Perhaps it’s semantics. The way we define customers differs for some.
In the post, Your Best Bang for Your Marketing Collateral, one reader had a different view of the recommendation, Understand your customers.
- The reader reacted to the use of the word “customers”
- She felt a customer needed relationship building – not promotion
- She explained Prospects…need constant attention
My first reaction was clarification.
- Perhaps the term should have been ideal customers
- Or prospective customers
The thoughtful comment got me thinking.
Do we sell our customers short?
A Rose by Any Other Name
This reader, like most of us, makes a distinction between customers and prospects.
- A customer is someone who purchased our products or services
- A prospect is a potential customer
What’s really at the heart of this discussion is your view on marketing.
Should you market to your customers?
A Market for Everyone
I would suggest you already market to your customers.
- Relationship-building – with customers OR prospects – is marketing
- Sharing relevant information is marketing
- Providing great service is marketing
If you develop a new product that benefits a customer, why wouldn’t you share the white paper or product data?
Lori Widmer at Words on the Page wrote about what she called Thoughtless Marketing.
It’s the kind of marketing you do without thinking. (Must be my day for definitions).
Lori’s examples include the following.
- LinkedIn groups
- Blog comments
Relationship-building is what business is all about – or should be.
Each contact with a prospect OR a customer is a potential sale – whether that’s your intent or not.
The art is in knowing how to market.
Please share your thoughts about customers and marketing.
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Thanks for this thought-provoking piece Cathy. Two thoughts:
1. I always strive to present myself as professional in my interactions online and offline. To me, that’s an important form of indirect marketing.
2. I market frequently to my existing clients. They’re the best source of new projects, and they’re far easier to convince than someone who hasn’t hired me before.
Two very good thoughts, John. 🙂 I think when you treat people professionally, it’s that “not thinking about it” form of marketing. It becomes second nature and builds that trust and mutual respect you need for any business relationship.
Thank you, John, for sharing your thoughts.
If you are in the people business, which we are, then of course it is about the relationships. I believe building relationships comes naturally, because I want to see others be successful. Yes, I need to make a living, but I receive greater satisfaction from knowing my clients are happy with my service and they can rely on me.
What else are we going to call them other than customers… potential customers, past customers… maybe ‘folks I do business with”? and does it matter? I doubt it as long as like John and Wade we’re treating them well and professionally.
“Professionally” now there’s another loaded term!
Hi Wade: That to me is the key to being successful. If you don’t take care about the success of others, how can you succeed? Thanks for sharing your view, Wade.
Ann – LOL! 😀 Like I said, it very well may be semantics. For me, there’s all shades of marketing, but, you’re right, it really boils down to treating others professionally. I define that as treating them with respect.
I agree. It doesn’t matter what we call them.
I agree with what John said, Cathy. I think being professional online is essential (which doesn’t mean you can’t still have fun).
I do a lot of ‘thoughtless marketing’ to my clients. When I blog for a company, I follow them on Twitter, subscribe to their blog and share and comment when I feel so inclined. This deepens my relationship with them and it’s a nice side effect of something I started doing to keep track of my published work.
For me there are existing clients and prospective clients and you have to cater for both.
And from my view, Sharon, we have to understand them both – no matter what side of the fence they fall on. 😉
Thanks for stopping by and sharing some good examples of thoughtless marketing. 🙂
I loved your definition, Cathy. (OK, probably because it’s the same one I employ.)
A customer is an entity that has purchased from us in the past- or currently doing so in the present. The trick is to keep the customer “currently” purchasing…
A prospect is a potential customer, one that has not yet had the opportunity to luxuriate in the benefits provided current customers/clients.
Roy: Love this – one that has not yet had the opportunity to luxuriate in the benefits provided current customers/clients. Ah, has a nice ring to it. 🙂
Thanks for your eloquence, Roy. 😉