Mon 14th July 2008
Tortoise or Hare?
We all recall Aesop's famous fable and in times such as these there are lessons to be learnt from our slow but steady friends.
It would appear that in both races to bridges and surviving potential economic downturns, those with tortoise like qualities will win. I am sure we all recall Aesop's famous fable and in times such as these there are lessons to be learnt from our slow but steady friends.
With the onslaught of warnings about decreasing budgets, credit crunches, redundancies and blocks on spend, we could all be forgiven for getting limbered up and racing around madly; desperately trying to secure new business, slashing our prices and changing our entire marketing mix as part of a crisis management strategy. But STOP!
Whilst all around are losing their heads; there has never been a better time to focus on what you do well rather than what you can change. Look at your customer base and pinpoint how you can get to know your customers better, how you can serve them better and how you can seal your relationships more securely. Obviously don’t give up on new business, but consider strategies where new business opportunities come from your existing supporters. Organic business development is a real tool and if managed properly pays dividends in terms of reduced investment requirements, greater targeting and quicker wins.
When faced with financial pressure and increased price driven competition, holding on to strategies which focus on value and customer will be key. We all know that it’s far cheaper to keep an existing client than to get a new one and we all know that the holy grail of marketing is word of mouth referral and recommendation – so make these activities your drivers. DELIGHT your customers and keep confidence high. When times are tight people like to be associated with a winner – so make yourself a winner and shout about your strengths!
So, taking my own advice, it’s time to shout about our success! We are experiencing some of the best years in our 27 year history and have been accredited as a Top 20 Agency (RAR) for the third year running. More importantly, the mix of business we are undertaking leans more heavily to the value rather than volume side of our service and organic business development is strong with new business wins in the last 12 months topping £1 million. Our experienced team is growing and forecasts are healthy…so what do we attribute to our success? Quite simply - all of the above! We protect our client relationships, we target our communications and we manage expectations - we deliver our promises and we don’t pretend, or want to be, the cheapest. We work hard to give you value, outstanding creative, insightful strategic support and most importantly….peace of mind.
You don’t have to be the trendiest, quickest or even the cheapest at what you do - you just have to know your customers, know your business, know your products, know your strengths, know how to communicate…and be confident.
So, sit back and watch whilst everyone else is running around getting nowhere - and take some time to catch your breath and assess how you want your race to be run! Then, pick up the phone and give us a call - we are here to help you get off the starting blocks and get you fit for the marathon rather than the sprint!
