The objective of every business is to grow and maintain a base of customers. Far too many businesses lose sight of this simple fact in their ceaseless pursuit of increased business income. Now, this is not intended to downplay the importance of numbers. The problem results when numbers become the focal point. The customer fades in the background. But, by definition, a customer is a regular or frequent buyer. They buy because they see value in your product or service. A customer also recommends your product or services to friends, family and associates. A customer represents many sales, many new leads. In marketing parlance this is their marginal net worth-how much will they spend on your products or services, for how many years, and how many people will they recommend to your products and services.

To grow your customer base you should tell your unique story-why you're better, or good. Mean something to them. Your product or service is worth your price tag, your full price tag. Consumers would think so too if they knew what you know of your benefits.

Yet most business owners insist on trying to hurry the process-"let's have a sale!" "Let's make coupons!" the theory is that the business will get the now buyer and the now buyer will see how good the business or product is and they will come back. For a small percentage, a very small percentage, of products this is indeed the case. But this philosophy of discounting or offering added value is actually promotion and not advertising (mistake #6--too much promotion ). In the book Marketing Myths That Are Destroying Business quite a bit of space is devoted to this dangerous, and currently prevalent, practice of too much promoting and not enough advertising.

Over-promotion and under-advertising can actually make customers have less value for your product than they have now. Witness fast food's 99¢ experiment. A supposedly temporary promotion designed to increase sampling and thus build customers. Sales did go up but the actual customer base for the various franchises changed very little. And repeated 99¢ promotions conditioned the public to follow the price point, expect the price point. The end result was a lowered perception of value for the food. They still liked the product, they just liked it at a lower price. So now most fast food restaurants have to carry a 99¢ menu all the time.

By the way, still on the fast food front, one of the most successful customer-building campaigns was Burger King's "have it your way" campaign. The idea was to increase sampling of Burger King by informing potential customers of the unique value-no pickles? No onions? Have it your way. The built the value for their full price product. That increased customers.

One last little shot at value building advertising versus promotion. Are you interested in a Nissan Sentra? Oh sure, you've heard the name. But unless you are actively shopping for a car in this class hearing "advertising" offering 1.9% financing for 36 months and a $1,000 rebate wouldn't do too much to increase your value for the Sentra. For this offer to entice you to buy Sentra now you must already have Sentra in your consideration loop. But if you weren't actually shopping an "ad" like this wouldn't make much impression upon your existing value assessment for Sentra.

But what if you also heard that Sentra gets 40 miles to the gallon, is priced, fully loaded, at around $13,000, meaning your payments would be around $250 a month, and that Sentra's average lifetime is more than 12 years. This information adds value. What if your car breaks down next week? Or a friend or business associate needs an economical car? Think Sentra would be higher on your consideration/recommendation loop?

Advertise your unique value and you will get more customers.

NO U.S.P. (Unique Selling Proposition)
HIT AND MISS advertising.
UNDERSPENDING OR OVERSPENDING on advertising.
POOR COMMUNICATION with employees.
TOO MUCH PROMOTION—especially when you think it is advertising.
THINKING LIKE A SELLER instead of a buyer.