event planners, do you have cobbler’s shoes syndrome?

A long time ago there was a shoe cobbler. He made the most beautiful hand-crafted shoes and was renowned throughout his village for his creativity and attention to detail. He was so busy working on the town’s shoes he didn’t have time to outfit his children. Instead they wore their old and tattered shoes on their feet. As word spread to neighboring villages about this amazing cobbler, people came from afar to see his wares. When they arrived in town and saw the cobbler’s children they took one look at their tattered shoes and said to each other: “If a man’s own children look in such disarray, what will he make me look like?”. And they quickly turned  around and headed back home without a purchase.

Do you have Cobbler’s Shoes syndrome? Are you showing people what to think about your company or are you too busy working on your clients business to worry about this?

• 90% trust the recommendations of people they know. 84% of consumers said they were more likely to check online for reviews prior to making a purchase compared to twelve months ago, according to a recent survey by Brand Reputation (Retail Bulletin, October 2009). Are you leveraging testimonials, referrals and recommendations?
• A March 2009 study by Knowledge Networks found that between 10% and 24% of US social media users turned to social networks when making purchase decisions about various categories of products and services. (eMarketer, October 2009). Are you shaping your reputation online?
• Nearly two-thirds of consumers (61%) use search engines to help them in their product research decisions leading up to purchase. (eConsultancy, July 2010). Are you investing in your website’s search engine rankings?
• A large number of your customers are researching their options online. What does your website say about you?
• Once you have a prospect interested in doing business you send them materials about your company. How well do they reinforce why your customer should care about you?