Integrity and reliability are great marketing strategies

By Jeff Rubin

The first week of 1992 was a gentle one in the San Francisco Bay Area, unlike the torment of the year before. That January, a cold wave (well, at least for Northern Californians!) swept through the area, destroying plants, increasing sales for Eddie Bauer and L.L. Bean, and bringing snow (gasp!) to downtown San Francisco for about a minute and 30 seconds.

While the radio bemoaned bumper-to-bumper traffic on clogged freeways, I leisurely took my daily 40-foot commute to my home office, complete with a computer, radio, TV, coffee warmer and a dog at my feet. Business boomed and I was comfortable, tucked away in my second-floor sanctuary.

I belonged to no networking groups, chambers of commerce or other business or professional organizations. I didn't advertise, didn't promote myself and did virtually no marketing of any kind. Why bother - I had all the customers I could handle.

How could I know that my idyllic, isolated working world was setting me up for business failure?

January 1992 turned harsh in a big hurry. On successive days that first week I lost two of my three biggest customers. The recession hit California like a sledgehammer, and for the first time in my entrepreneurial career, I felt fear. Would I survive, or would I have to get a real job?

The facts seem to be that 90% of businesses fail in the first five years. I wonder what percentage of that statistic includes those who simply give up, who just throw up their hands and say, "This isn't worth it."

And so I learned my first invaluable business lesson the hard way - no matter how successful you are, no matter how many customers you have, no matter how much the bank account is bulging - you always have to promote yourself. Constantly. Consistently. Continuously. You must be unrelenting in reminding potential customers that you exist.

In the ensuing years I've tried a little bit of everything in my quest for the right promotional mix for my business. Some strategies have worked, some haven't. I've been in the Yellow Pages, write for business journals and participate in networking groups. I speak to business groups and associations, dabble in direct mail and publish a quarterly newsletter. What has worked best is a combination of the above and doing the little things that few of my competitors do.

For example, I return all my phone calls promptly. You'd be stunned at how many prospective customers are impressed when they hear from me the same day they leave a voice mail message. I send people handwritten notes (truly a lost art and a fabulous success technique, if only because so few people do it) when they do nice things for me, and gifts when their referrals turn into business.

Without question, the best promotional move I made was getting involved in my first networking group, in December 1992. I still embrace networking and do everything I can to support the people in my network. I make sure they know I have a stake in the success of their business. This commitment has been returned to me many times over.

Below are seven techniques I used to re-build my business in the 90s. They illustrate the most profound lesson I've learned about self-promotion - who you are means more than what you're promoting. They work - I'm celebrating my 21st anniversary in 2002!

SEVEN GUARANTEED-TO-WORK MARKETING 
AND BUSINESS GROWTH TECHNIQUES

1. Be reliable. This is one of the most important competitive advantages you have.
2. Say "thank you" three times - once over the phone, once in writing and again in person.
3. Maintain high standards of integrity and excellence. Even people who don't hire you will
    recommend you.
4. Be a problem solver. This is more important than having a good product or service.
5. Sell value and you'll make more money. Don't charge your customers for every breath you
    take in their behalf.
6. Don't be cheap - prospects will respond more readily if you present a polished image.
7. Take a long-term view of your promotional activities. Patience will produce consistent
    results and steady growth.

Here's one final thought: Spend less time pursuing dollars and more time pursuing relationships. Business success is about relationships. Relationships take time.
 
© 2001 by Jeff Rubin. Used by permission.

Jeff Rubin, a former newspaper reporter and editor, owns Put It In Writing, a full-service newsletter writing and design firm. He's spent the last 21 years helping companies effectively communicate with their clients and employees, writing and designing more than 1,300 newsletters. Jeff is a member of the National Speakers Association and speaks on writing, marketing and business integrity. He can be reached at (877) 588-1212, via e-mail at jeff@put-it-in-writing.com, or on his web site at www.put-it-in-writing.com.

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