Give ‘Em Something To Talk About
September 2005
Last week, I was sitting in my office listening to a coworker rave about a vendor she had recently used. She had hired this company to perform a specific task and at the completion of the work they offered her something extra; an additional report and consultation at no additional cost. It was unexpected and she was thrilled. The added information would help her do her job better and thus serve her clients better.
She couldn’t keep this exciting news to herself. She told our staff and a number of colleagues outside of our office. I’ve repeated this story to many individuals always pointing out who the vendor is and how they offered real value in an unexpected manner. The vendor was on the receiving side of the most powerful source of marketing. Interestingly enough, the idea to offer this added service did not originate in the vendor’s marketing department.
Years ago, the best way to sell something, a product or service was to advertise, promote, and market. Many organizations found success through marketing campaigns that included expensive direct mail and advertising programs. Today there is too much clutter; too many messages. Clients and prospects are too sophisticated to make a purchase or hire a firm based solely on an advertisement or brochure.
So, how do you get through to your target audience? According to Seth Godin in his book Free Prize Inside! it is through soft innovations. Soft innovations are the small ideas that anyone can think up and can help make your firm remarkable. Or as Godin calls it, turn you into a Purple Cow. Godin explains that when you solve a problem that is peripheral to what your product is ostensibly about you provide a second reason to buy the thing and a first reason to talk about it. The free prize is not more of what you were seeking, instead it delivers something extra, perhaps even unexpected.
Godin calls this sort of innovation a free prize because the revenue it generates exceeds the cost of implementing it. For example, the free prize is…
- The ability to print a United Airlines boarding pass at home or the office before leaving for the airport.
- Amazon.com eliminating all TV and magazine advertisements and using its marketing budget to offer free shipping
- The lighted keyboard on the new MacPowerbooks
- The way it smells inside a bakery
Soft innovations are the small things that make a big difference. Free prizes are not marketing gimmicks. While gimmicks are used to attract attention but isn’t something clients want, a free prize offers something of real value.
Imagine if your clients thought of your firm in the same way that my coworker now viewed this vendor. Imagine if your clients started spreading the word about your practice to others. It may result in increased loyalty, improved client retention and even new clients. Are you offering free prizes inside your services? Are there opportunities for your firm to grow through soft innovation? Think about the conversations you’ve had with clients or colleagues that resulted in passing along new information. Does your firm offer clients a second reason to hire you and a first reason to talk about it to others?
Sheri Jacobs CAE, Director of Marketing and Membership, Association Forum of Chicagoland may be contacted at jacobs@associationforum.org.