Long distances, high season and outrageous prices be damned

Aug 5, 2024 Berlin, Germany

??

“I am proud to tell you that we have over 150 participants from 10 countries.”

We are in the capital of Germany, relaxing in the quiet flat of a cousin. During the past 4 days, we have had the pleasure of exploring this city in the company of 150 of my “nearest” cousins.

?

That’s right – cousins.

?

I belong to a unique and rare group. A family association that has been able to trace its roots to 1612.?

?

I am connected to this first Tafel via a 7th generation ancestor?who was basically sent from Germany to America back in 1848. His father worked as a senior “finance minister” to the King of Wuertemberg. Presumably, the young Tafel got himself involved with pro-democracy advocates in his first months as a student at the University of Tübingen. This wasn’t going to assist his father’s career with the King so, off he was sent.

?

Today, I am told, we have some 4000 names in our genealogical chart, which means hundreds of living descendants. Pretty cool.

?

50 years ago, a family from Stuttgart, Germany, (where my ancestor had fled) held the first Tafel Family reunion. I was fortunate to have been a participant.

?

The remarkable thing is that this event has continued (this past one was the 24th!) and the number of active and engaged members has grown. This despite all the obstacles and there are many.

?

One must travel huge distances. (70 or close to 50% came from Canada and the USA this time)

?

High cost: Think of transportation, accommodations, tours, meeting space and materials.

?

Language: Start with 2 main ones, German and English, add Italian and Spanish.?

?

Time of year: traditionally these have been held in August, so families could attend with their children. But this is also the busiest time of year for the entire Northern Hemisphere, which adds another challenge with reservations, and crowds etc.

?

Lastly, many participants barely know each other, sometimes meeting for the very first time, not to mention that the direct connection as a relative may go back 5, 6, 7 generations.

?

The question you must ask yourself then is, why would so many people “sacrifice” some of their treasured summer holiday time to attend such an event?

?

From a marketing perspective, Dan Kennedy would ask: “what would it take to get your customers to walk barefoot over broken glass, for miles, in a driving snowstorm, to come to your store and buy what you are selling?”

?

As marketers we always speak about crafting great offers that are designed to meet the exact needs and wants of our best customers.

?

Best customers – that is a good place to start.

?

To get buyers to take action, you must forget about trying to appease everyone. Narrow your focus. Determine or forge a unique group, with similar wants, desires, values and history. This is why memberships work so well, once you have narrowed the key characteristics of your market.

?

But that will not be enough to get this narrow group to act.

?

You will need to craft a good offer.

?

This offer, however, is not about price. Yes, price is a component. But it is never the number 1 item. There is convenience, speed, beauty and value, to name a few.

?

One factor that is too often overlooked is the experience?a customer gets when a purchase is made. The most obvious example of a company that excels in this department is Disney. The overall experience at any one of their parks, from cleanliness to entertainment, to employee involvement ensures that their customers have a fantastic experience.?

?

Can you say the same thing about your product and/or service offerings? Do your customers and clients feel they are receiving an experience that is memorable and one they want to repeat and share with others?

?

Until next week,

Stay healthy and focus on profit!?

?

- Hugh? The “Profit Accelerator” Expert

?

P.S. Did you know that even tiny improvements of 1-3%, in just 12 fundamental areas of your business could give you 50% and more improvement to your bottom-line? Test out my brand-new?Profit Acceleration SimulatorTM? and discover the true impact of a conservative estimate of Profit Acceleration initiatives on your business and see for yourself. (https://hughtafel.com/sim)

?

★ BECOME A HIGHLY PAID BUSINESS COACH WITH #1 COACHING PLATFORM?★ I am looking for individuals to help handle the exploding global demand for business coaching services. I’m willing to train [at my expense] the right individual with a passion for wanting to help small business owners become successful. NO travel - work from home. $225,000 first year income. If you or someone you know?is interested,?click here and an 8 minute video will explain it all.