Attention!!

Most readers love to employ a Vendor-Centric Marketing Management System. If you don't believe me, read all the vendors the Internet Retailer Top 500 leverage just to run a website ... modern commerce has been overwhelmed by the Vendor-Centric Marketing Management System.

This means that there are myriad opportunities to do things that are not promoted by the Vendor-Centric Marketing Management System folks.

Look at your own data - you'll quickly see that the first eight weeks after a first purchase are THE MOST IMPORTANT timeframe in the life of the customer. There's no arguing this ... just look at your own data. I've yet to have a client where this isn't the case.

So if we know this is a fact, then ask your 1,493 vendor partners to bend their tools in your favor. Ask them to innovate ... ask them to provide solutions designed to get the first-time buyer to buy for the second time in a rapid manner. Pay them bonuses when they do an above-average job of quickly converting customers with unique solutions that they design for your specific situation.

And Attention All Vendors:  The first eight weeks following a first purchase are the most critical eight weeks in the customer life cycle. Period. You have a HUGE OPPORTUNITY to make your clients happy while padding your bottom line by modifying your products to capitalize on this critical customer window. Be creative. Be innovative! Help people, ok?!!