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to Tom Talks list It’s all about free Yes, it is all about free today. Get used to it. Free was the tsunami of the recent holiday season. Free shipping was everywhere. A major department store chain told its customers: “It’s our gift to you.” Computer retailers and auto rental companies all offer “free upgrades.” Retail store ads announce “no interest or payments” for up to 24 months. And while there may still be no such thing as a free lunch, hotels and motels, all promise a “free breakfast!” Another example. Not long ago, places offering WiFi charged for the service. That’s changing rapidly. Now it’s free and it’s spreading everywhere – including cities and small towns. A business associate found himself in a motel in a small town in Iowa. He looked around the room for an Internet connection but couldn’t find one. As he unplugged the phone to make a dial-up connection, he suddenly noticed the computer was receiving a wireless signal. Surprise! Free WiFi. Free is everywhere, but what customers are really asking for is something more than “free”: They want to know what they are going to get for giving us their business. In some instances, they want discounts, as the auto industry knows so well. But there’s more to it than that. It runs through all types of transactions. After the deal is struck—whether it’s buying cosmetics or chemicals—the clincher is the perks. “Now that I have agreed to make this purchase, what are you going to do for me?” This seems to be the trend that isn’t going away. The job requires creativity on our part. This may not just be an effort by customers to drive down costs. They may be asking, “What can you do to make this transaction more exciting and interesting?” Perhaps more of our time should go into thinking about good answers to that question. Tom is president of Mosinee Insurance Agency, Inc. 715-693-2100; tomh@mosineeins.com Back to Tom Talks list |
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