By Daniel Wadleigh

There is a marketing principle that applies to the long-range success of your company. It has to do with how the buying public perceives you, and thus, whether or not they will want to do business with you in the future.

I once went into a hardware store to buy a sparkplug socket. The owner pulled out his fanciest professional quality set of tools to replace spark plugs. There are methods of successfully asking for add-on sales but, in this case, I wasn’t a professional mechanic.

He was trying to sell me what was in his best interest (looking to the short run)—a much more expensive product that did not fit my personal needs. In the long run, he lost big because I never went back to that store, and worse, I never suggested that anyone else go there either!

Have you ever gone into a restaurant and received a cursory “Hello, how are you?” but still had the feeling that they were really much more interested in what was in your wallet than in your personal well-being? They “looked” sincere, but you knew better. That’s why people go to restaurants where they are treated with respect, not just as income sources! The principle: Take care of people and they will take care of you. Trying to get as much out of them as you can, while not in their best interest, will cost you in the long run.

Next time—Marketing to the Max, there is a critical line not to step over. Learn how to get up to it.

Daniel Wadleigh is Marketing Director of Profit Experts of Austin, Texas. Excerpts are from “Profit Controlled Marketing,” www.appropriatemarketing.com. Profit Experts offers a turnkey Web package for ISOs including a CD to use on selling merchants. Mr. Wadleigh can be reached at (888) 379-0659.

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