Hello, I'm your customer.
Well, I might be your customer. I might be your customer if I can get your message and I like what I see and I can trust you. I'll also ask several of my friends (either in person on via one of the social networks I'm a member of) and I'll probably Google your business on my mobile phone to see if anyone has had a bad experience doing business with you. Oh, by the way I'm not a kid. I might be a kid, but more than likely I'm 20-50 and I've got enough income for a high-speed internet connection and a smart phone. I've also got money to spend. Of course, with this economy, I'm going to shop around first and I'm going to compare your prices with all of your competitors. Value is important to me.
I've seen every advertising trick and gimmick out there. If you spam me I'll never buy from you. If you waste my time I'll never buy from you. If you don't have what I'm looking for at the price I want, then I'm out faster than a fat kid in dodgeball.
Seriously.
Simply stated, as a business owner, You Are No Longer In Control of your customers. Funny thing is, most of the advertising and marketing advice you've been getting was designed when the business owner was in control.
For example, if you wanted to buy a new truck way back in the olden days (the early 90's) then you'd read the newspaper and see what was being advertised and then you'd head down to the local car franchise and you'd look at some brochures and talk to the salesperson. You might also ask a friend that had a similar model if they liked their truck or read a review in an automotive magazine. Aside from the opinion of a friend or a consumer report magazine, the only source of information you had about the truck you were buying came from the dealer. The dealer was in control.
Fast forward just a bit over a decade.
I'm looking for a new truck. I start on the internet where I look at dozens of options and play around on manufacturer's websites for a bit. Then I pull up one of the hundreds of sites and start looking at trucks and prices in my area. I actually do this on my phone when I'm in the bathroom but I don't tell anyone about it. I then find a car I like and I look for dealers near me. I read hundreds of reviews and skip over the dealers who seem "shady" or had a lot of complaints. I find a dealer I like who has a mobile web site (this way I can car shop on Sunday with my phone and not be hassled by salespeople). I decide on a couple of trucks that I'm interested in. I get to the dealership and the salesperson starts giving me a bunch of information that seems "a little off". I quickly verify everything he's saying by Googling it on my phone.
I finally find a dealership that isn't lying to me the minute I walk on the lot. I find a truck I want. The F&I manager tells me that he can get me approved if I just this and that. I've already got my credit report and score saved on my mobile phone so I know he's full of it. I was also reading the Wikipedia page on "Buying a Car" so I can spot tricks like this....
Still think you are in control of your customers?
Truth is, you aren't and you never will be again. That ship has sailed. So, what can you do about it?
For starters you can take a long, hard look at your business and cut out all the gimmicks and the tricks. They may work for you today but they won't work for long.
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