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Here’s a concept that’s … so key… so critical… so fundamental… to your marketing thinking.

In his book, Getting Everything You Can Out Of All You’ve Got, Jay Abraham illustrates the difference between clients and customers.

He cites Webster’s definition to illustrate the difference:

• Customer: one who purchases a commodity or service.
• Client: one who is under the protection of another.

Jay states: “The difference in meaning is massive. And there is a massive difference in the way a person who does business with you could or should be treated.”

Whoa… back up a minute here. Read that again. Let it sink in… really sink in… before you read on.

Ah yes… that client experience… Oh, how we crave that, seek that, and will gladly and willingly pay more… sometimes a whole bunch more for someone who protects us… someone we trust… someone we’ll give our money to again and again.

Why?

Because someone finally hears us, listens to us, understands us… and delivers exactly what we want and need.

Need a sporty new polo shirt? You can grab one at Wal-Mart for less than 10 bucks… pretty much the same shirt at Neiman Marcus—$50-$60 or even more.

Now, why would any intelligent person pay 5 or 6 times the price for basically the same thing?

Jay shares this story:

“A man landed in jail following a drunken brawl during a Texas-Oklahoma football game. The next morning the Oklahoma judge set bail for $250, but the man was far from home and knew no one in town. The man pulled out his Neiman Marcus credit card. He reached a Neiman Marcus vice president, who arranged for the bail to be charged on his account, and the man was set free.”

Try this one with Wal-Mart?

“Hello is this the Wal-Mart manager? I got myself a little pickle here in Oklahoma, and I was hoping you could literally bail me out…”

Here’s my point: (and Jay’s):

“Treat your clients like dear valued friends.”

Invest your time and effort to figure out exactly what they want and need, why they choose to do business with you, and really understand how your clients think. This is the first strategic step in positioning your business for phenomenal growth.

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