I don’t know about you, but between the news, social media, emails, texts, instant messages it seems like we never have time to unplug. It’s exhausting. I come home somedays not physically tired, but mentally exhausted. At the risk of revealing my age, what happen to the days when there would be long periods of time when people couldn’t reach you? When you literally could have several hours of peace and quite? Remember when, if you were not home or at your office, people had to leave you a message? Even longer ago, people would have to keep calling to get a hold of you.
I remember when growing up we were told computers were going to make our lives so much easier and have less paper. For a time I think they did, but that time has long come and gone. Now, I think they have just recreated a whole slew of new problems over the years and more and more keeps cropping up every day. In some industries, I think they have created more paper in an effort to avoid cyber-attacks. Additionally, we now can’t break away from work or people. The computers have become so small, they fit in our palms and we call them phones. We are at our employers, friends and clients beck and call quite literally 24/7.
If someone calls you and you don’t answer you get flooded with text messages, emails or whatever asking where you are at, are you ok, what you are doing etc. From the time we wake up until the time we go to bed we have people wanting our attention. Even on vacations, we can’t get away because we are posting on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat, where we are, what we are doing and taking photos of what we are eating. It just never stops.
Everyone needs, and deserves, some down time. It’s not healthy to be “on” all the time, 24/7. We need some solitude to recharge and relax.
So what does this have to do with Marketing or Business you may ask? Well…a lot actually. Being a business owner you have so much to worry about. So much to do to keep clients, not customers coming back to you. What’s the difference? A lot. In talking with a business owner, he defined the difference to me this way. Customers are those who come into your business and use your services and leave. Clients are people who are loyal to your business. They will drive out of their way to use your service over a competitor. To go even further a client will talk up your business to get others to patronize your business.
As a business owner, you have to wear many hats and you simply can’t do it all, at least not effectively, so why try. Do what you can do and hire someone else to do things you either don’t have time to do or don’t have the skills to do. However, you need to research several businesses before you pick one. There is someone out there who will work for you within your budget constraints. Beware of those smooth talking sales pitches and most importantly check out their website, social media, and ask for references.
I own my own marketing business, call me if I can help. As a small business owner myself I understand what small business owners are going through.
Geoff Cummings is President|Founder of On The Level Marketing & Consulting, LLC. Successfully helping businesses with all their marketing needs by branding their businesses and keeping marketing simple and straight forward.
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