Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/819351
palletcentral.com PalletCentral • March-April 2017 19 With few hands raised, he then asked who in the crowd golfed. To no surprise, the response was overwhelming. He further engaged attendees and shared his secrets to successful marketing. • You shouldn't consider marketing as a job or a task – it is a business strategy. • Consider who your clients are and what they are saying about you. If there is a disconnect between what they say and what you would say about yourself, there's something wrong with your strategy. To change that, ask yourself three simple questions: 1. What are people saying? 2. What do we want them to say? 3. What are we doing to get them to say it? • Do you know what happens when you meet customer expectations? Nothing. You want to exceed expectations – then those more-than-satisfied customers will tell other people about you. That's the basis of customer loyalty. Schmidt pointed out that "no story" means "no demand." Don't just have customers. Create disciples. Nobody believes what you say about yourself – we believe it when we hear it from other people. Let the disciples prophetize. "In a commoditized market, you can't be competitive only by having a good product and focusing on its features. You have to sell an experience," said Schmidt. By shifting the market strategy from just product features to changing public opinion on how motorcycles and the people who ride them are viewed, Harley- Davidson was able to turn their business around. "The images of the motorcycle lifestyle from the 1960s and 70s are vastly different from what they are today," added Schmidt. "Now, we're selling the experience. And if people aren't talking about us tomorrow, then we failed." Schmidt added that people don't buy motorcycles based on what he calls "feature talk" – dimensions, capacities and performance numbers, etc. In a market full of products with comparable features, performance and prices, you need to find other ways to distinguish yourself. When everybody is saying the same thing about quality and features, who's listening? The answer is nobody. Creating and building relationships in the wood packaging industry should be part of any marketing and branding strategy, and surround the company with people who truly love their job. Visible passion is also magnetically attractive and instantly mimicked. People want to be around those who enjoy what they are doing. "Wood pallets are commodities, just like every other single product on the market – whether its branded or not. Big screen TVs are commodities too," Schmidt commented. "Brains cause pain. When you're given information that you don't understand, you look for something you do know – price. You need to be a student of human behavior: Understand your clients, what they want, and why they would pay for the unique services and experiences you offer." "If you can't describe your business and your products and services in language that none of your competitors use," Schmidt says, "you don't have a clear picture of how customers and prospects see you." Furthermore, by using the same language as your competitors, you are contributing to the commoditization of your industry. You want to "humanize" your company and product so buyers/consumers use the pronoun "they" when referring to your brand. Customers return because the product and/or experience, made them feel good. PC Anne Lewis is the NWPCA Communications Manager. She may be reached at 703-519-6104 or email alewis@palletcentral.com. Consider who your clients are and what are they saying about you. If there is a disconnect between what they say and what you would say about yourself, there's something wrong with your strategy.