wrong with that as long as we go further and create a vision that connects us with our customers and then are able to communicate that vision in a very personal way.
Money and lots of creative marketing can sell anything-at least at first. But selling isn't everything. If the buyer is going to join our list of return buyers, which is essential for business success, he or she has to feel the connection.
Except for a few corporate giants with which we are all familiar, most local real estate companies (as well as gift basket companies, which is my industry) are relatively small. We complain about the big guys and how they are taking business from us but we forget that we have a unique advantage if only we decide to use it. That is the advantage of being able to relate to our customers in a very personal way.
We attend conferences where we take classes about increasing our profits, and getting more bang for our dollars. All of this is important and necessary if we are to grow a successful business. But there is one thing that is even more important. And that is - how do you stay close to your customers?
If a business is only about numbers on a spreadsheet and money in the bank, it's easy to rationalize negative customer situations and to act impersonally with those who are buying from us. An unhappy customer speaks louder than a happy one and can impact a smaller business faster than a larger one.
I'm not saying that it's better to remain small or that big corporations are bad. Not at all. It's not the size that matters. It's the vision and the commitment to remain connected to that vision.
It's easier to remain personal when you are serving a local clientele. People in your community connect you to your business. If you treat one customer badly, word gets around and will quickly impact your sales. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work the other way. Customers take good service for granted and expect it. It's up to us to provide that service or we aren't in business very long.
Customer loyalty is elusive, even when you are just a local business but it becomes even more so when your customers don't know anything about you and are searching for a real estate company on the internet. This is the basic concept of branding your business. The big corporations are aware of this and have deep pockets to spend on creating a "personal connection." How effective they are depends on who they hire and how creative the advertising company happens to be.
We've all seen ads and websites that tug at our hearts that those that don't. When these big companies tire of one marketing idea, they move on to another and usually to another marketing company. If the basic vision is forgotten when the new marketing program is rolled out, that personal connection fades away.
As smaller companies, we have the advantage of being able to use the more foolproof and cost-effective method of making sure that we, as the owner, and our staff remember why we got into this business in the first place and who keeps us in business. Oprah is an exact opposite of "The Donald" and is an outstanding example of someone who is gifted with vision and dedication to those who helped build her business. The more she gives, the more she receives.
I'm sure, as many of you are reading this, you're waiting for the "tricks" and the quick fix. If so, you are missing the whole point. You are your business. And only you can determine how you are going to be able to create and maintain that personal relationship that can create success. I can give you suggestions but to genuinely succeed in this business, you have to invest the time to know yourself.
Your business has a personality and that personality is you. If you have a website, it should reflect that personality. Each and every direct mail marketing piece, and even your business card, should reflect that personality.
To try to give you more of an idea of what I'm talking about, I would never write about someone else's website or business. So, I'll use my own. I know what my vision is and I've tried to express it in the "about us" section of my website http://www.shopcreativegifts.com/. Throughout the website, I've tried to express my personality and vision for my business through colors, product choices, and even the writing. The postcards and other marketing materials that I use to promote my business follow through with the same personality.
Regardless of the type of product you are selling or the business you are in, your personality and vision comes from within. Take a look at two other websites that I own and operate (http://www.grandcanyonteddybears.com/ and http://www.route-66-memories.com/) and see if you don't think that the same personality and vision is incorporated in these as well.
My personality is not your personality. You have to dig deep and understand yourself and then express it through your business or it comes across as fake and doesn't ring true.
Remember -- business is not just business. It's very personal.
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