Who Do You Love?

Well, it had for damn sakes better be your most loyal devoted fans. They believe in you. They trust you. They forgive you when you make mistakes. They talk about you in glowing terms. They are your best advocates.

I always hesitated thoughtfully when the Gallup poll asked me, “Could I imagine the world without X.” Most the time it was easy to check off, sure I can. But there are companies and individuals I do gush over. My butcher, The Andersons’ in Eaton Socon, Hostmonster.com, my host provider in the States, and my Ford Taurus station wagon. What do they all have in common? I feel like they each take care of me.

WOM is Word Of Mouth advertising. It is a two-edged sword, which cuts both ways. Its power is directly proportional to the reputation and influence of the person who wields it. Sorry, there is definitely not a stretchy glove for this one. Really, it is mucking around in that messy mix of emotions and relationships.

We are back to your one huge advantage over large companies whose decision makers have little or no direct contact with the customer: For most small business folks, your customers are your friends. They may not have started as friends, but they definitely became that over the course of doing business with you. These people have the super power of WOM.

Today’s gift is appreciation for your fans. They may not be your biggest, or most frequent, they may be influencers and not direct buyers, but they cannot imagine the world without you. Take the time to show that you really do appreciate them.

I want you today to look into your marketing budget and find a slice for your fans. If you added up all your marketing efforts and divided it by the number of new customers you get, that is your cost of acquisition. Take some of those resources and put them towards retention.

What are the companies that you cannot imagine the world without?