What Cows Can Teach Us About Marketing

Udderly fascinating… Udderly important!

1. Cows use all of their senses.

Cows can see color, detect odors up to five miles away and are able to hear lower and higher frequencies better than humans… and they like classical music!

Have you considered these important design elements in your place of business: Are your shelves neat and organized? Are your displays colorful and appealing to the eye? The moment your customer walks into your store are they greeted with pleasantries? A pleasant aroma? Pleasant personalities? Do you have background music playing that makes your customer feel relaxed and comfortable?

Appeal to all the senses of your customer and you can be sure that their in-store time will be maximized… this means higher sales!

2. Not all cows are the same.

There are an estimated 920 different breeds of cows and 5 breeds of dairy cows. They, like humans, have different personalities.

Every customer will have different needs and desires. Your marketing programs need to be tailored to the unique differences they exhibit. Some only buy products in certain departments… or only certain brands.

Appeal to the uniqueness of your customer and you’ll get more sales. Cross-selling and up-selling are powerful tools to increase your profits.

3. Cows must be fed in order to produce milk.

Cows drink about 30 gallons of water per day and eat 120 pounds of food each day.

It is important to keep in touch on a consistent and regular basis. Email, direct mail, phone calls, advertising… all of these methods help you to “feed” information to your customers about what’s going on in your store.

Care for your customer and they will produce the kind of return you’re looking for… increased sales.

4. It’s important to keep your cow comfortable.

A happy, healthy cow gives more milk than an uncomfortable cow.

Is it easy for your customer to find what they’re looking for? Are your store policies easily accessible and worded in a friendly way? Does your staff go out of their way to make your customers feel welcomed? Are your customers greeted in a non-threatening way?

Make your customer feel comfortable in your store and they’ll return more often… and spend more money.

5. Cows have to be milked every day.

Most cows are milked twice a day at 12-hour intervals… and some are milked 3 times per day!

Your customers WANT to visit your store more frequently… so, give them a reason to! Keep your inventory fresh and presentable. Get rid of old, outdated inventory. Let them know about new lines you’re carrying. Drop them an email to inform them of your upcoming specials.

Reach out to your customers frequently. They’ll reward you with more visits… and more opportunities to make a sale.

6. Cows don’t “give” milk… you have to work for every drop!

Dairy farmers work from early in the morning until late at night.

To quote an old-timer in retail: “Marketing ain’t easy.” No, you must be on top of your game every day. There are always new challenges… new competitors… new obstacles to contend with. Work it. Be creative. Think of new and exciting ways to intrigue your customers. Don’t just copy your competition. Do it better… and don’t be afraid to be bold!

Roll up your sleeves and get started. Huge rewards are there for the taking.

7. Not all cows produce the same amount of milk.

The Holstein produces the most milk of all breeds. The “average” cow produces 65 pounds of milk per day.

Every business has their “A” customers… and their “B” and “C” customers as well. Don’t treat them all the same. Acknowledge their differences. Reward the A’s. Promote the B’s. Work with the C’s to turn them into B’s. It’s all about movement – increasing sales of the A’s – moving B’s to A’s and C’s to B’s.

Monitor your customers closely. Spot the profit producers and demonstrate your “love” for them. They’ll reward YOU with more visits and more sales.

8. Don’t judge a cow on appearance.

Looks can be deceiving – a larger udder doesn’t mean that cow produces the most milk.

Assume that everyone who visits your store is a potential ‘big spender’… regardless of gender, how they dress, how they talk or otherwise appear. Make sure your staff treats everyone with compassion, courtesy and helpfulness.

In a world where people are impolite and hardly ever say “thank you” … say it. Your customers will appreciate it.

9. Cows LIKE to get milked!

Happy, healthy cows enjoy the milking process.

Believe it or not, your customers LIKE to give you their business. Sometimes you have to try pretty hard to drive them away. So, give them what they want – opportunities to give YOU their business.

Be proactive about planning events your customers would enjoy. Give them something to look forward to. Greet them with a big smile. Tell them how much you appreciate them. They WANT to give you their business. Make them feel good.

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For more creative ideas on how you can implement highly effective, low-cost marketing tactics, give us a call.

Udder Marketing – Helping you milk YOUR ‘cash cows’!

© 2008 – Udder Marketing – a division of Randall Data Systems, Inc.