Rocking Chair Marketing

My mother probably never heard the term "relational marketing", but that was in fact what she did, and was probably a key factor in why her upscale women's retail shop doubled its profit margin each year for the first eight years of business.

In my mother's first brick-and-mortar store sat my great-grandmother's rocking chair, with the groove in the wooden arm where my great-grandmother would rub her thumb back and forth while she rocked on her porch. Tucked in a little nook, there was usually someone occupying that chair, rocking and talking to my mother, who sat perched behind her cash register counter. Mom, who loved fashion and retail, but whose background was in social work, was probably a great person for customers to talk to. And talk they did. By sharing their lives and their stories, they built a relationship and came to see her store as "their" store. The Carriage Trade was branded more by a simple rocking chair relationship than by any planned marketing strategies.

Futurist and author Faith Popcorn states in her book EVEolution that, "The way women think and behave is impacting business, causing a marketing shift away from the hierarchical model toward a relational one."

So how do you as online business person build a relational business? Here are a few ideas:

Blog about your business. As people read your daily blog, your business activities, your tips and business advice, and your problem solving thoughts, they will begin to think of you as a personal friend and part of your company. Your blog gives you the opportunity to talk about your values and what you personally value. Blogs are personal and conversational - draw your visitors into your business and your life.

Keep in Touch. eNewsletters are a great business tool, and quality is much more important than quantity. Make it short, informative and useful so when it arrives in their inbox your link is worth clicking on. Share a business tip, a new podcast or an article on your web site, announce a new product offering. Know who your audience is and target your copy to them. Establish a voice that will resonate with your readers and fits with your business, whether it's concise, to-the-point professional, funny and upbeat, or warm and caring. It's the personality behind the newsletter that you want to shine through.

Give Yourself Away. Network with others on business networking sites like Ryze.com Don't just show up and advertise your company, but establish a presence, be sharing and supportive, join in the community and offer your expertise and advice when needed. Feature someone else's business on your web site or in your newsletter. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, and you'll find it one of the best advertisements of all.

In short, be personal, stay connected and help whenever you can. Women clientèle in particular aren't looking for merely a company to buy from, but a business with a welcoming, relational, rocking-chair presence.

Anne Goodrich provides professional graphic design services for small business owners, non-profit entities and work-at-home parents through her business web sites at http://www.GoodrichDesign.net and http://www.PearlsandGrace.net