Remember When Marketing

"Remember When" is more than just a popular Alan Jackson song. When it comes to business, Remember When not only brings back memories of simpler times but it should also embarrass some modern businesses. Many of the ways that American business used to market have been replaced by technology but this doesn't mean that "old style" marketing and customer service should be thrown out the window.

One line in the Alan Jackson song goes something like this, "Remember When thirty seemed so old, Now Looking back, It's just a stepping stone, to where we are, where we have been, said we'd do it all again, Remember When". In the song Mr. Jackson is singing about an age that many of us, in our youth, considered old, but after attaining this age we realized that it wasn't such a milestone after all. And when looking back we realized that what we had done along the way to successfully attain that magical age should probably be done all over again. To do that in business we must look back and see where we have been.

Remember when Companies fell all over each other to gain your business? Remember when businesses made products that lasted longer than necessary? Remember when customer service was expected, not just hoped for? Now looking back, were these just stepping stones to success or should they be an integral part of every modern business?

It's easy to see how many businesses get caught up in the modern " make a quick buck now syndrome", after all we see it everyday. Out sourced customer service call centers, where the number of operators is determined by the length of time some study showed that customers were willing to stay on hold. Products made with the intent that they won't last much longer than the warranty. And lastly businesses focused more on short term profit than building long term customer relationships. These symptoms and many others are the signs of a business that has no idea of where we are, or where we have been as far as success in American business is concerned.

Remembering the tools and techniques that were used to make a business successful is not enough. It is critical that we apply these same techniques in a modern market place. Responding promptly to a question posted on social media is no different than returning a phone call in a timely fashion. Each method displays a commitment to quality customer service.

Paying attention to the past does not mean you are living in it. History is often the best instructor, it often teaches us as much about what not to do as what we should do. Focusing on the future, while learning from the past, often creates an opportunity for success.

I still believe that to be successful in the long term it is necessary to implement and merge the business strategies that have worked for decades along with modern technology. Otherwise the only thing people will be saying about your business is,
"Remember When" their doors were open!