Interesting observations, Tim. I hope to get to Asia, especially Japan, someday.

You talk about how business in Taiwan is built on relationships. That's the way it had been here in the U.S., but the challenge as businesses get bigger and the world gets more complex is how do you build and maintain relationships.

Running customers through "voicemail hell" and all the other impersonal technological innovations we now employ is certainly NOT the way to build relationships.

Big does not have to mean impersonal. American Express, huge as they are, manages to have personal interaction with customers. Even Jet Blue, before their recent meltdown, seemed to be succeeding at it.

Marketers and their advisors need to study what some of the successful relationship-building companies have done, and find realistic ways to adapt their methods. We do need to get back to some basics. Thanks for the reminder.

Tim,

Good post. I agree with David: US businesses once depended on building customer relationships. However, as large US businesses become international and as the US declines in its use of English only, building relationships not only involves rolling one's sleeves up but in becoming proficient in a variety of languages as well as in becoming knowledgable and sensitive to cultural differences.

All that said, there is no excuse for marketing to take the easy way out, which is a marketing budget heavily weighted toward advertising.

We need to communicate with customers about their wants and needs, which 15-second and 30-second ads cannot achieve. The smart marketer is using all the tools, including direct mail, web site content and, yes, even blogs, although I think I disagree with at least some in how those blogs should be used.

At the end of the day, I am a firm believer that every communications tool is multi-faceted and multi-functional and that if we think of them as having a primary purpose at the expense of their range of abilities, we reduce their effectiveness.

And as one who has developed, managed and approved budgets, I am keenly aware that budgets do not get approved when we apply narrow scope to what can be expensive and labor intensive use of tools. Furthermore, limiting the use of tools to a primary purpose is akin to telling a fast athlete just to run, don't bother to use any of your other skills.

As marketers, we need to be less protective of our ideas and more open to the goals and objectives of the businesses we serve. It isn't about our goals and objectives, it is about the company's goals and objectives and how we help them achieve those goals and objectives with our strategies and tools.

David & Lewis-

Thank you both for the comments. Both of you touch on the point I was so longwindedly (just made that word up) trying to make. It's the little things that we are doing badly (bad voice mail hell, etc) that can be overcome by little things we can do well (treating our customers/ community with respect). The things that often get classified as "small details" can be huge. I know I won't deal with a customer service department that runs me through a thousand automated prompts when I call. I "press zero to speak to a representative" every time.

US businesses used to be much better at this kind of thing. I don't how globalization should take that away. If anything, it's even more important now.

Ok, I've already got a reputation as the "group hug guy", but maybe I can push a new agenda; Small (as in the details) is the new Big. Who's with me?

Tim - Nice article. We need to get you to write more often. :)

Did you really get a plate of sashimi like that? Ah!!! I want!

great post. I totally agree. Small is the new Big. Actually you're more correct than you may think. Just being able to comment on this blog makes little fish me feel like a bigger fish. Thanks!

Ahh...humanity. That's what (little human me) thinks you're hitting on, Tim. We're impressed with creative marketing programs and the like but we're impressed upon by the humans behind them (well, sometimes we're miffed with them). That's why it was so important to put JetBlue's "humanity" out there this week with Neelman's video and press spots.

Especially moving is how hard your vendors in Taiwan worked for your biz and how much they VALUED your biz. Might I suggest, if you've not already, sending them this post? I think it would make their day to let them know they moved you enough to write on your positive experience--and just how much we USofA (who think we know everything) can learn from them ;-).

Cam- Shucks buddy, you got me blushing... again.

Tammy- That's the beauty of this medium is that we are all BIG fish. Or at least the same size fish. (Besides, I think you're a big fish anyway.) And yes, that was the actual plate of sashimi. The scallops were the size of golfballs and like butter!

CK- You are totally accurate! How surprising... ;-). Humanity, the personal touch... whatever you call it... is all about that specialized human contact that shows you care. And, since you mention it, the string of posts I wrote on my various blogs about Taiwan got a lot of reads from folks on the island. That makes me feel good.

Tim, I loved the way you shared first-hand what it is like to be on the receiving end of the "personal touch". More marketers need to be willing to start the conversation, learn about their customers and their needs, and then deliver. Our customers want to know that we care.

Thanks for getting us going on this.

Tim- Nice article, man. You're totally right on.

It just sucks that your perspective (and mine) is so difficult to sell sometimes. Most people just figure you're only moving forward if you're spending money, which just isn't always the case.

Word.

Tim ~ thoughtful post, thanks so much. Question: In your first photo is that a mountain of wasabe in that small dish? If so, I hope you did not consume it in one sitting! If not, what is it? Curious as heck.

All the best,
Laurel

Becky- Thank you friend!

Paul- Which word exactly? You are right that "small is big" is hard to sell. It makes no sense to me, but I'm gonna keep plugging away at the process anyway.

Laurel- Yes. That is wasabe and yes it went away. With the huge amount of sushi we had, it got consumed! Best sushi ever, by the way.

"The folks I met with worked heavily to show that they knew my business, at least the ones who are going to keep or gain my business did. They researched my products, looked at the places where their products would fit, evaluated my market... basically, they showed that they cared enough to earn my business."

Sounds like they earned your respect as well, which is often a precursor to earning business.

I think when a company makes the transition from simply trying to earn a few bucks from the customer, to trying to earn their respect, that's when they start to earn long-term customers, and customers that become evangelists for them.

Great post Tim, it really is about the little things.

tim, what i found really hard working for multinational companies is that they are hardly multinational from a cultural point of view. being based in 50 countries does not mean that you are really udnerstanding what's happen in those places. i suggest that most of the success of these companies lies in the possibility to outscore local competitors in marketing and advertising investment: awareness still mean something.

Here's the money quote for me: "Getting involved with your customers on a personal level will almost always yield positive results, especially if you take the time to listen to what they are saying to you and you learn what their needs are."

Nice to have you back, Tim!

hello

i am so glad that you enjoy your trip to taiwan! that makes me, a native taiwanese, very proud indeed. it looks like that you have enjoyed our glorious food, booze and hospitality and our way to doing business, which is drink A LOT. it's really a cultural idea that it shows that you are sincere in doing business with each other.

this practice is still fairly common in taiwan, and other parts of the asia. especially at weddings where everyone has an agenda for their business. i think earlier on when it was not that common to do business in asia, westerners were not so used to the idea of doing business over dinner and drinks (at least, not the way we drink in taiwan). but apprently, it did get contracts signed faster that way. haha.

anyway, glad that you had a great trip. and that sashmi looks great!

cheers,

cindy

Cindy- Thank you SO much for your comment and adding to the dialog here. I am so very happy that you visited!

I sincerely enjoyed my trip to Taiwan and will be in Taipei in just another 3 weeks. I am truly looking forward to it too.

Taiwan gets a bad reputation sometimes, but I really enjoyed my time there and will enjoy my future trips as well.

Thank you again Cindy and Happy Chinese New Year too!