Not All Customers Are Created Equal When it Comes to Technology
Our primary goal within our business is to provide our clients and their customers with both the highest level of service and the very best products. The achievement of this goal is the very reason that we’re in business, and it makes our business viable as well as gives it longevity. Of course technology plays a vital role in our achieving these goals, but are all customers equal in technology’s application? It simply cannot be true.
As we strive for delivering the very best service, a generic or general approach just doesn’t apply. Exceptional service is achieved by customizing communication based on our target audience. You see, it is true that not all clients and customers are created equal (if they were, what a boring world that would be!). Everybody wins by taking the custom approach, even if it is the harder route to take.
Take fax machines as an example. In the 80’s, they were the new kid in town (taking over for the Telex) and they went from a luxury to a necessity. In the 90’s, they were absolutely essential to doing business, but in the 2000’s, we saw them decline in importance. Today, they’re really only used in specialized areas such as the legal world.
But, try to run a business without a fax machine, as irrelevant as they are today. And, if you don’t have a scanner, it may be the only way to send a desperately needed item, especially if they only have a phone line on the other end (and another fax machine, of course). Maybe you could market by fax to a lawyer customer, but you couldn’t fax anyone else with any relevance. In fact, you’d be shooting yourself in the foot. This is an obvious, extreme example, but keeping it in mind will instruct you in how to treat customers unequally.
And, as we all know, there are two sides to every story. The same holds true when it comes to communicating with our clients’ customers. As communication strategies change based on technological advances, it is important that we stay true to our clients and their customers, not to technologies (i.e. if the customer wants a fax, send them a fax). On the flipside, as business evolves through technology, it is critical to speak to those customers that embrace it (i.e. if the customer wants a PDF via a DM on Twitter, send them a PDF via a DM on Twitter). It is a fine line and can be quite the balancing act.
It is our duty as professionals to recognize these differences and preferences and then serve customers based on these factors. There are ways to successfully deliver your message, no matter the audience, product or situation. But, it is up to you to first understand your audience and recognize their preference of delivery. Whether your approach is too technical or lacks a savvy tech touch, your message may be lost before it was ever sent. Carrier pigeons are passé, in case you’re wondering.
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