Small and Large Business - It's the Details

Adding Value to the Relationship with my Clients

My name is Steve and I am a 24-year professional in media sales and the advertising agency business. My experience includes presenting creative ideas to local and regional businesses and having them move forward with a marketing plan that includes video content. Expectations and goals are the most important question I have always asked a client. Over the years, I have worked with very small family businesses to large multi-rooftop automotive groups.

I traveled to Atlanta this week for an Automotive Summit. This a meeting with known experts in the field that share information on how to help our automotive customers do things that will help them sell more cars. In addition, we were presented a global view on the automotive business for the next five years.

After listening for a few hours at our speaker, it was evident that we had a good amount of information we could share with our clients. Information we learned included easy corrections to client’s websites, Google search and Google business listing. These are items we don’t sell but is just simple information we can offer to get them more online visits and conversions. As I was driving home Wednesday afternoon I was thinking of the difference between my smaller and larger clients over the years and why the smaller ones usually do better with technology and innovations.

After many years of working with customers, the thing that surprises me continues to be that most small customers are better at utilizing the tools they have access to better than larger companies. These small businesses spend the time to learn how to use Google analytics and other tools to increase website views and conversions, and how to be effective with social media. Many of these tools are free and small businesses are great at using free tools to be most efficient. The owners of these businesses are very good at multitasking and knowing how various elements of running a business work together. In addition, these individuals are the ones doing the work.

In regards to the Diffusion of Innovations, in my experience I see those small business owners are more likely to be innovators and early adopters when an idea is simple and easy to use, and most important if they can see observable results. They are always looking for an economic edge. Small businesses have a minimal marketing budget and small dollars have to work and be observable because there is a lot at stake in a short amount of time.

Larger companies hire an individual or a team that either do the work or hires it out and observes the results over time. What is surprising is that when you look at the seemingly basic work done by these companies, for example keeping Google business settings updated, the information is incorrect much of the time. These are large companies that spend thousands of dollars per week on advertising and marketing, not to mention staff performing these functions.

It seems that many times the big picture of marketing is maintained. The dollars are being spent, the creative is interesting and the media plan is executed. Unfortunately, the effectiveness is compromised because leads and conversions are not gathered efficiently.

My group has actually set up client events for this. An auto dealer GM or internet manager will attend, bring their computers and go step-by-step through the process of utilizing all of the free tools available to them. Within the next month and Account Executive meets with the client and shows them the results. This will not only reinforce their belief in doing the simple things correctly, but it will also prove to them that they can trust our company to help them. As a result, a peer-to-peer conversation is created and should continue in the future.

The main thought that went through my head during the long drive on I-16 from Macon to Savannah coming home on Wednesday night was that I should continue to educate myself on the easy things a client can do to improve. Then present these ideas as an expert to help them. It is really the only way to offer value and set me apart from those that are transactional sellers and not true business partners.