The Tribune

By D’ARCY RAHMING

My father’s name was David Rahming. He passed away in 2007 at the age of 65 from a heart attack. It must have been a big one, because he had a big heart. Dad worked for a brief time as an insurance salesman, but I think the majority of his career was in consumer affairs. Dad was a horrible businessman, yet he was one of the most natural marketers I ever met. He was a deeply spiritual man and, at his root, he truly believed in the dignity of the human person. In this article I’m going to give you some of his best kept secrets.

One of Dad’s favourite phrases was: “Say something encouraging.” I am not sure where he got it from, but if you want to keep customers for life, have positive things to say to them that uplift their spirits. I am constantly running into people who say they miss him. Or even groups that say he was the recent topic of discussion. They cite his joviality, some kind act he did for them or even some words of encouragement he gave them. It is good marketing when your personal brand carries on past you, and people are excited to tell someone else about it.

When Dad died we found a bunch of postcards he had written to various people. He never got around to mailing these particular ones. The postcards were made during his travels. They contained deep insights into his character, and we delivered as many of these as we could to the people they were written to. They were all deeply grateful for the things he had to say. Handwritten notes of appreciation are marketing genius. You want to keep a client for life, so send him handwritten notes. Few people do this any more; they e-mail or text, which is good, but nothing beats the handwritten notes.

“Pay attention.” As I have discovered, this is an old Bahamian statement with deep spiritual significance. He would often tell me this in relation to how I was treating people. He did not make much of a distinction between whether you were rich or poor. He had friends from all classes of people. When he said: “Pay attention,” he meant don’t judge a person just by their appearances, but look to the heart of the matter.

This is a lesson marketers can learn. Be authentic instead of just trying to sell someone something. Pay attention to their needs and it can take you a long way.

Christmas seemed to be one of Dad’s favourite times. Maybe it was because of all the parties he would attend. One thing is certain: Expressing gratitude, saying encouraging things, and paying attention to the needs of others in a personalised way will carry you and your brand a long way.

Just some things I learned from a guy who never took a marketing course but built a personal brand that is withstanding the test of time.

NB: D’Arcy Rahming holds a Masters of Management from Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. A lecturer at the College of the Bahamas, Mr Rahming has clients in general insurance, retail, the health and medical fields, sports federations and financial services. To receive his marketing newsletter FREE go to http://DArcyRahming.com or contact him directly at darcyrahmingsr@gmail.com