Following is a post and questions for the 2/6/12 #usguyschat. 

Based on recent participant feedback we are designating someone to volunteer to be in the "hotseat".  Being in this position simply means someone is willing to present a challenge to the group and engage in a dialogue that will facilitate a conversation so we can share and help each other learn and grow.

I love my Amazon Kindle, and I use it constantly even though I recently bought an iPad.  I received the Kindle as a gift in December of 2010.

Late last Fall, the Kindle started to lock up.  At first not very often, then it became more random and frequent. I searched the web and found several suggestions.  A couple were helpful and I thought the problem was resolved.

Recently the problem started to reoccur, this time it was almost impossible to reset the device.  I did more research and thought I had a software update issue.  This week I happened to be reading What's Your Purple Goldfish by Stan Phelps.  The book is about Lagniappe.  The meaning and idea behind the book is giving more.

It may feel impolite to not answer in the affirmative when asked if all customers have the same value, but let me ask you this:

Do all merchants or service providers have the same value to a customer?

I think not!

Companies that lack a customer segmentation strategy aren’t maximizing their customer lifetime value. Using a one-size-fits-all approach is not only like pouring money down the drain, but it also sours the customer experience.

Rumors of the death of traditional marketing are greatly exaggerated.  There are still many effective ways to use traditional tried and true marketing practices.  There are a number of traditional practices; however, in this post I’ll focus on direct mail.

Direct mail has been a traditional marketing practice for years, and though its use has been declining, it can still be a significant asset in today’s rapidly changing marketplace.  I believe the real power is integrating this channel into the overall marketing mix.  Here is how.

Relationship Marketing Benefits Your Business

My previous blog post discussed ways that customers benefit from a Relationship Marketing Strategy, but today I’d like to highlight some company benefits. If your company doesn’t have a strategic Relationship Marketing plan in place, you are suffering greater attrition rates and lower customer satisfaction scores than if you had one.

A Relationship Marketing Program Builds Customer Loyalty

Managing business with a Relationship Marketing program guarantees reward; running business operations with engaged stakeholders who deliver an optimum customer experience results in maintaining customers for the long-term.

The benefits to a company are many, but sink your teeth into nine of them below:

Relationship Marketing and Long Term Value

Relationship Marketing recognizes the long-term value of customer relationships and extends communication beyond intrusive advertising and sales promotional messages. With endless search options at consumers’ fingertips, in an age where inboxes are filled to capacity and people are overwhelmed with clutter and information overload, it is worthwhile to strongly consider taking the customer/company relationship a step deeper, and consider a Relationship Marketing Program.

A Relationship Marketing Program for Optimal Consumer Experience

Relationship Marketing benefits consumers and businesses alike. In a future post I’ll discuss some benefits to the company, but it seems fitting to first outline some real consumer benefits of a Relationship Marketing Program, as the goal of a Relationship Marketing Strategy is to provide an optimal consumer experience.

Benefits of Building Consumer Loyalty & Interaction

Below are 4 benefits, to the consumer, of a Relationship Marketing Program:

How Do You Know If You Are Using Integrated Marketing Strategies?

Here are a few questions ask yourself:

Do we have descriptive data describing who are customers are?

• Do we know the basics like demographics?
• What about history?  How long they have they been a customer?
• With respect to our offerings what are their preferences? 

Is this data linked to buying behaviors like last purchase date, comprehensive list of products/svc purchased?

• What is the lifetime value?
• Have we mapped all our touch points? Are we able to track behavior at each of these points?  
• Is the information outlined above accessible by all colleagues who interface with customers?
• How is customer information shared among the different functions?

What is Integrated Marketing?

Integrated Marketing is coordinating and delivering relevant, timely messages to all your stakeholders across all available touchpoints. Implementing an Integrated Marketing strategy requires thoughtful planning and cross-functional alignment. Often brands focus their marketing efforts on campaigns.  

Campaigns are an important tactical component of marketing; however, to maximize value and create an optimal customer experience, a comprehensive strategy is necessary.  

Integrated marketing is most effective when designed with a 360 degree view of the customer. This holistic view takes into consideration all the possible interactions a customer can have with your organization.

Inbound Marketing: Christmas Marketing Tips

Christmas-season inbound marketing ideas produced over the past year have by now become a reality.

We all know that December is peak time for retailers, and it's also a time when successful marketers should be reaping the fruits of their labor.

Following is a post and questions for the 12/12/11 #usguyschat beginning at 3:00 PM EST Noon PST.  All are welcome.

There is nothing to lose and everything to gain by proper inquiry. NT Wright

I had a surprising takeaway from our discussion on the topic of Big Data.  Toward the end of the chat Alan Berkson
stated that we don't ask good questions and therefore we often get mediocre outcomes. I decided to do some research on the topic to see if I could find the necessary ingredients for asking good questions.

Two works were recommended: