The 6 Star Principles for Building Relationships Last month we went over the first two principles: Don’t misunderstand; we’re not against email marketing.We’re against it being the only form more money with someone they see as a personality or a celebrity because of how they feel about that person.
of communication.To build a relationship, you should communicate in multiple ways.A winning annual content strategy would look like this: 12 print newsletters, 104 emails, 26 postcards, 12 letters, online retargeting of existing customers, six CD/DVD interviews, three FedEx packages, three gifts, and two awards/trophies.This would have the customer hearing from you about every 2 1/2 days in a variety of different ways. Star Principle No. 5 is personality/ celebrity. Fairly recently, the MGM Grand in Las Vegas ripped out its highly profitable $2 million-per-year but run-of-the-mill restaurant and replaced it with a restaurant created by celebrity chef Michael Mina called Nobhill Tavern.They have since tripled sales to $6 million annually.What makes Nobhill Tavern three times better? Is it possible the food being served is 300 percent better than before? I doubt it.The addition of celebrity allowed the MGM Grand to increase prices at Nobhill, compared to the previous restaurant, as well as allowed them to fill the restaurant each night, something that was not happening previously.Adding celebrity to restaurants has been a game changer, and adding celebrity (even local celebrity) or at least personality to any business will have the same effect because as a society, we’re programmed to value personality/celebrity.As we said earlier, people want to do business with people they know, like, and trust, and they’re willing to spend
1. Frequency of Communication –You don’t have relationships with people you don’t talk to.You also don’t have relationships with people who, when you do talk to them, are always asking you for something. 2. Consistency – Inconsistency sends a message that you are, at a minimum, disorganized. Star Principle No. 3 is creativity in your communication. This step is difficult for so many business owners.The primary reason people seem to fail at this is that they simply get busy. Countless business owners start down the right path of being creative and useful to their customers, only to self-sabotage and revert back to old habits, becoming the same as everyone else in their industry: boring. You need to communicate information that is interesting, personal, and relevant and that speaks directly to your ideal reader. People want to do business with people they know, like, and trust; it is your job to let them know you through quality, creative content, so they have the opportunity to like you and connect with you, which helps them trust you. Star Principle No. 4 is variety of styles in communication. This one seems like a no-brainer, but many people mess it up.You cannot have a single method of communicating. Not only is it very unstable (as you never know when a form of communication may become less effective) but it also just isn’t smart. People consume information in multiple ways and value various media differently. It would be much simpler if all communication came via email, but “simple” doesn’t mean correct or smart. Email deliverability and open rates decline each and every year, which is why so many people are sending even more emails to compensate for the lack of results.
Star Principle No. 6 is quality. The look and feel of your product, service, and marketing matters.You can’t claim to be high-end and send out items that were last updated in 1990, when New Kids on the Block was a big deal and “Beverly Hills 90210” was a popular freshman TV show.Your content also can’t suck. If your articles add no value, you’re shooting yourself in the foot. Always look for the one (or more) big idea. Why was this piece of content not a waste of time? How did it help the person consuming it? These are questions you need to ask when you create content. Relationships matter. Don’t take your customers for granted because one day, you may look up and find they’re all gone. It happens to businesses on the daily.According to the SBA, from 2008-09, on average, 1,865 businesses closed their doors each day. Having a relationship with the people who put food on your table is just smart business. Follow these six principles, and you will be way ahead of your competition. With SCORE, you’re never alone!We offer workshops and seminars each month to help you develop the skills you need to succeed.Visit www.StLouisScore.Eventbrite.com today!
2 www.StLSCORE.org
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