The advertising gig

The economy must be bad, real bad. I have had so many advertisers call me today slashing their prices (and I do mean slashing!), desperate to have anyone to fill these vacant spots. It's hard to resist, especially when some are truly wonderful deals. However, I found that running an ad a few times in a magazine doesn't get you far. Except maybe further in the hole. They want you to believe it's the best thing for your business and they'll sell it hard but beware. If you are a small business, most of the time advertising budgets are tight. Think long term. 3 times is the minimum I would run an ad for in any publication. You have to be able to get in front of them repeatedly. It's tempting to run an ad 1 times, just to see what you get. But most likely, you'll get nothing. For our company, I know the best advertising right now is excellent customer service. So much of our business is created by developing a relationship with our customers. They purchase something for themselves, it's wonderful. By the end, we know their life story and could easily call them a friend. What do you think happens when they need a very special gift for someone? Who they call? Bingo! True, it may be a slower development but it doesn't cost you a thing. And personally, there is just something gratifying about a customer returning multiple times or someone coming to us because their friend raved about our company. It makes me smile, big smile:-)
So the next time you fill an order or speak with a client, remember, they are your present AND your future. Treat them well and they will return. And hopefully bring friends!