Foundry-Metalcaster UGLY Marketing Newsletter 365501 | Page 2

Why ‘clients’ instead of ‘customers’- what’s the difference? Anyone who has read the newsletters, heard me speak, or done a Discovery Day, notices immediately that I refer to those who buy as clients. And this is one of the question I repeatedly get, so let me explain it again. Despite what some would suggest as merely a difference in words, there’s a huge difference between a client and a customer. There is a small chance you are treating your customers like clients, while still calling them customers, but this is very rare in the foundry industry. Let’s use some examples and then apply them in the industry: A customer is someone who does business with a foundry. They send the foundry a quote, drawings and specs. The part is cast per the drawings/specs and sent off to the customer. Then the connection is over. The foundry now sits patiently by the fax machine for another quote request from another customer and the cycle begins again. Almost a ‘one and done’ philosophy. You order, I make. That’s it… A client, on the other hand, is someone who comes under the guidance of a trained, specialized, professional organization, who establishes a lifetime relationship built on trust, understanding, and communication. Look at the professions outside of metalcasting that have clients. Lawyers. Financial Specialists. Architects. Each of these are establishing a long term relationship. They are the trusted resource. A relationship is established and trust built that binds the clients to the professional for years, and in some cases, decades. A business that has customers always needs more or they will go bankrupt. A business who has clients may have openings, but they have a base of revenue from a known number of clients that, barring criminal or immoral activity, will remain with them for years. Do you ever hear of law firms going All contents are copyright protected. bankrupt? Architects? Accountants? Virtually unheard of unless the criminal For reprints or permission to use in statutes are violated. Yet, foundries go bankrupt every month. The client mentality is different from having a long term customer. Many metalcasters have long term customers they have had for years. But, from experience, they can lose these quickly with a single incident. Clients, when properly nurtured, are fiercely loyal to you. Price is secondary. (Ever hear of a lawyer’s client asking what they charge?) They also are happy and even anxious to tell others about their experience with you. Client Oriented Thinking® offers stability and profit when properly implemented. The key issue is a mentality of having clients. If you are still struggling with the conceptual difference, consider a Discovery Day with me where this is one of the basic building blocks. Mark Continued from page 1 5. Should explain what makes you different. What is your Unique Selling Proposition? What makes you different from all the other choices? If you don’t answer these questions- and quickly- prospects will assume everyone is the same and the only difference is price. If you differentiate yourself, you can start to eliminate price as the primary decision factor. 6. Should be easy to follow. Most websites are confusing and not quote or immediate action friendly. Remember that people are coming to your website, not web fanatics who love searching. A website is an incredible opportunity to make money while you sleep. It can save staff time, sell your foundry, and differentiate you from your competitors. Ignore these benefits and those who foundries who act will take your money. If you are going to have a website, it should be a profit center, not a mere expense. other formats, contact the publisher. The UGLY Marketing Newsletter is published generally monthly or when I feel like it, which ever comes first. Rates are $299 a year with liberal discounts offered to new subscribers and renewals, especially multi-year. (Just for reading this, you may ask for the preferred rate of $199 for one year, and $349 for two.) Mark Mehling is the author and publisher of the UGLY Marketing Newsletter and the only marketing consultant and copy writer dedicated to the foundry/metalcasting industry. He is committed to keeping more metalcasting businesses alive in America by opening owners/CEOs eyes to opportunity and helping them differentiate from cheap competition. A “Marketer of the Year” finalist for a 25000+ marketing group, Mark is dedicated to making foundry owners more money without the hassles of an ad agency. He is available as a guest speaker, consultant, and expert on writing ad copy that makes you money. For more information, send an email to [email protected] or send a fax with your questions to 888-498-2538. General inquiries may also be snail mailed to: The UGLY Marketing Newsletter 1866 Seclusion Dr, Port Orange Florida 32129 2 © The UGLY Marketing Newsletter for Foundries/Metal Casters/TheFoundryMarketer 2014. All rights reserved