If you’re in business in a small town, you know something valuable. Seth Godin is pointing it out for everyone, in Welcome to island marketing.
If you run a business on a small island, every interaction matters and every customer is precious. There’s a finite number of people you’re going to be able to sell to, and every person you interact with knows everyone else, so you always have to be on your best behavior. You can’t say, “tough” and then go on to the next person. You can’t run ads that churn and burn through an endless supply of naive prospects. You only get one chance to make a first impression, and on the island, that impression matters.
But now the whole business world needs to know what you know.
…like most things in our ever shrinking world, all marketers are now on an island.
What lessons should we share with the rest of the world?
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Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.
Ruth Marie Sytle @rmsytle reminded me about the 3/50 Project to support local businesses: http://www.the350project.net/
Christine Cavalier @purplecar added some great thoughts:
“In her book CHEAP, Shell talks about the old store, small-towns, & societal norms & how they shaped business relationships.
“A merchant would go out of business if he cheated his neighbor, his in-laws, his barber, etc. Now dishonesty rules.
“Small-town businesses/merchants can teach us a lesson on maintaining integrity & mutuality with our customers.”
Nebraska Rural Living (www.nebraskaruralliving.com)is a great example of how small towns have plenty of valuable assets. They started out by challenging people to think business beyond the farm and now show all aspects of rural life in Nebraska. Makes me want to drop my city living in inner city Baltimore to set up shop in Nebraska!
Such a refreshing and insightful post. I loved it when I read it on Seth’s page but it has more impact on a place like here where small business folk gather.
It’s so important to remember that in the face of the big box giants a small retailer has the crisp singular advantage of offering exemplary service that can outlast cheap. In fact, I just wrote a post last week about what we can learn about exceptional customer service from a good dog!
“Mom & Pop” can embrace the island and thrive on it. Do so! It makes the world a better place.
Thanks, Steve. Now, how do I reconcile this fine idea with the realities of everyday business? For example, what do I do when a prospect stands me up? Do I give them another free consultation appointment? There’s an interesting debate in the comments!
What do you do when a prospect stands you up?
Katie, I love that site! Nebraska Rural Living has a terrific approach to sharing the advantages of rural living. Thanks!
Great observation! It’s so important to treat each customer/client as if they’re your only customer/client. If an individual has a pleasant or bad experience it’s likely that they will share it with a friend. Word of mouth can be a business’s best friend or worst enemy. You ultimately create your own reputation.