Thoughts on Marketing…

Small stores in small towns have a huge disadvantage when it comes to price – because they don’t belong to a huge buying network, they buy at a much higher price than “chain” outlets. Thus, sometimes the small store pays more for an item than you can buy it for if you go out of town.

So how can you compete? Sell service. Sell convenience. Sell a feeling of community, and belonging, and being a welcome, valued customer.

Too often, stores do just the opposite.

For instance, today I took my husband’s prescription and had it filled at Costco. I don’t even belong to Costco, because I don’t go to “town” often enough to make it worthwhile – but I was so cross at the local drugstore, that it was worth wasting part of my day in town to do it. The bonus was that the prescription cost half of what it costs when I buy locally. Had the local drugstore treated me well, I would never have known that.

What made me so cross? When I called in the refill a couple of weeks ago the doctor denied it, saying my husband had to come in for his annual visit first. But did they call and tell me? No, they let me drive 12 miles to go get it and they said “Oh, sorry, the doctor denied that.”

Creating good will with customers isn’t really that difficult. In fact, a few months ago I wrote a small e-book about an easy way to create customer loyalty, and even get your regular customers to bring you new customers.

Interested? Follow the link to: How to Market a Local Business.

Here’s to prosperity,

Marte