Dave nails a mentality that’s troubled me for years. Whether marketers and their customers or agencies and their clients. There’s an underlying resentment rampant in the ‘creative’ world – and I just don’t get it.
Part of it feels like people in a job they’d rather not be in.
Part of it feels like the marketer’s resistance to committing to themselves into their customers’ lives and perspectives, i.e. a meaningful relationship.
Too often, it feels like marketers want to throw a grenade into a crowd of customers chatting comfortably.
Speaking of chatting. I spent an hour this afternoon talking with my insurance agent. We had a great time. Laughed a bunch, crunched some numbers, made some changes. She’s one of my favorite people. We wouldn’t have met if it weren’t for insurance (she was selling, I was buying). She knows quite a bit about me, my family, and my business – she needs to. I want her to.
If I got the slightest impression she resented doing business with me, I’d be pissed.
Interesting blog entry – I agree with what you are saying, there is a mentality within the walls of a company that they would be doing great if only their customers would get of the way. It’s an arrogance on the part of the “seller” and that’s why the buyer only really cares about the price (in many cases). I was talking with some of my co-workers this week about how some of our services have been “commoditized” and said that it was our own fault. Unless you choose to differentiate your service, basically “have a REAL discussion” with your customers – the market (i.e. your customers) will decide there is not difference between your product or the next – thus, the only difference is the price.