Stand Out
Last week, a major upheaval in the world of politics occurred, a Republican was elected Senator of Massachusetts after Ted Kennedy had held the Democratic Senator’s seat for 43 Years! How did this happen? I’m sure there will be a lot of blogs, articles and maybe books written about this improbable event. Let’s set the stage first. This particular Senate seat has been held by Ted Kennedy for 43 years and prior to that, his brother John Kennedy held the seat. Massachusetts’ registered Republican voters only account for 12% of registered voters statewide. The Democratic candidate was handpicked by the party leadership and held a substantial lead going into the final stretch of campaigning. So, how did the newly elected Senator Brown make this comeback?
Simply put, the incumbent party and leadership got lazy, became complacent, and did not have the pulse of the electorate (their customers). How could they lose? The Democrats controlled Massachusetts for years and could not imagine NOT WINNING! Then, a sequence of events in the economy, concerns over health reform, and a general discontentment with the established leadership…… the impossible happened, a Republican was elected. Now, the point to be made is not political affiliations or where we stand on the economy or healthcare reform. The lesson to be learned is the absolute importance and necessity of knowing what your customer base is thinking, where are they going and how do they perceive your role in assisting them! If you are somewhat skeptical, think back to 1994 when the Republican Party rode a wave of populist support in winning the majority in the House of Representatives; remember Newt Gingrich? Those Republicans had the voice of the voters and knew the changes expected under their leadership. They did well for a while, then, the Republicans lost the pulse of the voters and within 8 years, lost their majority position in the House and eventually the Senate. This loss of direction and power ripped the Republican Party apart! Now fast forward to last week…. History is repeating itself! Now it’s the Democrats turn.
This same scenario has played itself out in business repeatedly over the years. Remember Montgomery Wards, TWA, Eastern Airlines, Braniff, Circuit City, AMC General, or any of the “latest, hottest” new night spots or restaurants that have opened and closed in short order? As a business owner, don’t allow yourself to lose contact with your customers, stay in touch, keep in front of them and let them know how valued they are to you personally. Doing what is best for the client will help establish a bond and trust that will build a lifetime relationship and lead to new opportunities for growth in the future. AgencyIQ is here to assist you with those efforts to build your business and keep in touch with your most valued resource… your clients!
Tags: Business, insurance agency marketing, Insurance Marketing Blog