The Tribune

By D’Arcy Rahming

The Huffington Post reported that a man jumped to his death off a seven-storey balcony at a mall in China because his girlfriend would not stop shopping after four hours. He could not take it any more after she insisted on just one last shoe store. Comments on the Internet ranged from humour to “This guy is a martyr for the cause” and people posting advice on suicide prevention.

I am told there are several young men in Fox Hill prison because their girlfriends put pressure on them to buy expensive items. They are literally stealing from their employers or, even worse, committing armed robberies to meet the needs of these women. The banks play into it this also by offering Christmas loans to people, enticing them to spend more than they can afford for that special gift.

While Christmas is a joyous time for many, it is a time of depression for some. Much of this occurs because they look around and feel something is missing. Many of them believe that what is missing is something material, so they will buy junk or regret the ability to buy junk. They do not realise that what they are missing is good relationships. Some of you may be saying well, isn’t this supposed to be a column on marketing? Why am I seemingly suggesting that you spend less?

Unless you think I am some kind of Scrooge who does not enjoy Christmas, I want to tell you this is my favourite time of the year. And it has absolutely nothing to do with buying or receiving gifts. I believe wholeheartedly that selling people junk they don’t need, or creating an environment that is unhealthy for families, is not a part of the marketing revolution. True marketers meet the needs and wants of people in an ethical manner. True marketers build relationships with their clients that are long term. These relationships are healthy and beneficial.

Even if you are worried about profits, if you are in the right relationship with people, they will be lifetime customers for you. As a marketer you will yield far more profits by continuous sales and referrals than you would by overselling. So enjoy Christmas, encourage people to shop with you, but be sure to offer things such as layaway plans so people can budget properly. Have a talk with your employees about the importance of honesty and integrity, and the importance of long-term relationships with your customers so that they do not oversell this Christmas.

• NB: D’Arcy Rahming holds an MBA from the prestigious Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. A lecturer at the College of the Bahamas, Mr Rahming has clients in general insurance, the retail, health and medical fields, sports federations and financial services. He is also treasurer of the Bahamas Olympic Committee. To receive his marketing newsletter FREE go to http://darcyrahming.com