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I read an article recently about ways to improve your marriage. And yes, perhaps unromantic as it may seem, it made me think about marketing. (Okay, I think about marketing a lot. Have you seen my article on how dating and marketing goes hand in hand?) And how we can take some of those same fundamentals that are used to improve marriage and also use them to improve our marketing efforts.

Just because you are married, it doesn’t mean that you shut down and think that you set the dial at “coast.” You still need to stay on top of your relationship, work on it, build on it. Because you want your relationship to be the best it possibly can.

Building a relationship with a prospect should be looked at the same way. We should never just rest on our laurels or set the dial to “coast.” We need to keep things fresh and interesting. We need to let our prospects know we are here for the long haul.

Here are some ways you can translate suggestions made to better your marriage and use them to enrich your marketing:

• Honesty is the best policy. Be 100% honest with your prospects.
• Just as you should be honest, you should also respect your prospects. Respect their time. Respect their interests. Respect their feedback.
• Be supportive. Let your prospects know that you are there for them. You don’t want to appear to be all about the deal and then you’re gone. And you don’t want to appear like you don’t care.
• Share the good times and the bad times with your prospects. Every marketing message doesn’t have to be a happy-go-lucky story or catchy tagline. If you present yourself as “human” and less of a faceless corporate entity, you will find your prospects feel more emotionally attached.
• Determine any issues or problems your prospects face and then try to solve them. Just like burying your head in the sand at home, if you ignore problems with your prospects, they won’t go away. In fact, they will get bigger. So tackle issues head on and communicate!
• Listen to your prospects. Really listen. And then let them know you are listening by responding in a personal fashion.
• Remember that prospects have bad days too. Don’t let that bad day set back your relationship. Be willing to forgive and move on.
• Have a regular “date” when you contact your prospects to check up on them and see how things are going. Of course, don’t hesitate to make that “date” in person when you can. A cup of coffee or a lunch goes a long way in making a relationship grow stronger.
• Have a good memory. Remember the anniversaries and the birthdays and acknowledge them. Make your prospects feel special.
• Surprise your prospects with little things here and there. Discounts, specials, resource materials, etc. Think up ways you can give your prospects a little “pick me up” that will make them fall in love with your business.