CBA Industry Blog

You guys are making me think hard

If you haven't read some of the comments about my first post, check them out.

I'd made a comment that when shopping for gifts, books, and even Bibles, when choosing where to shop, "...the answer almost NEVER "to support the Christian retailer."

Of course, NEVER is a blanket statement and Carol Olsen immediately found an exception with a customer who said she did like to support her local Christian store.

I should have done a better job explaining my position. I've been consulting for CBA for roughly twelve years. In that time I've had the opportunity to have one-on-one conversations with retailers, survey them online, and facilitate focus groups.

All too often, a retailer will say something like, "Why don't people in my church understand they need to support my store?" or, "Local Christians should understand they need to support my store in order to help me spread the Word."

To be sure, there WILL be a core group of customers who do that. But the harsh reality is it's extremely difficult to keep the doors open on just that group. If a retailer is to succeed, in both his/her mission and financially, we must  understand that, at least in the beginning, the largest group of potential customers will consider their options. Those options might include to shop at the local Christian store, or to shop at a mega-bookstore (Barnes & Noble, Borders), or even to shop on Amazon. Our goal is to eliminate the other options in their minds.

When we put our Marketing Person hat on, we are looking to do one three things:

1. Cost effectively acquire new customers
2. Get customers to return more often
3. Get customers to buy more when they're in the store

During my presentation at the CBA Industry Conference, I'm going to share results of an online survey I've been conducting with friends and peers. To date I've had 61 people participate in my survey and I think you're eyes will open wide when you hear the results. I hope you'll be there.

Also, I want to announce that I plan to conduct a series of teleseminars and webinars after the conference just for those retailers who attended. As we've stressed in the pre-conference communications, our objective is to give you rock-solid, implementable information and tools. And we're committed to follow-up with everybody after to help you USE the information and tools.

I hope to see you in Indianapolis! (And keep those comments coming!)

Welcome to the CBA Industry Conference Blog!

Ya gotta love technology.

Here I am sitting in my home office at 5:00 on Monday, January 7. And before I go upstairs to hang out with my daughter Kelly, wife, Kay, and our two emotionally needy Border Terriers, I can zip a quick note out to you.

We are roughly 23 days away from the 2008 CBA Industry Conference and I can tell you I am as excited about this conference as any I've been involved in over the 22 years I've been speaking and consulting.

Why? Because I truly believe this has the opportunity to massively impact a lot of businesses -- both retailers and suppliers. CBA has put together great team of speaker/facilitators for you (ahem, pardon my lack of humility) and we're all committed to your success.

To be sure, this will be different from anything CBA has ever done. But we could probably say the same for most industries and organizations. Most conferences are cookie-cutter -- some big general rah-rah sessions, some breakouts, some unfacilitated networking, and maybe some food. Then let's all do it again next year!

This conference has purposely been designed to be different. All of the speakers have been charged with giving you rock-solid information, and we've also committed to helping you compile a take-back-to-your-business, implementable Action Plan.

We accept that responsibility. But that also means we will push you to make that happen. We are looking for eager, active participants...people who are truly charged with being the best you can be. We are looking for you to join, improve, and maybe even lead the conversations.

And we can start doing that right now. My session at the conference is titled: Would You Do Business With You? and I will focus on putting you in the shoes of your customers and prospects. Here is one question I'd like you to start considering right now:

WHY do people do business with you?

This is not an easy question to answer as the obvious answers aren't always correct. I've found with my clients that it usually takes some deep discussion with customers to find the real answer. But that answer can make a world of difference in your marketing.

Think about that for me.

And also look to this blog for a beginning of our conversation. Feel free to comment back. Ask your own questions. And if you have answers, share those, too.

Thanks for reading. I've got to go take care of a couple of needy dogs.

Getting the Most Out of the Conference

by Bob Pike CSP, CPAE-Speakers Hall of Fame

Do you plan for a conference the way most people do?  How do you think most people plan for a conference? Based on my 37 years of experience as both an attendee and a presenter -- they don't.  Somehow the decision is made to attend and the work frantically gets in the way until the moment arrives to leave for the conference.  The attendees arrive, wander through a confusing maze to register, receive a large attendee bag full of stuff that most often they don't go through, and then they look through the conference program trying to find something to attend.

Don't do that with this conference.  It's way too important.  I'll start with one suggestion now -- and offer more later.  Realize that you attend for three people -- yourself, the person that sent you, and the person that's providing the budget.  As you get ready to attend ask each of them: "What are two or three questions you'd like me to get answers to at the conference that will make my attendance worthwhile for you?"  Let them know you want the conference to be an investment, not a cost.

What are resources that they would find valauble?  What are the most pressing problems they're trying to solve?  Look out for the interests of those that couldn't attend as well as your own and your attendance at CBA Industry Conference will be a significant investment that will bring a significant return.