The Six of Diamonds

The card states one of the basic reminders in business "IF WE DON'T TAKE CARE OF THE CUSTOMER... SOMEBODY ELSE WILL." I have known this since I was a little boy, I used to hang around in a small sari-sari store (at that time, it is my bank to where I put my money and have treats in return :D). Lola Dune is really a very warm person, I can say that she really is a good sales person. Even if you won't buy at her store, she will still be that accommodating. In our neighborhood, there is also a small grocery owned by a somewhat Chinese looking fellow. It has so many goods for sale that it is like a usual target for goodies. Aside from the size and number of products sold, the difference between the two establishments is that while Lola Dune is so warm towards everybody, the other one is so cold and moody. Somebody even told him that because of that, however necessary his goods are, people won't bother buying from another. The small grocery operated for I think just four months until the owner decided to finally close it. The lost of customers from this store enables the small sari-sari store of Lola Dune to gain more market and later grow into a grocery. Customers are people too, the need social connection is a major advantage that creates major gains. We are human after all.

The Jack of Flowers

Marketing is the front-liner of each company. They are the ones who have direct interaction with the public, aside from the products or services. They ought to be effective in appraising mass appeal of the product or services and also the company as well. So definitely, marketing, together with the sales people, are used in a fierce market battlefield. It takes time, effort and the right strategy to gather even a single customer to use anything that a company offers. I remember the incident in the 1990's involving Pepsi and their contest-promotion, if I'm not mistaken, 555 fever. As far as I can recall, there is an anomaly regarding the result of the contest. Let's just say the booster turned into a disaster. People for a long time were demotivated to patronize the product. In an instant, they lose a lot of Pepsi drinkers. I believe the same happened to Vicky Bello, when a scandalous event involving her partner, Hayden Kho, spread in the mainstream of media. I believe some of her clients were turned-off with the said controversy. Again, another cut-off Belo's market. See, it takes time, strategy, patience, hardwork, including sweat and blood, gaining even a single customer. People are hard to convince, but they get easily swayed by negativity. The harder it is to get a customer, but it is a lot easier to lose one. It talks about dignity and discipline. It talks about being true to yourself and to others. The card states "It takes months to find a customer... seconds to lose one."