Building a Better Marketing Mouse Trap
A Catch and Don't Release Strategy
By Sandra Pearce, MPA Media Marketing Manager
Not to imply your current and future customers are mice waiting to be trapped. My point is, once they take the marketing bait you're using, they should be coming back for more. And the only way to ensure they do is by managing your relationship with them from the moment of first contact. That's where the mouse trap comes in. It's called CRM, or Customer Relationship Management.
It's a fact that keeping a customer costs a lot less than getting a new one. But we often get so wrapped up in making the phone ring we don't focus enough time, energy or resources on what comes after the first sale. We can't just assume that if we provide some basic service and fulfillment, our customers will keep buying from us. We have to meet their current needs and anticipate their future ones.
As a marketer I can tell you that CRM is NOT a software program. It's a business marketing strategy that can help you cope with three of today's most urgent business imperatives: generating new growth, attaining operational excellence and enhancing competitive agility. Without understanding the CRM big picture and then creating a business strategy to manage your customer relationship, the software will just waste hard-drive space.
So, let's put the emphasis where it should be, on relationships. Building long-term, loyal relationships with customers is the key to profitability. Every business is challenged with influencing their customers' purchasing decisions. But how can you do that effectively if you don't understand not only their buying behavior, but also their buying motivation? You need to analyze. And that requires a complete CRM strategy. But what does that really mean in today's competitive marketplace?
There are hundreds of software programs and just as many theories about how to implement CRM. If you do a Web search on CRM you'll find white papers, research studies and testimonials, most of which are published by software companies vying for your business. Each one claims to be the solution you need, or rather the solution you must have. But none that I have found explains what all the pieces of the mouse trap are, how to build it or how to use it once it's built.
Before we start building anything we need a list of parts, assembly instructions and a user's manual. Your mouse trap should be built with interconnected elements that fit your company's culture, size and needs. Every company's CRM program will look and work a little differently, but here are the basics I would start with for everyone.
Part A – Ears
Listen to your customers. Find out what motivates them to buy from you in the first place, and if they're a repeat customer; why they came back. Not only will this give you great insight into what they really think about your company and products, but you'll also be surprised at how far it goes toward making sales in the future.
Part B – An Action Plan
What you do with what you hear is just as important as listening. You must be committed to using what you learn to improve your processes and service. Have a plan in place that includes the actions you will take with what you hear. Be ready to do something with your newfound knowledge or there's no point to listening.
Part C – A CRM Culture
Make everything you do about your customers. The only opinion that matters, after all, is theirs. Instill that philosophy in your staff. Doing that begins with involving them in formulating your strategy.
Part D – CRM Software
Last and, in my opinion, least important is the software you choose. It is simply a tool for gathering and reporting information.
If you've done any research into CRM, you may have seen the statistics that show how often it fails. Please don't be discouraged. It fails when companies implement a software program instead of a complete program. Surveys also consistently show that the success of a CRM implementation increases by more than 50 percent when the process includes the following.
- All affected business units or departments provide input during the planning stages.
- Users are appropriately trained on when and how to use the system.
- Different elements of the program are launched at intervals to promote adoption by users.
- The cultural shift required to ensure successful implementation is addressed and discussed at length.
The last point, number 4, is the most important in my opinion. An organizational change that requires a cultural shift is not easy to pull off. It requires that you first understand how your customers view your company and products. Then you need to use that understanding and develop a systematic approach that will optimize your sales, marketing and customer service interactions. But when it's done well, it results in sustainable, profitable growth.
Relationships aren't built in a program. They're built one customer at a time. They grow by listening to and fulfilling your customers' current and future needs. Every touch point with a customer is an opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to them. To do that, you need a complete CRM strategy and the commitment to making that strategy work.
A well-built mouse trap can be a catalyst for business transformation. Why? Because happy customers buy more.
| 
