Why Respecting Your Customers is Good For Business

At its very core marketing is the art of convincing someone to take money they worked very hard to earn and give it to you for something they are convinced has value that equals or exceeds the price they are paying.It seems easy, but if you really think about it there is a value that is assigned to your product. You are trading a commodity for cash. In turn you use that cash to either buy new products or as profit to meet your own personal bills.Perhaps this, more than any other reason is why you should not take a casual approach to what you sell and how you sell it.There was an episode of the classic television series, "The Andy Griffith Show" that applies to this line of thinking. In this particular episode Barney Fife was finally buying his own car. He had been saving his money and was anxious to get a good deal. He met a grandmotherly type who had a car that she stated had been garaged and rarely driven. She hated to part with it, but she didn't drive much anymore. While Barney was believing he was getting a very good deal he was actually being scammed by the older woman who was working to dump a poorly performing automobile.This is one of the greatest fears of online consumers. They want to trust that their modest disposable income can provide benefit through a purchase via the web. However, it doesn't take long to discover sites that sell products with little value for more money than they are worth. The scales of economy are off balance and the consumer always seems to be the one left holdi ng inferior products.When you understand the value of a dollar from the perspective of a consumer you can begin to appreciate how much trust needs to be involved in the fair exchange of monetary gain for your products. When a consumer passes along cash they are extending trust. When your product, service or customer relations fails to demonstrate your trustworthiness you have lost what might have been a long-term customer.In a depressed economy people have to work harder to make ends meet. They don't have as much disposable income and they may be more selective in whom they trust and how they spend their money.Will your company be one that can be defined by trust? Will every touchpoint consumers have with your business invite and encourage trust? Do you provide information the consumer might need as a free service to visitors? What value can you extend to your guests that exceeds their expectations? Can you make big promises and then deliver on them?These are all questions y ou will need to consider as you work to define or redefine who you are in this new economic era. Those who understand these issues and address them head on will be the most likely to succeed.In many ways the consumer is smarter today than ever before. They are in the driver's seat in online transactions. Respect them enough to deal honestly with them. You might just be rewarded for the gesture.