Why do you grow or harvest, process or manufacture product and sell it directly? Why do you make a commitment working 24/7/365 to market your products?
My sense is that often direct marketers get so busy managing their business that they forget to tell their story for the benefit of the impact margin they were seeking when they established the company. What was your original mission and purpose?
What differentiates you from your larger competitors is a story that cannot be assumed because you have an on-line shopping cart or have expanded your distribution network. Your impact margin story must not only be told, it must be heard and understood with the fullest possible engagement.
WHY DO YOU DIRECT MARKET? To provide a living wage to your family? To enhance the product by improving the process? To impact the community, your customers, the world?
Show the impact margin. Do you and your family benefit by spending more time together as a result of choosing this option? Were you able to return profit to building up your business? Were you able to reduce waste, improve efficiency, enhance the environment and contribute to community? What was your benefit impact to health and lifestyle? Did your customers have a role? How?
Don’t assume that customers and the general public knows what you are working so hard to accomplish. Your “about” section is not enough. Put yourself in the shoes of your oldest customers. Do they know the impacts they are having on purchasing your products? What about your prospective new customers? What will convert them from looking to a loyal customer?
Human nature is such that we all want to be acknowledged. Consider 2018 as an experiment in showing customers what their business really means to you. Show a picture of a new piece of equipment and thank them. Take a video and explain the why of your business and how important your customers are to that mission. Throw down as many inhibitions as possible. After all, it is your distinction in the marketplace.
Lastly. Don’t do any of this without measuring the impact with some form of analytics. That can be as basic as same day sales from previous year to more sophisticated technologies.
Your business has an impact. Show and tell that story.
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