Marketing is built around a simple concept:  exchange. 

You have something I want (usually money). I have something you want (a product or service). We agree and exchange what we have. Simple enough?

But what happens if one of us doesn't full their end of the exchange? What if all they are concerned about is receiving?  Do you soon feel cheated, used, or manipulated?  That's subtraction -- where the focus is always on taking, rather than on giving anything.

But do all businesses operate that way?  Not at all. When you study market leading companies, you find that they spend a lot of time and effort adding to their customer's lives.  Southwest tries to make plane flights fun with humor -- and by emphasizing being on time. Ben & Jerry's spend a lot of time and effort making great ice cream -- and also do some good in the world with a portion of their profits. Dell has figured out how to allow their customers to customize their personal computers -- while making the experience easy and affordable. Major grocery stores -- like Acme (Albertson's) and Genuardi's (Safe Way) in our area --  now let you place your weekly food order online, and you can either pick it up at the store or they'll deliver it to your door for a small additional charge -- providing huge savings in time and convenience for relatively little added cost (my local store charges a $10 delivery fee - well worth it to me in the time and effort it saves). And, Apple seems to be on a mission to provide their customers with cool, intuitive products that enable them to increasingly personalize their media and entertainment experiences.

Great businesses find ways to add to the lives of their customers:  value, convenience, support, knowledge, or some other quality that matters to the person buying the service. While ordinary and short-sighted businesses are often far too concerned about taking from their clients.

Let me give you an example. Here is a bank I do business with -- why I'm not sure. They provided me with a credit card years ago and I continue to use it only because I'm too lazy to switch. Originally, the rates were fair, along with their other rates. I even got rewards checks every quarter without doing anything, and there was no annual fee. That's all changed.

Here's what they get out of me now: 

• Credit card annual fee (-)
• High monthly interest rate (-)
• High late fees (-)
• Loan rates -- highest possible (-)
• Deposit interest rates -- lowest possible(-)
• Inconvenient hours (-)
• Difficult to speak to a human being (-)
• Rewards -- they cut them out; following complaints, put them back in, but now II have to go online to redeem from companies I don't care for; all very complicated(-)
  
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Perceived Goal of Bank:  Squeeze all the revenue possible from the customer. Give back the bare minimum -- service, hours, value.

Customer's Response:  Feeling used, with limited connection and loyalty, and vulnerable to being switched to another bank.

My view: This bank is far more interested in subtracting from my life than adding to it.  It's become a selfish, one-sided relationship.

Interestingly, when a bank does break out of the traditional mold and extend hours, offers low or no cost services, I often hear other bankers complain -- and even hope the other bank somehow does itself in. I'm not kidding.

But this isn't every bank. Some are very different -- and they are often leading their marketplace. 

What do market-leading banks do?  They understand real relationships aren't one-sided. No relationship that is primarily one-sided will last long, much less thrive -- especially in this highly-competitive marketplace.

They know there's real lasting value and satisfaction that comes from giving back -- to customers and the community. So they not only work hard to give value, a better customer experience, and quicker, faster, easier service to their customers -- but they find ways to add to the lives of their customers.

 Isn't that expensive and difficult?  Others don't seem to be doing it? 

Or is it very smart? Does it make customers happy, appreciative, content, less resistant to moving on, and more likely to tell others?  What's that worth?  

Carl Francis