Aint We Wonderful!

It may come as a surprise to you to discover that customers don't buy your products or services because they feel that you have a right to make a profit. In other words, their motive for doing business with you is not to help you buy the latest Jaguar or put your children through college. You think this is a joke? Recent research shows that something like 60% of businesspeople place more importance on what they will get from a transaction than on what their customers will benefit.

In essence, their profitability is more crucial to them than is customer satisfaction. And it shows.

If you are in any doubt about this, cast your eyes over the myriad of ads, brochures, websites and so on that major on the successfulness of their organisation, as opposed to the benefit their products or services might be to the customer.

Certainly, they pay lip-service to customer satisfaction, but beneath this thin veneer of eye-shine is the belief, probably implanted at birth, that their bottom line takes precedence over everything.

Oddly, advertising agencies are among the worst offenders in this respect. Their promotional material illustrates what great work they have done, and states how many millions they billed in the last financial year, but none (and I mean none) tell you how much product their efforts have helped shift. To put it another way, none bother to demonstrate what benefit their services have been to clients.

While I am on the subject, there's something else just as puzzling which may have escaped your notice. I refer to the ubiquitous advertising awards handed out to agencies by various advertising organisations around the world. These awards are given, without fail, to campaigns that are outstandingly funny, or technically slick, or wonderfully realistic. Rarely, and I mean never, are these awards made on the strength of how much product a given campaign has sold. They don't even take into account response rates or conversion rates generated by a campaign.

Such figures, I agree, would involve a little trouble to collate, and there would no doubt be quite a bit of trickery in the shape of false returns to overcome. But I feel that a yardstick of this kind would be far more worthy ? and more relevant - than one which considered only the creativity or the cutting-edge techniques involved in a piece of work

Over the years, I have won dozens of awards for my clients; and very grateful I have been for them. A copywriter who can tote a portfolio or a showreel filled with award-winning material is guaranteed work for life. Likewise, the ad agency that employs him will see its equity rise and rise. And the client? Well, who gives a damn about the client. His products and services are merely vehicles upon which an agency can ride to glory.

The moral is clear. Rather than thinking what your customers can do for you, think what you can do for your customers. With this kind of philosophy, your profits will take care of themselves.

About The Author

Patrick Quinn is an award winning copywriter with 40 years' experience of the advertising business in London, Miami, Dublin and Edinburgh. He publishes a FREE monthly newsletter, AdBriefing. Subscriptions are available at: http://www.adbriefing.com.

j.p@markethillpublishing.co.uk

---

3 Special Benefits Every Customer Wants

Every customer looks for 3 special benefits when they do... Read More

Do You Want More Profits? - Follow The Golden Rules Of Providing Good Customer Service

Last night I was at my computer and a Skype... Read More

The 3 Rs of Customer Service

What I am about to tell you may seem very... Read More

Have You Hugged a Customer Today?

It all started a couple of weeks ago when a... Read More

How Not to Get Stiffed, Improving Your Collection Procedures

Some businesses have slow paying customers or past due balances... Read More

Loyalty Programs May Keep Customers Coming Back ? But First You?ve Got to Earn their Trust

Remember trading stamps? If you're over 40, chances are you... Read More

Hook Me Up With A Human

Oh, what has happened to the carbon-based organizational interface? Many... Read More

Customer Service: Why Bears Make Bad Customers

Every business owner should have a picture of his or... Read More

Client Service as a Competitive Advantage

As someone who has been heavily involved facilitating strategic planning... Read More

One of the Secrets of a Great Customer Experience

A few weeks ago we conducted our annual "Customer Experience... Read More

What Every Employee Should Know About Putting Positive Phrases Into Customer Service

If you were a customer on the telephone with a... Read More

Be the Customer: See Yourself as Your Customers Do

What do your customers experience when they interact with your... Read More

8 Critical Steps to Establish a Customer Service Culture

"Every company's greatest assets are its customers, because without customers... Read More

Minimize The Pain of Check Recovery

$350 million in bad checks are written each and every... Read More

Five Tips to Calm Cranky Customers

1. Tis the SeasonRecognize that everyone is frazzled during the... Read More

The Great American Customer Service Unawareness Campaign

Q: I'm so sick of you so-called business experts always... Read More

Managing Your Business When One Client Takes Alot of Your Time

How often has your schedule been thrown out of whack... Read More

Customer Service Is More Than Just Being Nice To People

Many organizations tackle to the issue of customer service by... Read More

Whats The Customer Service Buzz About Your Business?

If you're a regular reader of my column you know... Read More

The Art of Giving Great Service

Sales is tough to get right, and depends on retaining... Read More

Communicating for Profit and Customer Satisfaction

The President of a 200+ store division of a major... Read More

Automating Your Customer Support

My regular readers will know that one of the things... Read More

Dissatisfied or Rude Customers Can Be Satisfied Customers

On a recent airline flight I was an upset... Read More

What Type Of Software Is This?

The other day while at the book store, I came... Read More

Stellar Customer Service in 10 Simple Steps

If you're like me, you've had plenty of experience with... Read More

CRM For Beginners ? Customer Relationship Management Basics

In order to maintain a successful business, the business must... Read More

More Customers - Watch those Little Things

Two situations, two perfectly acceptable experiences, but in one case,... Read More

How to Win the Hearts of Your Customers and Friends

Those of us doing business over the internet have to... Read More

How to Provide Instant Customer Service

Customer service is an essential component of any business. Clearly,... Read More

Modern Call Center Solutions - Keeping in Touch is the Key

Call center solutions solve a range of age-old problems. As... Read More

Keeping Clients Happy Keeps them Coming Back

Whether you are a seasoned small business professional, or you... Read More

What Do Your Clients REALLY Think of You?

I'd like to start this article with a test ?What... Read More

CRM - Its Relevance

In today's demanding economy, the first line of any business... Read More