Friday I watched an episode of Last Man Standing that featured marketing. Tim Allen plays the main character who works for a retail chain called Outdoor Man. He prides himself on being a marketer. The focus of the episode was not the store, however, but getting his three adult daughters to attend church. After much effort, he and his wife persuaded the daughters to accompany them. Following the service, they asked the daughters about attending the next week.
“That’s enough for a while,” one said.
“Yeah,” agreed another. “The pastor is too boring.”
The parents were both disappointed, but the marketer in the husband uttered, “You know what the church needs? Better marketing. We need to start with the pastor and his sermon. The girls are right; he is boring. I’m calling him tomorrow to help him give a better sermon.”
He followed up and called the pastor who admitted that he had never felt comfortable with giving a sermon. Tim gave the pastor pointers of starting with a joke or using a story that related to people’s lives. He recommended that the pastor conclude with a surprise. The pastor took Tim’s advice to heart and delivered a sermon the next Sunday that kept churchgoers’ attention. He ended by abruptly leaving through a door behind him and, before the stunned parishioners knew what to do, he reappeared down the main aisle, giving his finale.
The daughters still were not convinced to return to church. Tim had another brainstorm and asked the one who is a fashion designer how she would improve the choir robes. She instantly drew a design for new ones. “How would we get these done?” he wondered.
She took the bait, immediately standing. “I’ll get on them right now,” she said as she left the room.
Then he turned to another daughter who is musically talented and questioned, “What did you think of the music?”
She knew what he was up to and replied, “I get it. I’ll bring my guitar next week.”
At the next service, the pastor gave an engaging sermon, the choir sported new robes, and the music was contemporary and up tempo.
I was impressed by his marketing. Rather than use enticing words to get people to attend church, he addressed the experience they received. He knew that words would ring hollow if people weren’t satisfied with what they encountered. He also knew that they would be unlikely to return. As he demonstrated with his daughters, his goal was to get people attending church regularly, not sporadically. He also knew that the sermon was the main event of the service. Thus, his first step was to help the pastor improve the sermon. The most important part of any marketing is the delivery of the service and the use of the product. If the customer is not happy with the service, product, or information, all other marketing efforts are fruitless.
Tim also addressed the effectiveness of involving the customer. He did this with his daughters by offering opportunities to use their talents of designing and singing. They, in turn, helped other parishioners enjoy their involvement with new choir robes and joining in contemporary, upbeat music.
I recommend that all business owners make their customers’ experience the most important part of their business’s marketing. Involving customers increase their positive response and commitment to the business, too.
This week's marketing trivia challenge is How have you made your customers’ experience the most important part of your marketing? E-mail me your answer.
“That’s enough for a while,” one said.
“Yeah,” agreed another. “The pastor is too boring.”
The parents were both disappointed, but the marketer in the husband uttered, “You know what the church needs? Better marketing. We need to start with the pastor and his sermon. The girls are right; he is boring. I’m calling him tomorrow to help him give a better sermon.”
He followed up and called the pastor who admitted that he had never felt comfortable with giving a sermon. Tim gave the pastor pointers of starting with a joke or using a story that related to people’s lives. He recommended that the pastor conclude with a surprise. The pastor took Tim’s advice to heart and delivered a sermon the next Sunday that kept churchgoers’ attention. He ended by abruptly leaving through a door behind him and, before the stunned parishioners knew what to do, he reappeared down the main aisle, giving his finale.
The daughters still were not convinced to return to church. Tim had another brainstorm and asked the one who is a fashion designer how she would improve the choir robes. She instantly drew a design for new ones. “How would we get these done?” he wondered.
She took the bait, immediately standing. “I’ll get on them right now,” she said as she left the room.
Then he turned to another daughter who is musically talented and questioned, “What did you think of the music?”
She knew what he was up to and replied, “I get it. I’ll bring my guitar next week.”
At the next service, the pastor gave an engaging sermon, the choir sported new robes, and the music was contemporary and up tempo.
I was impressed by his marketing. Rather than use enticing words to get people to attend church, he addressed the experience they received. He knew that words would ring hollow if people weren’t satisfied with what they encountered. He also knew that they would be unlikely to return. As he demonstrated with his daughters, his goal was to get people attending church regularly, not sporadically. He also knew that the sermon was the main event of the service. Thus, his first step was to help the pastor improve the sermon. The most important part of any marketing is the delivery of the service and the use of the product. If the customer is not happy with the service, product, or information, all other marketing efforts are fruitless.
Tim also addressed the effectiveness of involving the customer. He did this with his daughters by offering opportunities to use their talents of designing and singing. They, in turn, helped other parishioners enjoy their involvement with new choir robes and joining in contemporary, upbeat music.
I recommend that all business owners make their customers’ experience the most important part of their business’s marketing. Involving customers increase their positive response and commitment to the business, too.
This week's marketing trivia challenge is How have you made your customers’ experience the most important part of your marketing? E-mail me your answer.
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