Would your customers rather fight than switch?
Mitch Miller
mitch.miller at westernhorseman.com
303-644-3782
According to Seth Godin, famous author and self proclaimed agent of change, some people are terrified of good ideas because they mean change. So, they avoid them. But, even more people are petrified of bad ideas. They are afraid of looking stupid or wasting time and money. The problem is you can’t have good ideas unless you’re willing to generate a lot of bad ones. Ironically, we fail far more than we succeed. However, people who generate ideas succeed far more often than people who have no ideas at all. I once asked someone who seemed to have many good ideas how they do it – when I can’t seem to come up with any. They asked me how many bad ideas I have each month, and I said, “None.” And they replied, “And there, you see, is the problem.”
Marketing Tip: “Would your customers rather fight than switch?”
Honestly, would your customers rather fight than switch? Virginia Slims thought so by making this slogan famous back in the 60’s. Now ask yourself, would your competitor’s customers rather fight than switch? If you think so, think again.
Getting someone to switch from another brand to yours is very difficult if you plan to do so by offering more of what they were looking for when they chose your competitor’s product in the first place. Understanding this statement is critical so take time to read it again.
First off, you’re wrong if you think your competitor’s customers are looking for more of the same. And beyond that, they’d have to admit that they were wrong for not choosing you in the first place, and we know how often most people admit they are wrong. The rate is comparable to that of a politician’s.
Consequently, you don’t get someone to switch because you’re cheaper than Wal-Mart, you serve bigger steaks than the Big Texan in Amarillo, or you claim to make a leg boot with even more ligament support or a rope that lasts even longer. Face it, the chances are slim you can top a trusted provider on the very thing the provider is trusted for.
Instead, you gain converts by winning at something the existing provider didn’t think was so important. You have to look very hard for a unique approach and a different angle, one that creates a new opportunity or offers a solution to a real need.
September in Western Horseman: This issue features apparel, wild rags, snaffle bit training, day workers, handling the two rein, sale spot light, “Horsemanship at work”, Pendleton Round Up, and much more.
In addition, the September issue of Western Horseman features our annual Apparel Round Up Advertising Section. Give me a call to learn how you can not only get advertorial support by being in this section but also get a new product photo considered in this section as well.
A Little Something Extra:
“In spite of the cost of living, it’s still popular.”
Laurence J. Peter (1919 – 1988)
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