Many people claim the title of Marketing Guru, but Seth Godin is one of the few who actually deserves it. In a recent TED talk, he said something that everyone who sells to consumers — whether those consumers are ordinary people or business customers — really needs to take to heart.
“Customers don’t care about you at all. They just don’t care. Part of the reason is they’ve got way more choices than they used to and way less time.”
Many organizations are frustrated by a lack of loyalty among customers. The days when business relationships lasted until one side did something wrong are long gone. Now, every relationship can end at any time. We all have access to so many choices, and because of our limited time, we’re just as likely to grab the one that’s most convenient as the one we’ve trusted for years.
There’s no need to despair. You simply need to change your perspective. Instead of sitting back and thinking that your customers will automatically return, you need to reach out to them. Constantly. And you can’t do it by telling them how great you are. You need to tell them what you’re doing to make their lives easier.
It’s tempting to get angry at them, but before you do, take a long look in the mirror (or at least as a long a long as your busy schedule will allow). Are you doing the same thing they do? Have you been opting for those new time-saving choices? I think you already know the answer.