This latest Tom Fishburne cartoon brought a smile to my face…
…and an instant identification with the main character! Perhaps I don’t quite need a separate bag for my “loyalty” cards but there are enough of them.
Which begs the question, of course, how effective are these cards really? When every retailer has a similar scheme, do they end up as just another discount?
Looking after and rewarding your best customers makes perfect sense, of course. All too many businesses don’t do nearly enough to make customers feel appreciated and retain their business. Remember, it’s expensive to acquire new customers and far cheaper to sell to an existing client.
Having said that, creating loyalty starts with having a great product and delivering an outstanding experience. Perhaps an overused example, but Apple has a legion of die-hard, raving fans without having to resort to incentives or discounts disguised as loyalty schemes.
I’ve mentioned “Frank Kern’s 2012 State Of The Internet Address” a couple of times. It’s noteworthy because his main theme is that for success in business, the most important area to focus on is delivering a great product and customer experience.
Problem is that all too many people (both online and offline) seem to think that clever marketing is the answer to all business problems.
It’s not. In direct response marketing having a good (ideally great) product and offer is not optional…
…it’s the starting point!
Sure, there are scams out there but in this discussion we’re talking about legitimate businesses.
So good marketing is essential (lots of great products out there that fail because of poor marketing)…
…but you have to deliver to the client.
Marketing maestro Jay Abraham has a similar message…
“No – there’s only one vital/critical/pivotal realization I want you to make as we start the clock ticking loudly away on this year of dramatic volatility we’re calling 2012.
As a business owner – you’re either a proprietor or an entrepreneur. Tragically, shockingly, but truthfully – something like 95% of all small business owners function as proprietors – not entrepreneurs.
Why is this fact so bad? Because your days as a proprietor – operating a “me too,” commodity-type enterprise are all but numbered. Stated less tactfully – unless you dramatically change who and what you are – your business could become “The Walking Dead” – possibly sooner than later.”
(NOTE: This is from an email to Jay’s list. To subscribe head over to Abraham.com.)
In other words, to survive, let alone gain a significant advantage over the competition, you MUST deliver added value in some form.
More than ever, it’s a case of “Differentiate Or Die”…
…and if you want true customer loyalty, it’s going to take more than some simple marketing tactics (helpful though they can be).
Worth reading the whole post from Tom at…
…and there’s a nice example (with video) of another company that has created loyal customers with no loyalty program at all.