The year was 1858, the Date was November 22nd, and there was joy in the air. The Gold Rush was in high gear, and everyone was out prospecting. On this particular day, General William Larimer, a land speculator from eastern Kansas, placed cottonwood logs to stake a claim on the bluff overlooking the confluence of the South Platte River and Cherry Creek, across the creek from the existing mining settlement of Auraria, and on the site of the existing townsite of St. Charles. Larimer named the town site Denver City to curry favor with Kansas Territorial Governor James W. Denver. Perhaps the greatest day in American History, A day you and I should be thankful for every single day. That’s Right, 154 years ago today, The Great City, and My Beloved Birthplace, Denver Colorado came to be.
Being topical is one of the great strategies that most businesses fail to maximize on. After All, it’s pretty cliche to just write a blog post about Thanksgiving…on Thanksgiving. Here’s the thing. People Like Familiarity, but they also like to be entertained. They want to discover new things, without venturing out of their comfort zone. As humans, we crave structure, even those who think they don’t, odds are almost everything about the way they live their lives is built on habit, structure, comfort and most importantly familiarity. Holidays are the perfect excuse to reach out to your customers. It is a time when you know what they are thinking, you have a shared experience with them, and it helps you connect with them on a personal level.
What most businesses fail to realize is that there are literally several dozen holidays and excuses to reach out to your customers, and celebrate with them. There Is No Marketing Strategy That Can Get Even Close To Replacing Real, Personal Relationships. I am not taking about using a holiday as an excuse to over-market to customers. I mean, using holidays as an excuse to have a conversation and engage your customers. Not every interaction needs to be a sales pitch. In fact, if you focus on the relationship, the Giving Of Your Friendship To Another Is Perhaps The One Gift That Anyone and Everyone Would Be Grateful For. So, why not use holidays as an opportunity to extend a hand and be a friend. Share your life with your prospects, share your personal celebrations, like birthdays, births, engagements, express a genuine interest in your customers, and you will see, they will flock to you like Turkeys Begging to Be Stuffed.
Sure, Thanksgiving, that’s an easy holiday to share with your customers. To send them a quick thank you note. In fact, a smart business would send short handwritten and personalized thank you notes on thanksgiving to all of their clients. But, what about the rest of the year? I bet you didn’t realize that this month is also, Adopt a Senior Pet Month, Or National Sweet Potato Awareness Month. In fact, Next Week is The better Conversation Week, and the National Family Week. There are literally Hundreds of Excuses to Start a conversation with your customers and engage them with genuine interest…Heck it’s also national Peanut Butter awareness month.
So, the next time you are trying to figure out if its the right time to engage your customers, the Answer is a Resounding YES. Need an Ice Breaker, Try this list https://www.brownielocks.com/november.html …. or just look at the daily news or wikipedia… start off with a story, ease my boredom and extend your hand to be my friend. I promise, I will patronize any business that takes the time to Give me the Gift of Friendship….If you manage to entertain me as well, like sharing the history of National Pomegranate awareness month with me, and wishing me a happy Adopt-A-Senior-Pet Month… You’ll be in a league of your own, and no one in your industry could trade my relationship with you even if they agree to take my place at my in-laws table this holiday. (unless you are offering, than let’s talk 🙂
Have a Happy Thanksgiving.
About David Melamed
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