| Over the past 17 years I have worked with | | | | irrelevant and approaching the point where it |
| some of the best people, minds, and companies in | | | | might become obsolete. In the end we were able |
| the world. I have honed my sales skills and | | | | to salvage the brand and reposition the company |
| acquired insightful and effective marketing skills | | | | in the eyes of moms but we were never able to |
| along the way. I started as an entry level sales | | | | reignite the passion and relevance the brand once |
| and marketing associate and worked my way to | | | | had with its core customer. The major lesson |
| various positions in senior management. Climbing | | | | learned was that it is much easier to build a brand |
| this ladder has left me with the scars from | | | | and maintain the customer relationship than it is to |
| numerous mistakes and fond memories of the | | | | resurrect a dead or failing relationship. |
| many rewarding successes. I look at the failures | | | | If you are a business owner you need to ask |
| as the badges and the victories as the awards. | | | | yourself this question, "Do the products or |
| I would like to share some lessons and strategies | | | | services that I am selling have a meaningful |
| I have learned along the way. Successful | | | | relationship with my core and perspective |
| companies, those that market and sell most | | | | customers? Do my core and perspective |
| efficiently and profitably, invest in developing | | | | customers trust me?" Enduring products and |
| meaningful relationships with their customers. This | | | | brands are driven by consistent and meaningful |
| requires a commitment from senior management | | | | engagement with their customers. A customer |
| and all divisions, departments, and teams within | | | | relationship is no different than friendship, |
| the company. Meaningful customer relationships | | | | marriage, or a partnership. If you are not |
| are the backbone on which all other strategies | | | | consistent in your efforts to maintain your |
| and tactics can be built. Any company, new or | | | | meaningful relationship, it's just a matter of time |
| well established, that does not invest in a | | | | before the relationship suffers. |
| customer focused infrastructure will fail to develop | | | | Simply put, companies need to invest in |
| meaningful relationships and more importantly, | | | | relationship building with their core and perspective |
| they will eventually experience depreciation in their | | | | clients. The advent of social media brings new |
| brand's equity or, for new companies, they will | | | | opportunity to develop and influence these |
| not establish the trust that you need to launch a | | | | meaningful relationships and should be included in |
| true brand. Neglect your relationship with the | | | | the overall plan for the business. Right now you |
| customer and you run the risk of becoming | | | | are experiencing some half hearted efforts in the |
| obsolete, your employees experience low | | | | social media arena, but keep an eye on the big |
| company moral, and you watch earnings | | | | brands; I guarantee most of them are already |
| decrease, most often very rapidly. I have | | | | starting to recognize the power of social media |
| witnessed this first hand and it is a lesson you | | | | marketing. Short term commitments will |
| prefer to learn through education, not experience. | | | | eventually fail. Those that invest the time, effort |
| In 1998 I was hired to work on the management | | | | and resources will succeed. We are in the learning |
| team that took over operations for the well | | | | stages now and the bean counters want a |
| known publishing company Golden Books. These | | | | measurable ROI that is just not available yet, at |
| are the famous children's story books with that | | | | least not in the form of charts and graphs. Score |
| unique golf spine. Mothers in the 60's and 70's | | | | carding social media investments can be tricky. |
| made this brand one of the most recognized in | | | | Senior management needs to recognize that |
| the world by purchasing them at the checkout | | | | relationships are not developed overnight and |
| counter in grocery stores. They later became | | | | trust, the most important part of a meaningful |
| available in every book store, mass merchandiser | | | | relationship, takes time to build. There are many |
| and club store. Up until the late 90's Golden Books | | | | levels of trust too. I can trust that you won't light |
| was a brand recognized and thought of as much | | | | a fire in the movie theater but isn't that a |
| as Hallmark. | | | | different trust than leaving my children with you? |
| So why did Golden Books need help from this | | | | Social media will require commitment and patience. |
| new management team? The relationship | | | | You can measure the results by watching shifts in |
| between the company and their most important | | | | the way the customer is engaging with your |
| customer, mom, had deteriorated to a very | | | | brand(s). It won't just be measured by numbers |
| critical point for the brand. The meaningful | | | | on a spreadsheet. |
| relationship the brand had with mothers across | | | | So don't waste anymore time. Make a |
| the country was neglected for far to long and | | | | commitment to establish, maintain and or enhance |
| was in resuscitation. The brand equity, while still in | | | | your relationship with your customers and clients, |
| the minds of many mothers, was at a tipping | | | | it's the only way to build an enduring brand and |
| point. There was fear that it was becoming | | | | remember, it's all about the brand! |
