Saturday, April 14, 2012

Are You The Best Option Now?

When I first watched TV, I had a choice of three national networks. So all a program, on a specific network in a specific time slot, had to do was to be better than the other two networks.  Today, a program on a specific network  has to be better than at least a million other networks to be the winner.

Maybe when you or your Dad or even Grand Dad got into the bowling business, the choices for entertainment were pretty simple.  Bowling, TV, Movies, Ice Rinks, Seasonal Mini Golf courses and maybe a car cruise or two.

Fast food, restaurants, kids soccer and basketball leagues, video games, Blockbuster, Netflix,  personal computers, smart phones, tablets, health clubs, air travel vacations, shopping malls as entertainment, movies on demand on your HD TV, Kindle and Nook readers, On line shopping catalogs, the 24/7 work week, Ebay, Home Shopping Network, Amazon, Google, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Blogs, Email and probably 5000 more competitive venues, attractions and distractions exist, all competing for the precious consumer's discretionary entertainment dollar,  and are now YOUR competition. They are serious-take-no- prisoners-competition!

The only way you win in this wired weird world is to be the best option AVAILABLE  for the person who is looking for entertainment value NOW. And I mean RIGHT NOW when they are searching on the internet for something to do  (Over 90% of Americans do that as a matter of habit. And that's a fact, Jack).

You don't have to be the cheapest or the most glitzy, you just have to be available and be the best choice for me NOW.

To prove you are the best available choice for me right now you must consider these options:

* Using testimonials every chance you can and have other people talk about you
* Developing a useful, relationship building blog  that speaks to your customers wants like (affordable entertainment that is close to home- and prove it)
* Having a stellar social media presence that is more social than it is is "sales."
* Being open, available and answer the phone professionally (sounds silly, but you would be amazed at the responses I get when calling some centers!!)

Yes, you have more competition than ever.

Now what are you going to do about it to differentiation your business and be the best available option now?