Relational Marketing - Presentation Transcripts

TR Mann Consulting * www.TRMann.com

Relational Marketing

Thank you, Les.

Alright, we’ll today we are going to talk about creating real relationships. Do you

have a real relationship with your customers? Are you saying you “love” your

customers but not really acting it out? Are you really listening, OR are you

offering mindless incentives as a cheap, tawdry attempt of having a relationship?

Well, today I want to talk about developing rich, meaningful relationships with

your customers. Relationships so deep that you both you and your customer

profit from this newfound love! Why is relational marketing so important with

Boomers and the mature market? Because they have seen it all and they have


become desensitized! Oh, and by the way, even though we are at a conference

for active aging, you won’t frequently hear me mention age. That’s because I

believe that it’s about STAGE not AGE! In other words, what stage of life are you

at?

At TR Mann Consulting, we focus on relational selling. Some great examples of

companies that understand relational marketing? Harley, Apple, Oprah and my

favorite, Jimmy Buffett.

Incidentally, Harley’s fastest growing sales segment is Boomers! Why do you

think that is?

I’ll tell you why. It’s because Harley understands relational marketing. I’ll explain

a little later . . .


Did you know that Jimmy Buffett was a failing Nashville country musician until he

moved to Key West and started sending out an email newsletter and touring?

Relational selling!

Tools For True Love(And Selling More)

– Process of discovery

• Why are they really looking? Needs, Goals, Aspirations

• Probe and assist

– The Science of Influence

• CLASS R

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Being a good husband, wife, friend, or marketer is all about the process of

discovery. And TRUE discovery comes from conversation NOT from demographic

profiles. I can tell you personally; this is a problem most husbands and marketers

have. They are just not very good listeners. Women, do you ever have a

conversation with your husband, and then 5 minutes later he asks you a question

that proves he really wasn’t listening?

Why is listening so important? Because only through real listening . . . No even

deeper than that, only through probing, can we really discover what the needs,

goals and aspirations of the person we are speaking to really are. What stage of

life are they at? Trust me, you won’t get this off a mailing list.

And I use the word probe because most people are so use to not really being

listened to, so much so that they don’t really usually offer up their real thoughts.


But listening is just the first step to building a deeper relationship. Once you

listen, you need to know how to respond to your new information so that you

can help the person.

I’m a big believer in the principals of influence as taught by Dr. Robert Cialdini, a

research professor out of Arizona State University, although if it were me, I’d

rename the principals, the principals of true love. Dr. Cialdini, who I actually hired

for a speaking engagement, and his team are brilliant. These principals are taken

directly from Dr. Cialdini’s book, I highly recommend each and every one in the

audience purchase and read “The Principals of Influence!”

Now remember, what I am about to teach you should only be used for the forces

of good.

Do I have your word? Good, Ok.

So anyway, here’s an easy way for you to remember the principals . . . CLASS R.

C – L – A – S – S – R.

Consistency. Once people publicly agree or say something out loud, they are

much more likely to hold to that agreement. Example? I happened to be

attending a New Year’s Eve party several years ago when one of my slightly

inebriated sisters decided to run a marathon as her New Years’ resolution. She

then made all of her siblings and family in attendance, including me, swear to join

her. And she did this in front of the rest of the party attendees. She then followed

up with frequent reminders of how we had all committed to run. Now, keep in

mind, that at the time we were all out of shape, didn’t believe in exercise, and

thought a good jog was from the couch to the refrigerator, so 26.7 miles was like

crazy talk!

And guess what it worked, four of us finished the marathon with her. Since then,

I used this same technique on myself and have publicly committed to running a

marathon in every state. There, I just did it again. In fact, I estimate that I’ll

complete this task when I’m 60.

According to Dr. Cialdini, if you want to ensure that a customer’s decision is long

lasting, and unshakable, make sure this decision is:

http://www.insideinfluence.com/


1. VOLUNTARY

2. PUBLIC

3. ACTIVE

In other words, make sure that the customer is not strong armed. Nothing will kill

the possibility of a long-term relationship faster than a starving salesperson on

commission. But assuming all goes well, make sure that the customer does not

keep this decision a secret. Even if your customer just writes their commitment

down or signs his name, the decision will be stronger than before. And, if we

arrange for our customer to tell others, even other staff members, the decision

becomes even more permanent.

So what’s this mean to you?

Well, let’s use the contract process as an example.

Do you want to cut down your number of cancellations dramatically? Just have

your customer, rather than your salesperson, fill out the sales agreement. Why?

The mere act of filling out the contract creates a condition of consistency that

most people don’t want to break.

Then, tell the person you’re dealing with that you know they are an honorable

person. You might think that’s flattery, but I mean it when I say it and they can

tell I mean it, and it makes them feel honorable. Everyone wants to feel

important, and they want to measure up to other people’s expectations. In short,

they want my vision of them to be consistent.

Also, when a new member or resident signs up, I like to turn it into a celebration .

. . I introduce all the staff to the newest member . . . I take a Polaroid of us

together and hang it on the “family” wall. They’ve now committed in front of

other people. These photos become visual evidence or reminders that we have

made a commitment to each other. One that I consider sacred and will go out of

my way to honor --- ABOVE AND BEYOND! And the best part is that people want

to measure up to what they have said they would do. The hard part, but also the

part that is most fun, is that it is then in your court. You now have to over-deliver

because you want to be consistent with what YOU said!


Liking:

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Liking. People are ready to be persuaded by people they like… Aside from the

staples of life, people don’t buy products, they buy relationships! Levels of liking

go up as people become more certain that we are listening. That’s why people

find the beginning of new relationships SO intoxicating. Because the other person

is still so engrossed with you.

Good listeners parrot back what the customer has said. “So when you say you

want a first-floor patio apartment home, tell me what’s important about it being

on the first floor? And research has show that the closer and more exactly you

parrot back what they have said, the higher the level of liking. Why does this

work? Because it requires true listening. Plus, as a forced discipline it will actually

improve your listening skills! After all, who’s the most interesting and important

person in the world to most people? That’s right, themselves! I’m telling you,

practice this technique on your spouse and you’ll enjoy a happier marriage.

There are several other factors that can influence people to like some people

more than others:

Physical attractiveness can give people a "halo" effect whereby others are more

likely to trust them and think of them as smarter and more talented. Think about

that as you are hiring people.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_attractiveness


People tend to like people who are most like themselves.

People tend to like those who pay them compliments.

People who they are “forced” to cooperate, i.e.. can you help me with this? tend

to form a trust with those people they “worked” with.

People tend to like people that make them laugh. For example, think about how

many lectures start with a joke.

Any one of the above methods may help influence people, but used in

combination, their effects can be magnified.

Dr. Cialdini talks about a technique most of us have personally experienced,

either through ourselves or our spouses, the most brilliant commercial

application of the liking rule. That’s right, it the Tupperware party, or Southern

Living, or jewelry party! The Tupperware party actually uses almost all of the

principals we have talked about or will talk about. How does the liking rule get

used at the Tupperware party? Well, women, you all know the gig. You attend a

party hosted by a friend, at her house. The Tupperware demonstrator shows you

lots of stuff you already own. Yet do you buy more of the stuff you don’t need?

YES! You do! Is the Tupperware demonstrator that good? Not usually. So why do

you buy? It’s simple, you buy because you like your friend AND because you

“owe” her for the party, so you buy something so that she can get her rewards!

Why do these work even when women clearly understand the principals at play?

I mean, they know it’s a trap, and yet they attend. Why? Because it’s her friend,

she has to go.


Authority:

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Authority. Doctors have the highest rating, when people are surveyed about who

is most likely to influence them. Way higher than any other profession.

Incidentally, this is my one of my business partners, Dr. Gary Applebaum. TR

Mann Consulting is probably the country’s only marketing firm with their own

geriatrician . . . Hmmm . . . I wonder if that makes us superior experts on aging?

Hmmm ….

I can tell you that while Dr. Applebaum and I were at Erickson, some of our most

effective ads where “written” by Gary. How powerful is this principal? In the

Principals of Influence Dr. Cialdini talks about the Milgram experiments. In the

early 60’s, Dr. Milgram tested the ability of authority figures to instruct otherwise

normal, non-violent people to do unthinkable things. In fact, contrary to

expectations, a majority of civilian volunteers would obey orders to apply electric

shocks to another person until they were unconscious or dead. In Milgram’s

experiments, obedience tended to increase with the prestige of the authority

figure. Oh, and I should note, that those being shocked were in reality actors and

the shocks simulated.


Of course, willingness to comply can be used for positive change. For example,

the surgeon general telling you to quit smoking is a good thing! Dr. Applebaum

telling you to exercise is a good thing!

So, who is your exclusive expert? Your Sales person? A Doctor? An Engineer?

Architect? Accountant? A resident or member?

How can you apply this principal? Uniforms, badges, clipboards – become the

expert. Also, add to your credentials by using press releases, videos, association

memberships, public speaking, framed licenses, honors . . . Etc., etc . . . You get

the point. I’m always very impressed when I go into Gary’s office, he must have

like 600 framed advanced education degrees.

Social Proof:

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When a number of people agree on something, we are likely to be persuaded

too. Apple knew what it was doing when it gave the first IPODs the glaring white

wires and base. Soon you were seeing this glaring white music makers

everywhere. How does your product or service demonsrate social proof? Have

others gone before me?


How strong is this principal? Dr. Cialdini tells of a group of researchers who went

door-to-door in Columbia, South Carolina, soliciting donations for a charity

campaign and displaying a list of neighborhood residents who had already

donated to the cause. The researchers found that the longer the donor list was,

the more likely those solicited would be to donate as well. To the people being

solicited, the friends’ and neighbors’ names on the list were a form of social

evidence about how they should respond. But the evidence would not have been

nearly as compelling had the names been those of random strangers.

The fact is that persuasion can be extremely effective when it comes from peers.

The science supports what most sales professionals already know: Testimonials

from satisfied customers work best when the satisfied customer and the

prospective customer share similar circumstances.

Think about McDonald’s over 1 billion served . . .

Remember the Polaroid pictures I spoke of earlier? Both of these become visual

clues of social proof to new and old signups!

Do you have testimonials and letters posted around your office and in your

marketing materials?

Social proof makes perfect sense in a busy, overwhelming world. It’s proof that

others have done the thinking for us and it turned out alright.


Scarcity:

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Scarcity. When supplies of something are short, we are more likely to want it! …

“it’s the last one in the shop!” For those of you without kids, this is a Nintendo

Wii, which is a beautiful example of planned scarcity. Amazing, isn’t it, how this

huge corporation somehow is always caught off-guard by the overwhelming

demand for their product. Hmmm?

Creating scarcity is a key to success. And being able to offer an exact number or

show scarcity, increases the power of scarcity.

Don’t think this is powerful? Let me give you an example:

I happen to know of a retirement community where customers who called in to

schedule visits were given overlapping appointment times.

When the people showed up for their appointments, they were often “in line”

waiting for the retirement counselor to see them. The busier the sales office was,

and the longer people had to wait (to a point), the more successful the sales

person became. Why? Because social proof and scarcity are two very powerful

principals. Grouping the appointments in a tight schedule was a strategic


decision. You need to be very conscious in your efforts of “displaying” social

proof and scarcity. If you are not, you’re cheating your business.

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If someone gives something to us first, we are likely to respond with a bigger

favor. This obligation has staying power. Do something of value for your

customer and they will owe you a reciprocal action.

Dr. Cialdini uses a great example of one of his Arizona grad students trying out an

experiment. The student got a California phone book and at random selected

two-hundred names, which she then sent Holiday Greeting cards. Now

remember, these were people she did not know . . . living in another state!

Amazingly, holiday cards from the receivers flooded back in! These are people

sending cards to a person they did not know! Why? Because they owed her . . .

And because they didn’t want to admit they couldn’t remember her. Even more

amazing, is that she built real relationships with these people over the years. In

fact, when it was time for her son to attend orientation at Stanford, who do you

think he stayed with? That’s right, one of the “holiday card” people.


So how can you use this principal to your favor? My favorite example of this is a

sales person who, during an appointment buys with a dollar out of his pocket, a

soda for himself and his guest. Why does this work? Because the power of

reciprocity is sooo strong!

I tell my retirement community clients, that instead of just having a coffee

machine in the corner of the sales office, the salesperson should make their guest

a cup of coffee, preferably in fine china. The whole experience should be a ritual

in service. “Would you like some cream? Sugar?” Although out of these two

examples, I would say the soda example is much stronger because the sales

person is paying for it out of his pocket. And therefore, the person owes HIM

something.

I have always said that the best way to engage reciprocity is through unmatched

customer service. The most loyal member base for health clubs, fitness centers,

wellness centers, and retirement communities is one created through

relationship marketing and strong customer service AFTER the sale. Which means

you pay more attention to them, and take better care of them, after they are

already your customer! This builds strong ties with your members - not one

strictly based on price. If you do it right, you'll actually have members sending

you business. After all, who doesn’t like to share a great deal with their friends?


We all want to belong

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OK, now that you all have an understanding of the principals of influence, you

have a leg up on your competition. This basic understanding will give you the

ability to influence and build relationships.

And now for the meat of our conversation. Building relationships! As I already

told you, I’m a runner. Well, near my house there is a bagel shop and a running

shoe store that have banded together to create a tradition . . . The Saturday bagel

run. Every Saturday, for the last decade, a hundred plus runners gather together

at the starting point, which is right outside the running store. Why? Two reasons,

first the owner has kindly mapped running courses of all distances for people to

run. He understands the power of reciprocity. He even put together a book with

all the courses. Second, it’s a social event. You don’t have to run alone, you get to

run with like-minded people. We all want to belong. And when we’re done

running we all go to the bagel shop for a bagel and a coffee. Often followed up

with a trip to our favorite running store. Were we manipulated? No, I would say

we were done a favor. Remember at the beginning of my talk I showed you the

Harley tattoo? One of the smartest moves Harley ever did was the creation of the

HOG chapters. HOG is short for Harley Owners Group. These local chapters

frequently meet for rides together. Harley understands that people want to


belong. So much so, that they’ll put permanent tattoos of their logo on their

bodies and clothes so that other Harley owners can recognize them.

Enlighten

Enrich

EngageTR Mann Consulting

At TR Mann Consulting, our team creates a newspaper for some of our clients.

The newspaper operates under the mantra of Enlighten * Enrich, and Engage.

Think about these three words very carefully. Enlighten. Enrich. And Engage. I

promise you, if you use these three words to guide your marketing efforts you

will start to build incredible relationships. Even better, forget about marketing,

use these words to guide all of your actions and you’ll start to experience major

success.

Let’s tackle the first word.


Enlighten. This is an article written for Horizons about the tax credit. The purpose

was to enlighten our potential customers that “moment” in time was the

moment to sell their house. We were doing them a real service, by providing

them with real information. Horizons is written in a newsy, editorial manner with

very little traditional advertising. Our customers benefit immensely from the

goodwill created from providing real information.

Do you have this opportunity? You betcha. How about a monthly e-newsletter

brimming with valuable health tips? One that can easily be passed on to friends

and family. How about the example I gave you earlier, of the heart-healthy chef?

These sorts of actions will also go a long way towards establishing you or one of

your staff members as an expert and engaging reciprocity. And make sure your

experts’ and your salespersons’ photos are always included. You want your

perspective customer to feel like they know you when they come in for their

appointment. By the way, I should mention, that TR Mann Consulting will be

happy to provide your community with an estimate for their own newspaper.

http://trmann.com/wordpress/selling-to-seniors-tools/


And remember, in addition to generating new customers, you are always trying

to enlighten, enrich, and engage those people who have already raised their

hands to say they are interested.

I should also point out a useful tidbit here, while we’re talking about information.

Several years ago, AARP in conjunction with the ICAA did a study on terminology.

For the record, the mature market reacted very negatively towards the term

“exercise” while the term “active” tested very positively. But I digress.

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Enrich. Here’s a PR clip from a retirement community where an inspirational

story about residents helping at the local school system was told. Was this

inspirational? Absolutely! Many retirees are searching for new meaning in their

lives. After all, society tends to devalue you once you retire. What’s the first

question someone asks you at a party? “So, who do you work for?” Well, these

stories don’t appear in the paper by accident, they are often guided by talented

PR people. And the effect? Seniors look at a story like this and go, “I want to be


involved!” Very often their next thought is, “Man, I want to live at a place where

people are doing cool stuff!”

Think about it this way, have you ever placed an inspirational story about one

how your residents are enriching the lives of others … and how if you come to

live at your community the potential residents life will be engaged? PR is even

more powerful than advertising. It comes across as an unsolicited

recommendation. I guarantee you, the stories that you don’t yet know about

your members will amaze you. And even more importantly, getting to know your

members this deeply, so that you can discover these stories, will be even more

important than the PR itself. Your members will feel a real connection with you.

They know that they belong and are cared for. Plus, most people love being stars!

Hint: These stories are EASY to create, what about a team that runs a combined

1,000 miles on treadmills to raise money for charity? Do you think that would get

you some press?

What are some other ideas you all have done that have worked? . . . Ok, I’ll give

you some more ideas a little later!


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Engage. As many of you may know, GRAND Magazine is one of my clients.

GRAND is a national online magazine for today’s active grandparents. GRAND,

along with one of our advertisers, Humana, created a contest for the

GRANDparent of the Year award. This is an example of engaging GRAND’s readers

and Humana’s customers and potential customers. Incidentally, you can find

GRAND at GRANDmagazine.com.

Back to our last slide, think a fundraiser also counts towards involving your

customers? Absolutely, in fact, in that example, even members that don’t

contribute monetarily to the fundraiser can contribute by running or organizing.

The opportunities to involve your customers are endless. Don’t want to do a

fundraiser, how about a contest? . . . How about doing the TV show the Biggest

Loser at your gym, how about most miles, most days at the club?

Again, the possibilities are endless! Your goal is to get people engaged . . . To

belong!


Letting the outside word in . . .

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Also remember that building relationships extends beyond your members. There

are plenty of opportunities to bring the outside world in.

First, have a strong website. Over 70% of people said they us the internet when

shopping for a health club. And remember, the 50+ audience is the fastest

growing group of health club members! Think of it this way, the internet has

replaced the yellow pages. Your site should provide people with the opportunity

to connect in many of the ways we already talked about. Also, consider

advertising group tours on your website . . . Pick a day . . . Say Saturday at 10:00

. . . People are looking for a low pressure group-setting to see the facility without

having to deal with a sales person. Also, make sure to have a customer service

email online. This can help you save the quiet but frustrated customers . . .

people you might not otherwise know are unhappy.

Some other ideas:

Pick a restaurant in your area and offer to provide a free pass or discount on a

product to any patron who purchases a pre-selected "healthily dinner." Dinners

you'd like to include could be red-tagged on the menu. Be sure to provide the


restaurant - and the program - sufficient exposure in your community. Offer to

promote their business by exposing your members to a complimentary, heart-

healthy cooking demonstration by their chef at the restaurant or at your

community.

What about hooking up with a local 5k organizer? You could provide special

senior-friendly training which will probably bring in new prospects . . . And you’ll

also probably be able to get a complimentary sponsorship slot if you cross-

promote.

Provide local groups free use of your facility during a time when you're normally

closed. Guests should sign in when they arrive, and you can follow up with

mailings. The groups must be responsible for their own activities, so there's little

to no cost to you besides keeping the facility open.

Present educational programs and lectures to local civic groups. These groups are

always hungry for luncheon speakers. Presentations should be low-key and

noncommercial - not a sales pitch for the club, but a generic talk about fitness or

some other mutual interest. You can always pitch the club afterward to the

people who are interested. The beauty of most low-cost promotions is that they

cost almost nothing to offer, and can generate impressive sales and prospects.

Offer to write a health column in your local paper. Media outlets are starving for

good, free, content.

Again, the possibilities are endless. You just have to use your imagination AND

then measure the results.


E-mail: Building the relationship

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Ok. So we’ve established that I’m big on building relationships. Other than word

of mouth, what’s the cheapest form of relational advertising? E-mail. Why is a

systematic approach to email so important?

a) First, remember that the 'buying cycle' for retirement communities can be

anywhere from 6 months to 5 years. For health clubs it’s shorter but still often 6

months.

b) Email marketing is 100% more cost effective than any other form of marketing or

advertising (except word of mouth). Why? Because other than the cost of your

email marketing system, the only cost is your time. Plus, it’s better for the

environment! By the way, I use Constant Contact which is a great system.

On the other hand, print marketing and advertising is very expensive. Printing,

design, layout, postage, ad space, and media time...it all adds up pretty quickly.

As someone who has spent a ton of money on postage, I can tell you personally

that postage costs continue to climb at an astronomical pace.

Your goal is have your members opt in to your email campaign. To do that, you

need to create content of value. But, if you are skilled, email allows you to talk to


them on a very personal level. The key is they need to opt in. NEVER, EVER email

to someone who has not given you permission!

The problem is, most organizations are terrible at collecting emails from their

clients. Few have a set plan in place to collect email addresses from current and

new members. Even fewer understand how to collect email addresses from their

prospects and visitors that come to their community, health club, or website.

I'd like to offer a few ideas that can help you build huge lists over a short period

of time:

Have a drawing, which you then publicized in your e-newsletter, for a lucky

subscriber’s name to receive a lobster dinner for them and six of their friends at

your community’s on-site restaurant. Make your guests understand how good

their odds are to win because this drawing is limited to just the visitors to the

community (I guarantee you’ll get over a thousand email addresses for just the

cost of 8 lobsters . . . A bargain). Do one of these lobster dinners every quarter.

Another easy way is to get the email address at the Luncheon registration table.

Just say that you will be emailing other luncheon and trip opportunities. But you

have to ASK!

Some other ideas? How about Sign-Up Slips? Just go get yourself a big fishbowl.

Next, tie some balloons to it. Place it on your counter. Create an 8.5" x 11" sign

detailing the contest and put it in a frame. Place slips of paper for them to

complete right in front of the fishbowl. Make the slip easy to complete --- name,

email, and whether or not they are a member.

Another good method? How about printed handouts advertising your website.

Explain to them they will receive valuable information on fitness, diet and

nutrition twice a month; along with special offers and promotions exclusively for

subscribers. Give one to every member or guest as they LEAVE. The flyer should

ask them to log on to your website, enter their name and email address.

And whatever incentive you are giving away, play it as big! To claim their on-line

prize or discount, have them print it out and bring it to the community as proof.

Also, when they bring the printout in to claim their prize, make a big deal out of it

. . . Celebrate so others see/hear about it . . . Further promoting the site.


And last, but not least, if you want maximum email participation, send your

mailing list a letter to their home. Explain to your reader exactly what you’re

looking for them to do . . . Explain to them that you know that people are looking

for opportunities to be green. Be explicit in your request or directions. Most

importantly, make sure to tell them what’s in it for them.

This tool is great because it allows you to reach potential customers who haven’t

been to the community in a while. If you do this properly, you’ll be able to

capture their email. And then you can communicate with them regularly. Why is

this important? Because you can keep them updated on activities at the

community and important health tips. Remember, your words of encouragement

as an authority figure are HUGE and can go a long way in determining their long-

term happiness. Think this will also help your retention figures?

And the easiest way to collect emails? Just have an automatic prompt on the

front desk computer. This way you and your team won’t forget. By putting the

registration process on autopilot, you can maximize your results with little effort.

Final Thoughts on email ...

Is it worth spending a couple of hundred bucks to get a few hundred email

addresses from your members and prospects? That’s a rhetorical question . . .

You should know the answer! Just remember, if you want something, you've got

to give something. Reciprocity is your friend, and it can help you get email

addresses.

Constant communication is a key to successful relational marketing!

And it’s easy! Remember, your members already know who you are and have a

level of 'trust' with you and your team. And your prospects are just one step

removed. They’re looking to trust you. Think about it, they are actively looking for

a retirement community or fitness center … which means they are actively

looking to engage. If you provide them when with real information of value they

will build a similar level of trust with you. The principal of reciprocity is in your

favor . . . Because you are going to give them something of real value. Plus, if you

play it right, you also have the principal of authority working in your favor on this

project.


Communicating to your residents and prospects via e-mail is the most powerful,

personal and inexpensive form of marketing you can do. And once you've set up

you email system, it’s easy and automatic. Which means it will save you time . . .

and as we know, “time is money.” Just as importantly, it will make you money!

Yes, it will cost you some money to set up your email database, but once you

have it, it will return 100 times what you spent to get it.

ROI

TR Mann Consulting

Of course, all of this requires a disciplined marketing and Return on Investment

approach.

First, I highly recommend that you pay close attention to your phone team.

Nothing will kill good marketing work faster than poor phone response. Everyone

on your team needs to have extensive response training. If you haven’t already

done so, sign your sales team up to participate in The Tuesday Morning Sales

Club. Remember, you are only as strong as your weakest link. In fact, I

recommend a secret shopper service for your phone calls, your email and your

http://www.tuesdaymorningsalesclub.com/

http://www.tuesdaymorningsalesclub.com/


tours. With one important disclaimer, your team needs to believe this is a

teaching tool AND NOT a “gotcha” tool. Incent them for improved scores. You’ll

be amazed at what you learn.

Second, measure everything. Phone closing ratios, tour ratios, and your

investment in every marketing venture (time and money). Every lead should have

a lead source. Measure everything with the same passion that a good fitness

trainer measures your progress. Put ALL your marketing efforts on an Outlook or

Google calendar. And I mean all of them . . . Newspaper ads, radio ads, speaking

engagements and email campaigns. Remember, you’re looking to systematize.

That’s the only way you are ever going to learn what works and what doesn’t.

Especially when you consider this is a 3 month buying cycle. What you did 90

days ago, is going to determine your success today.

True Customer Service Is The UnexpectedBenefit that comes from true

understanding.• Oprah

– Book club – Charities – Gifts

• Harley Davidson– HOG

• Jimmy Buffett– Parrott Heads

• Starbucks– Countless flavors– Office/lounge away from

home– Music

TR Mann Consulting

Pulling it all together.

The best marketers are the brands or companies that delight their customers

with the unexpected. How do they do this? By knowing their customers on a


deeper, more meaningful way . . . Then digesting that information . . . And

coming back to their customer with creative surprises. And that word creative

just kind of hangs out there because true creativity requires work, it requires

brainstorming, it requires the conscious decision to go where your competitors

haven’t.

I love Oprah. In fact, she’s my personal hero. She is a natural relational marketing

genius. Think about it, she is consistent in her actions, she is likable – she is both

attractive and like us (she has battled weight and drugs). And because she has

battled with weight, drugs, relationships, and is wealthy, she is an authority. And

last but not least, she clearly understands the power of reciprocity. I mean here is

a lady who gives away cars, has a huge connection with charities, and constantly

provides valuable services and information like the book club. But it all stems

from her desire to delight! You see, the best marketers are givers!

“Try not to become a person of success.

Rather become a person of value.”

Albert Einstein

So in closing, follow Albert Einstein’s advice, “Try not to become a person of

success. Rather become a person of value.”


Other Resources

• www.TRMann.com

• www.Mature-Market-Experts.com

• LinkedIn’s Mature Market Experts

• www.TuesdayMorningSalesClub.com

TR Mann ConsultingTom Mann, Managing Partner

[email protected]

410-292-43333

Here are some useful references.

Thank you!

Any questions?

Tom Mann

TR Mann Consulting

[email protected]

410-292-4333

http://trmann.com/

mailto:[email protected]

Relational Marketing - Presentation Transcripts

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