riting about. After all, they are in the same industry. The focus is on your customers and not on your competitors. Giving information to your customers gives them additional reasons to be loyal to your business. And if they remain loyal to your business, where’s your competition? YOU are your own competition: it’s not that others steal your customers, it’s that you don’t do those things that keep your customers coming back to you. One of those things that increases customer loyalty is providing expert information and on-going learning opportunities.

Whatever you do in your business, you’re giving your customers one of two things: a reason to come back or a reason to go elsewhere.

But wouldn’t the information in your report stimulate competition? That might happen, to be sure. But the likelihood of it happening is extremely remote. Even if it does, the caliber of competition

NOTE: As I was preparing to submit this article, I had to think about which category was most appropriate. The content primarily deals with developing effective marketing tactics for your business. However, upon further contemplation, I decided to place this article under the Business Customer Service category because I’ve concluded that all effective customer service is the best and highest form of business marketing. I think you’ll agree.

An Intriguing Story

This true story is about the legendary marketing strategist, Claude Hopkins and the Schlitz beer company. Schlitz was about to go flat in the beer brewery industry. They wanted desperately to break into the top ten American breweries but didn’t know how to do it. That’s when they contacted Claude Hopkins.

Hopkins’ first item of business was to take a tour of the Schlitz facility. Even though the central brewing plant was located on the shores of Lake Michigan with its enormous fresh-water supply, the company had dug five, 4000-foot artesian wells because they wanted the purest water available. Hopkins was shown a special laboratory in which over 2,500 experiments were conducted by company scientists to cultivate the finest mother-yeast cell. He was taken through five different three-foot-thick plate glass rooms where beer was condensed, redistilled and recondensed for purity. The final stop was the tasting room where beer was tasted from five samplings on five separate occasions. He learned that the bottles they used were cleaned and sterilized twelve times!

After his tour, convinced of the company’s commitment to both its product and its customers, Hopkins exclaimed to his hosts, “My goodness, why don’t you let people know about this amazing process your beer goes through?” They replied, “This is the way all beer is made.” Hopkins immediately responded, “That may be, but the first company that tells the public about this will make a fortune!”

What would you have done with Hopkins’ advice? The problem in American business today is not a shortage of good ideas; rather, it’s the lack of implementation of good ideas. The Schlitz company took Hopkins’ advice and became the number one brewery in America within six months!

How did they do it? They simply told the story you just read to all their customers and prospects.

Educate your prospects and customers about what you do, how you do it and why it’s important to them. This is not merely telling how you’re different from your competition; rather, it’s a preemptive strike against your competition by informing the public of what your business and industry actually do. The more information and expert knowledge you can share with prospects and customers, the greater the chances are that they will make an informed buying decision -- the one you want them to make.

Here’s the point: The first one to tell the public about the how, what and why of your business and industry -- even about “business as usual” processes and concepts -- gains a marketing advantage. I call this the “W.Y.K.V.W.O.D.K.A.A. (A.W.)” (Pronounced, “Wick-vee-Wadkah”) marketing principle: “What You Know Very Well Others Don’t Know At All (or “As Well).” Slap yourself in the face with the obvious and tell your customers and prospects about it and you’ll gain the competitive advantage.

How do you tell your customers and prospects about it? Write a report . . . .

Focus on Customers, Not Competitors

What about competitors getting hold of your report? Wouldn’t that be bad news? Chances are they already know much of what you’d be writing about. After all, they are in the same industry. The focus is on your customers and not on your competitors. Giving information to your customers gives them additional reasons to be loyal to your business. And if they remain loyal to your business, where’s your competition? YOU are your own competition: it’s not that others steal your customers, it’s that you don’t do those things that keep your customers coming back to you. One of those things that increases customer loyalty is providing expert information and on-going learning opportunities.

Whatever you do in your business, you’re giving your customers one of two things: a reason to come back or a reason to go elsewhere.

But wouldn’t the information in your report stimulate competition? That might happen, to be sure. But the likelihood of it happening is extremely remote. Even if it does, the caliber of competition w

t was located on the shores of Lake Michigan with its enormous fresh-water supply, the company had dug five, 4000-foot artesian wells because they wanted the purest water available. Hopkins was shown a special laboratory in which over 2,500 experiments were conducted by company scientists to cultivate the finest mother-yeast cell. He was taken through five different three-foot-thick plate glass rooms where beer was condensed, redistilled and recondensed for purity. The final stop was the tasting room where beer was tasted from five samplings on five separate occasions. He learned that the bottles they used were cleaned and sterilized twelve times!

After his tour, convinced of the company’s commitment to both its product and its customers, Hopkins exclaimed to his hosts, “My goodness, why don’t you let people know about this amazing process your beer goes through?” They replied, “This is the way all beer is made.” Hopkins immediately responded, “That may be, but the first company that tells the public about this will make a fortune!”

What would you have done with Hopkins’ advice? The problem in American business today is not a shortage of good ideas; rather, it’s the lack of implementation of good ideas. The Schlitz company took Hopkins’ advice and became the number one brewery in America within six months!

How did they do it? They simply told the story you just read to all their customers and prospects.

Educate your prospects and customers about what you do, how you do it and why it’s important to them. This is not merely telling how you’re different from your competition; rather, it’s a preemptive strike against your competition by informing the public of what your business and industry actually do. The more information and expert knowledge you can share with prospects and customers, the greater the chances are that they will make an informed buying decision -- the one you want them to make.

Here’s the point: The first one to tell the public about the how, what and why of your business and industry -- even about “business as usual” processes and concepts -- gains a marketing advantage. I call this the “W.Y.K.V.W.O.D.K.A.A. (A.W.)” (Pronounced, “Wick-vee-Wadkah”) marketing principle: “What You Know Very Well Others Don’t Know At All (or “As Well).” Slap yourself in the face with the obvious and tell your customers and prospects about it and you’ll gain the competitive advantage.

How do you tell your customers and prospects about it? Write a report . . . .

Focus on Customers, Not Competitors

What about competitors getting hold of your report? Wouldn’t that be bad news? Chances are they already know much of what you’d be writing about. After all, they are in the same industry. The focus is on your customers and not on your competitors. Giving information to your customers gives them additional reasons to be loyal to your business. And if they remain loyal to your business, where’s your competition? YOU are your own competition: it’s not that others steal your customers, it’s that you don’t do those things that keep your customers coming back to you. One of those things that increases customer loyalty is providing expert information and on-going learning opportunities.

Whatever you do in your business, you’re giving your customers one of two things: a reason to come back or a reason to go elsewhere.

But wouldn’t the information in your report stimulate competition? That might happen, to be sure. But the likelihood of it happening is extremely remote. Even if it does, the caliber of competition

the way all beer is made.” Hopkins immediately responded, “That may be, but the first company that tells the public about this will make a fortune!”

What would you have done with Hopkins’ advice? The problem in American business today is not a shortage of good ideas; rather, it’s the lack of implementation of good ideas. The Schlitz company took Hopkins’ advice and became the number one brewery in America within six months!

How did they do it? They simply told the story you just read to all their customers and prospects.

Educate your prospects and customers about what you do, how you do it and why it’s important to them. This is not merely telling how you’re different from your competition; rather, it’s a preemptive strike against your competition by informing the public of what your business and industry actually do. The more information and expert knowledge you can share with prospects and customers, the greater the chances are that they will make an informed buying decision -- the one you want them to make.

Here’s the point: The first one to tell the public about the how, what and why of your business and industry -- even about “business as usual” processes and concepts -- gains a marketing advantage. I call this the “W.Y.K.V.W.O.D.K.A.A. (A.W.)” (Pronounced, “Wick-vee-Wadkah”) marketing principle: “What You Know Very Well Others Don’t Know At All (or “As Well).” Slap yourself in the face with the obvious and tell your customers and prospects about it and you’ll gain the competitive advantage.

How do you tell your customers and prospects about it? Write a report . . . .

Focus on Customers, Not Competitors

What about competitors getting hold of your report? Wouldn’t that be bad news? Chances are they already know much of what you’d be writing about. After all, they are in the same industry. The focus is on your customers and not on your competitors. Giving information to your customers gives them additional reasons to be loyal to your business. And if they remain loyal to your business, where’s your competition? YOU are your own competition: it’s not that others steal your customers, it’s that you don’t do those things that keep your customers coming back to you. One of those things that increases customer loyalty is providing expert information and on-going learning opportunities.

Whatever you do in your business, you’re giving your customers one of two things: a reason to come back or a reason to go elsewhere.

But wouldn’t the information in your report stimulate competition? That might happen, to be sure. But the likelihood of it happening is extremely remote. Even if it does, the caliber of competition

th prospects and customers, the greater the chances are that they will make an informed buying decision -- the one you want them to make.

Here’s the point: The first one to tell the public about the how, what and why of your business and industry -- even about “business as usual” processes and concepts -- gains a marketing advantage. I call this the “W.Y.K.V.W.O.D.K.A.A. (A.W.)” (Pronounced, “Wick-vee-Wadkah”) marketing principle: “What You Know Very Well Others Don’t Know At All (or “As Well).” Slap yourself in the face with the obvious and tell your customers and prospects about it and you’ll gain the competitive advantage.

How do you tell your customers and prospects about it? Write a report . . . .

Focus on Customers, Not Competitors

What about competitors getting hold of your report? Wouldn’t that be bad news? Chances are they already know much of what you’d be writing about. After all, they are in the same industry. The focus is on your customers and not on your competitors. Giving information to your customers gives them additional reasons to be loyal to your business. And if they remain loyal to your business, where’s your competition? YOU are your own competition: it’s not that others steal your customers, it’s that you don’t do those things that keep your customers coming back to you. One of those things that increases customer loyalty is providing expert information and on-going learning opportunities.

Whatever you do in your business, you’re giving your customers one of two things: a reason to come back or a reason to go elsewhere.

But wouldn’t the information in your report stimulate competition? That might happen, to be sure. But the likelihood of it happening is extremely remote. Even if it does, the caliber of competition

riting about. After all, they are in the same industry. The focus is on your customers and not on your competitors. Giving information to your customers gives them additional reasons to be loyal to your business. And if they remain loyal to your business, where’s your competition? YOU are your own competition: it’s not that others steal your customers, it’s that you don’t do those things that keep your customers coming back to you. One of those things that increases customer loyalty is providing expert information and on-going learning opportunities.

Whatever you do in your business, you’re giving your customers one of two things: a reason to come back or a reason to go elsewhere.

But wouldn’t the information in your report stimulate competition? That might happen, to be sure. But the likelihood of it happening is extremely remote. Even if it does, the caliber of competition will be low. Cassette Duplications Unlimited, in the late 1980's, circulated a report entitled, “How to Produce Your Own Audio Cassette Program” which was amazingly detailed, honest and straightforward. It also contained excellent information about the business of audio duplication and distribution.

A few did use the report as a blueprint to set up their own business and “compete” with Cassette Duplications Unlimited. However, these were small-time operations none of which lasted very long. Most who read the report must have said something like: “Golly, this cassette production and duplication business involves a lot of detail and effort. I never realized it took so much work. Cassette Duplications Unlimited really knows what it’s doing – they’ve got my business!”

This approach contributed to their eventual evolution into the infomercial giant Guthy-Renker International, purveyors of Fran Tarkenton, Tony Robbins and other marketing “cash cows.”

By educating their prospects about how much expertise and work goes into an audio tape program, the company killed two birds with one stone: they discouraged most of their readers from becoming competitors while increasing their customer base from this very same group of readers!

Focus on your customers, not your competition. When you educate your customers, you dilute your competition.

Actions to Take Right Now:

• Make a bullet-point list (like this one) of everything you know about your business and your industry. Become aware of the obvious and ask yourself, “what am I taking for granted regarding my products and services?” It’s these things that your customers are probably taking for granted, too. Remember the W.Y.K.V.W.O.D.K.A.A. (A.W.) marketing principle. This is a significant key to use if you want to lock up additional market share.

Focus initially on processes you use to make and distribute your product(s) and/or the methods used to develop and deliver your services. Proprietary information does not need to be divulged or even hinted at in order to make the report valuable.

• Ask yourself, “Do my prospects and customers know about any of these things?”

Check off those items you think they already know about. This is not to completely eliminate these topics from being part of your report. It may be that some of these “obvious” topics need to be included in order to establish a natural knowledge flow from what is known to what isn’t. That’s the way we learn new information: by relating it to what we already know.

• Make a new list of the items you have not checked (the ones you think your customers and prospects don’t know about) and write a brief statement describing:

- how you do each item

- why it’s important for your customers that you do it that way (but also soliciting their feedback and suggestions on how you can improve)

- steps customers can take to make it easy (easier) to do business with you

• Write your final report (or have someone write it for you) following these guidelines:

Take time to come up with a powerful title. Your title is the sizzle that sells the steak. People are motivated by the potential for gain and/or the avoidance of pain (loss). Your title should create an emotional response toward gain and away from pain (loss). What about the title of this report? Gain is explicit while avoiding pain (loss) is implied. Consider the possible combinations of “gain/pain” in your title. This also holds true for any classified ads you might place.

Some title suggestions:

“How To . . .,”