Think Small...

I walked into a small town hardware store when on vacation a few weeks back.

"Can I help?" asked the owner. (I assume few customers just browse in his hardware store.)

"Sure. I need some batteries and a bike lock," I said.

"The bike locks are over here," he said leading me across the store. "But it looks like you have a lock in your hand. Are you looking for a cable or chain?"

"Uh, yeah. I guess your right. I need a cable."

"This one is real popular. It's plastic coated to resist rust and avoid scratching your bike."

"Thanks," I said, appreciating the personal service.

A bell rang and someone walked in the front door.

"Hey Bob. I'll be right with you," the owner said. "The batteries are here. Let me know if you need anything else."

As I looked at the batteries I overheard the owner talking to his customer.

"How's the new generator I sold you working?"

They talked for a while, the owner knowing more about the customer and his needs than I could have imagined. That's because he had a relationship with him.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is still all the buzz in marketing these days. It's all about using technology and databases to do exactly what that good small town merchant does. Get to know the customer.

Don Peppers and Martha Rogers, founders of the "One to One Marketing" CRM franchise, say there are 4 basic steps to a CRM initiative. 1.) Identify your customers. 2.) Differentiate your customers. 3.) Interact with your customers. 4.) Customize your behavior toward your customer.

The days of cold, generic mass marketing are ending. Mass customization is the future. Today, using a database you can create a custom mailer for a customer that matches his profile. Have a prospect interested in a red Corvette? Send them a personal follow-up postcard with a red 'Vette on it while you send another prospect a postcard with a blue Malibu. This isn't science fiction. It's happening right now. In fact, one of my suppliers specializes in it.

And the internet expands the envelope with personalized emails and websites.

Just think, with all these modern technological advancements, the goal is to be more personal. Seems kind of old-fashioned, eh?

By the way, let me know if you need anything.

-Phil Sasso